Finding suitable premises – large enough to accommodate the bulk-buying and supermarket-scale range that was so fundamental to the vision, and yet central enough to provide sufficient passing trade – was a major challenge. The (now two-person) working group scoured South Manchester….if things had been different, Unicorn could have ended up in Levenshulme, Withington, Didsbury, Northenden or Sale! A large, basic space on the (then) edge of Chorlton finally fit the bill, and a lease was signed in August 1996.
September saw two years’ incredibly hard, unpaid graft crystalise into a busy first day’s trading. A two person working group had swelled as Unicorn approached finding premises, reaching six by opening day. Sales grew quicker than our cautious forecasting and we were quickly recruiting again, reaching ten members by the end of the first trading year. Woop!
