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Dr Zigs Extraordinary Bubbles
Pop-Up Shop Betws-y-Coed Easter 2013
An innovative retail concept is coming to North Wales this Easter as a ‘Pop-Up Shop’ is opening
temporarily in a vacant unit at the Snowdonia National Park Authority Information Centre in Betwsy-
Coed. Paola Dyboski-Bryant, from Dr Zigs Extraordinary Bubbles, is bringing her giant soapbubbles
business to the heart of Snowdonia.
“We are thrilled to join the new ‘Pop-Up Shop’ phenomena. It is a great opportunity to get our
products into a busy Welsh village, renowned for its quality retail experience. Especially with the
support of the National Park,” says Paola.
The ‘Pop-Up Shop’ concept has been endorsed by retail experts Alex Polizzi and Mary Portas.
New and small businesses open a temporary shop for a couple of weeks to test the market in a
vacant property. The idea is to invigorate and revitalise the high streets of the UK with an everchanging
exciting retail experience.
Over Easter, two ‘Pop-Up Shops’ will be based at the Information Centre: Wren and Sparrow
collections, a new handmade crafts business run by Jenny Aughton and Kirsty Williams, and Dr
Zigs Extraordinary Bubbles. Pete Trumper, SNPA’s Property Manager, said: “Supporting local
businesses is very important to the National Park and therefore we are happy to be able to provide
accommodation for these ventures. The Easter period is a very busy time at our Information Centre
in Betws-y-Coed, so I wish the teams luck and hope that it will be successful.”
“Our business focus is making people smile. We started with our Extraordinary Bubbles because
our son Ziggy loved bubbles so much when he was a baby, they just made him giggle and giggle.
They’re just so amazing, they proved really popular with everyone who saw them so we ended up
bottling some of our mix up and selling the toys – and now we’ve built a business from them! We
sell them on Amazon and at events across the UK. I guess we do business a little differently to
most. We hope that bringing our bubbles to Betws-y-Coed will make the village smile,” says Paola.
Paola and the Dr Zigs team were regional heat finalists in this year’s Lloyds TSB Enterprise
Awards. “It was great to stand on the stage of the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, alongside
great Welsh businesses. I learnt a lot from the other entrepreneurs and I am taking Dr Zigs
Extraordinary Bubbles to the next level, powered by lots of bubble love,” says Paola.
In addition to Dr Zigs selling the giant bubble kits, the team tours the country performing
spectacular outdoor bubble celebrations at festivals, weddings and events. They have designed
and created a unique bubble dome for indoor bubbles and bubble workshops. They are also taking
their bubble business to special needs schools and are carrying out research into the therapeutic
effects the bubbles have on children with Autism.
The Dr Zigs and Wren and Sparrow ‘Pop-Up Shops’ are open from 22 March to 08 April at the
Information Centre, SNPA tourism hub at Stablau/The Stables, Betws-y-Coed.
Diwedd / Ends
