The first night we met, neither of us had any idea we'd end up spending our lives running a gift shop together.
Today marks 26 years since Simon and I married on 24th June 2000. But our story started seven years before. It was September 1993 and our eyes quite literally met across a crowded room. The room in question was the bar at Ranmoor Hall of Residence on our very first
Harrogate Home & Gift isn't Just Where We Buy Stock. It's Where We Shape the Season Ahead.
Every July, thousands of independent retailers head to Harrogate Home & Gift with comfortable shoes, a notebook, and usually a shopping list. Of course, buying products is an important part of the trip. The right product, bought at the right time, can become a bestseller for years to come. But
What happened when we decided to celebrate summer instead of just waiting for Christmas
Every year, around this time, independent retailers start talking about Christmas. Buying. Ordering. Planning. Forecasting. It makes perfect sense. Christmas is the biggest opportunity of the year. But last year I found myself wondering whether we were overlooking something. What if the quieter summer months weren't something to
Ask a Shopkeeper - A customer tells me they can buy it cheaper online. What should I do?
Dear Shopkeeper, I've started hearing this more and more. A customer is browsing in my shop, then they tell me "I can get this cheaper online." Sometimes they still buy it, sometimes they don't, but either way I never know how to respond. Part
Why Does My Greeting Card Department Even Exist?
Over the past three years, our shop’s greeting card sales have almost quadrupled. On paper, that shouldn't really be happening. Just two miles from our shop is one of the country's largest shopping parks, attracting more than 13 million visits a year. My customers are
Small Shop Summer 2026 Starts Here
It's that time of year again. After a fantastic response last year, Small Shop Summer is back for 2026. What began as a simple idea has grown into something much bigger. Last summer, independent retailers around the country used the campaign to spark conversations, celebrate their businesses and
It Turns Out We Were Onto Something
When we launched Small Shop Summer last year, we didn't have a 2500 participants research report to back us up. We had an idea. An observation. And a growing suspicion that customers valued independent businesses far more than many retailers realised. The campaign was built on a simple
What I told the BBC about why reliable post still matters to British business, high street shops and human connection
Last week I was interviewed by the BBC about the impact of failing postal services on the greeting card industry. My contribution got bumped because an actual MP made an interesting comment about the situation, and frankly, I‘m well aware my opinion ranks way lower than his! But being
From a Seed of an Idea to an Awards Finalist
I was genuinely shocked and incredibly honoured to discover that Smart Shopkeeper Club has been named a finalist in The Retas Awards 2026 for Best Retailer Initiative. What makes this especially meaningful to me is that Smart Shopkeeper Club didn’t begin as a polished plan or carefully mapped-out
History, Archaeology and Why Small Shop Summer Exists
My archaeology degree occasionally proves useful in unexpected places. One of the simplest ways I’ve ever heard the difference between history and archaeology explained is this: History tells us what people say. Archaeology tells us what they do. History is the written record. Archaeology is the physical evidence left
So What Happened When We Tried It?
When I launched Small Shop Summer last year, I genuinely didn’t know what would happen. The idea seemed sound enough. I’d seen first-hand how powerful a good campaign could be during our award-winning Female Founders Month initiative. Customers had engaged with the message, embraced the stories
Why I Created Small Shop Summer
Summer is a funny season for independent retailers. The spring occasions are behind us. Mother's Day, Easter and Father's Day have come and gone. Christmas still feels a very long way away. For many shops, summer can feel like a gap between the major retail moments