5 minute read
Cathy Frost, owner of Loveone gift shop in Ipswich
Diary of a gift shop
Cathy Frost, owner of Loveone gift shop in Ipswich, steps back in time to share her retail journey
Loveone celebrated 15 years on the High Street in November: a real milestone given the current economic climate. It gave me a reason to be a little reflective: to think back to where it all began and the journey we’ve had.
I’ve heard the following statements on numerous occasions over the years. Perhaps these resonate with you? “That won’t last.” “How on earth do they make any money?”. ‘It’s just a knick-knack shop.” “I don’t want any more junk in my house.” And “it’s a Doily shop.”
Well, the Doily shop did good! A very dear friend coined this phrase when I first opened the door. Andrew was not a shopper, and really had no idea what me or my business was about. But as he rode past the shop every morning to his office, he’d shout very loudly across the road: “How’s the Doily shop doing?”. In all the years I’ve been trading, I’ve never stocked doilies. But we have flexed and changed our product offer, adapted to changing habits and tastes, and responded to recessions and a pandemic.
Where did it start? Like many small businesses, mine happened gradually. I never had a lightbulb moment. After leaving a career in local government, I retrained as an interior designer, set up my own business, and fell into buying products for a kitchen design showroom. Channelling my love of shopping and small shops, it seemed like a great idea to open an interiors shop on the high street.
So, in 2007, Loveone opened its door, aimed at the ‘forever forty woman’ (thanks ‘Queen of Shops’ Mary Portas for that shopping intel). Here was my target market. They were my tribe and they had money to spend. Ipswich had a brand-new shop, and I was keen as mustard to share my passion for small business with the world. The store was full of beautiful homeware, textiles, candles, and throws - with an interior design service to pull it all together.
Well, that dream lasted for less than two years and then… boom. The banking crisis of 2008-2009 arrived. My forever forty woman had to go back to work, her disposable income was pretty much wiped out, and it was time to reassess.
I had to ditch a lot of products. I closed down the interior design side of the business and focused on gifts and stationery. People were no longer spending money on themselves or their homes, but appeared to be prioritising buying gifts and cards. I moved into new product areas like jewellery, accessories, and toys, investing in all aspects of the gift market. It proved to be a very good move.
It was also during this time that I discovered a whole new side to retail - the local artisan. Working and collaborating with local creatives over the past 10 years or so has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my retail life. We host an artist of the month, have regular window takeovers, and I
personally mentor and advise creatives on bringing their products to market. There is a great sense of achievement for us all when a new product starts to sell well, or we get some positive feedback from customers.
Fast forward to the present. We are still a gift shop, and we still champion all things local. Our gift offer has changed to embrace new trends. Most recently we have taken on dog grooming products and houseplants. We are also looking at the business more critically to become a more sustainable entity. For example, to celebrate our 15th birthday, we had reusable tote bags printed, to encourage customers to bring their own bags.
Tastes and shopping habits may have evolved over the years, but two constants have remained: good customer service and selling quality
products. Small business really is a force for the future. Being able to offer a truly great customer experience is surely what our high streets are all about.
With more of us working from home, or living on our own, small businesses really have an important part to play in providing a vibrant community around us - a place to shop local, and find a favourite coffee haunt or lunch stop - but, above all, to connect and talk to each other. One thing my shop is never short of is chat!
Quality and provenance have always been important to Loveone, and meeting many of our producers gives us a great talking point. The customer often leaves us knowing a lot of background information about a product or where it is produced: added value that can be retold later down the line to the recipient of the gift.
The last and most important part of the Loveone story is the people. There is never a dull moment when you work with the public. I really have heard and seen most things, and been party to secrets, surprises, and heartbreaks. We have counselled and signposted people at some of their lowest moments. We have helped celebrate births, weddings, exam successes, and many other pivotal moments in people’s lives. We have laughed and we have cried. It truly is an honour and a privilege to be part of such an awesome community.
So, the challenges facing the high street may be enormous, but I’m standing by the ethos of providing a great experience in-store. Loveone always smells great, it’s beautifully curated - and we’re always ready for a chat - with a box of tissues at hand!
L - R: Cathy with her sales assistant Pippa Travis-Williams
Their blue tops show that Loveone was selected as one of 100 impressive small businesses from across the UK to mark the official countdown to last year’s Small Business Saturday (SBS).
This annual campaign, organised by Small Business Britain, champions small business success and encourages consumers to ‘shop local’ and support businesses in their communities.
The 2022 initiative highlighted 100 businesses - one a day for 100 days - leading up to SBS on December 3. Loveone’s day was October 12, and the shop received exposure on SMS’ social media channels and in the local and national press. Cathy also joined the SBS team at a reception in London at the House of Lords.
