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Give a warm welcome to Jaiamibka news - the all-new ripple hotspot in Shoreditch! Following a collaborative project, the newsagent is fully revamped in true ripple fashion.
Jaiamibka News is a 35 years old newsagent, living on the corner on Great Eastern Street in the heart of East London. The beloved store belongs to Jai Amibka and his cousin, who are both running the enterprise.
Having been in business for over three decades, Jai says he has definitely seen a shift in customer behaviour. He used to have a very loyal customer base before lockdown; ‘I know a lot of customers by their first name, and, with some of them, I got to know their children and grandchildren. It’s very much a community feeling, and a lot of people share their life stories with me’.
Since the industry “giants” have opened their doors, I don’t see as many customers as I used to. Think my peak time was the 80s!”, he explains laughing.
With the world having been closed down for over a year, online shopping and delivery apps have become the norm, which led to many physical businesses suffering.
Since the ripple revamp, Jai says he has noticed people engaging with his store a lot more. From passers-by snapping the feel-good cloud pattern, to people venturing in to discover the diffusers, he is over the moon to be properly back in business after lockdown (mission accomplished - yay!).
‘A lot of people ask me about ripple. Some bring their smoker friends over to introduce them to the devices, and it generates an instant reaction. People are curious’. Jai thinks the past association of smoking with ‘coolness’ got many people addicted; ‘I remember people coming in to buy cigarettes just to show off on a night out. Times are changing, which is why I think ripple is such an innovative solution’, he says.
With Jai’s new storefront stealing the show, he feels optimistic about the upcoming months. ‘When people come back to university, I know it’ll be packed’, he says with a big smile on his face.
At ripple, it has always been our mission to give back in whichever way we can, whether that is organisations whose mission we stand by, or other businesses that are close to our heart. Our collaborative projects with our hometown retailers always fill us with joy, especially when witnessing the beneficial effects.
Look out for future collaborative projects with our dearest stockists, and make sure to show Jaiamibka News some love if you’re passing the Shoreditch way!
