With her fearless spirit and creative flair, Laura Pagan thrust Pagazzi Lighting into the spotlight of the UK lighting industry 40 years ago. In 2020 she is championing the brand alongside her husband Alan, daughter Rebecca, a team of directors, driven store, HQ and e-Commerce staff.
“It was a toss between cards and lighting. After selecting a shop in Glasgow City Centre, we were positioned around the corner from a large card store… so selling cards was out the window and lighting it was!”. Pagazzi is forced to be reckoned with 17 stores and a website however coming from a banking background Laura started with no lighting knowledge “I was naïve to leave my job and dive into an industry that I have no idea about. The first day we opened I have no idea if anyone would even like the stock. My first sale was for £260 for two table lamps and a ceiling light (rise and fall to be exact) so it gave me a bit of confidence!”.
In 2002 Laura opened a store in a retail park in Uddingston “I felt people weren’t shopping as much on the highstreet – the main reason being parking! Alan took 2 weeks off work to help me set-up as I also had 2 daughters at school.” After 12 months the store was such a success that Alan came on-board full-time and the Pagazzi expansion was a-go.
Customer experience and varied product range is still at the core of the business with Rebecca Pagan now leading the way as Buying Director. In 2012 Pagazzi branded product was introduced (a collection that is designed by Pagazzi) ‘Rebecca and I design the product from start to finish & we are inspired by trends and feedback from customers. Designing your own styles is a great way to give customers exactly what they want”.
Fast-forward 40 years, Laura is far from lacking in lighting knowledge with Pagazzi as UK’s largest independent lighting retailer. The magic of putting customers first and strong product selection is continuing to fuel the powerhouse that is Pagazzi.
Happy Birthday Pagazzi! x
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