Words: Zena le Roux | Images: Supplied
The Golden Goose Artistry offers a wide variety of carefully chosen locally designed items in Southdowns Shopping Centre and Brooklyn Mall. Co-owner Elzette Botes tells us more about the business.
How did your business start?
We wanted to open a shop selling good quality, unique items that complement art. One of our aims was to focus on local items and to be an approachable take on a gallery, where children and younger people would also feel welcome. We also wanted to be approachable to young artists who may be hesitant to approach galleries. We did exactly that. Today, our shops have a warm and friendly feel with lots of exciting discoveries inside. We opened our first store in September 2016 and our Brooklyn store in November 2017.
Why did you choose this area to set up shop?
The first shop is located in Southdowns, Irene. My business partners also own a restaurant in the same centre and have always really enjoyed the setting. It felt like the centre and the area would complement the feel of our business; it just made sense. We soon decided to open our Brooklyn shop for the same reasons.
How did you find your premises?
My business partners own a restaurant in Southdowns Shopping Centre and had a pop-up gallery a few years ago in the same centre. So we knew that it was a well-run centre, suited for our concept. Because we spend a lot of time in the centre, we found out immediately when a space became available and we approached the management with our idea. The Brooklyn store was always our first choice for our second store.
Why are the premises ideally suited to your business?
Our shops make us accessible to a wide range of people in a safe, well-maintained environment. Both Southdowns and Brooklyn malls offer exactly this as well as quality management.
Who are your neighbours?
Southdowns is a lovely centre with smaller shops and boutiques like Intrigue, Biggie Best, The Sweat Shop and will soon have a Milk and Honey. At the Brooklyn store, our neighbours include Shakti Shanti, Food Dog Design, Exclusive Books and This & That.
What are the shop rental/sales prices like in this area?
The rental is quite high because of the good locations.
How many people visit your business each day?
Between 60 and 100 people a day at the two stores combined.
Do you have any expansion plans?
We’re really blessed to be able to work with a great and talented group of artists and designers, and we’re building good relationships with all of them. We’d therefore definitely like to expand into the larger Pretoria area and later in Joburg, to grow our brand and the brands we associate with.
Do you operate online as well?
We don’t have an online shop yet, but we’re active on Instagram and Facebook.
What’s your most popular item?
Because we sell such a wide variety of items, it’s difficult to tell, but we sell a lot of interesting artworks.
For more information on The Golden Goose Artistry, phone 083 795 7074 or visit their Facebook page.
