Central Albertans may not embrace the punk subculture for a variety of reasons.
Access to clothing and accessories is no longer one of them.
Scumpire, a Red Deer store specializing in all things punk, opened at 4728 Ross St. on May 31. Quin Evans, who operates the business with his girlfriend Deanna Redford, said things have gone “surprisingly well.”
Visitors to the store will find bondage pants, hair dye, studs, pins, patches, boots, CDs, hats, posters, books and a variety of other items.
“Anything to do with punk rock is what we’ve got,” said Evans.
A welder by trade, the 25-year-old has been into the punk lifestyle for more than a decade. Redford, 31, has been a punker “on and off for quite a bit longer,” he added.
Their customers have ranged from youths to people in their 40s, said Evans.
“Lots of those guys were punks when they were kids.”
Interest in the culture has gone through cycles, he noted, with many punk stores disappearing during the low points.
“All of the punk shops closed down probably between five to 10 years ago,” said Evans.
This was a source of frustration for him, because the products he was able to find at mainstream clothing stores were pretty commonplace. Evans toyed with the idea of starting his own shop for a couple of years, and finally decided to take the plunge.
“I have never worked customer service before in my whole entire life,” he confessed.
Fortunately Redford, who is also a welder, has. And she’s been able to guide operations.
Redford said sourcing merchandise has been a challenge.
“A lot of the stuff we have to order in from the States and the U.K.
“Plus, we do our own custom leather work if people want belts made or bracelets. And we’re starting to make our own clothes as well.”
Evans has heard that punk is poised for a resurgence. If so, Scumpire should be well-positioned to serve the next generation of punkers.
Scumpire is open Monday to Friday from noon to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Evans and Redford will also open by request, and can be contacted at 403-598-3024.
Additional information can be found on Scumpire’s Facebook page.
hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com