30 years in retail - a shopkeeper's tale - part five

My Shopkeeper Story

The move to Canterbury was a big risk. As with much of my business life, I knew that saying yes to the opportunity, and working out the details later was the only way forward.

Within nine months of meeting James, we were planning to live together. We had both independently been saving for a house deposit for years, and we decided that it made sense to wait to move in together until we were ready to buy a home. At first, I planned to commute the 60-mile round trip from Canterbury to Cranbrook, debating whether to take the train and bus or drive every day.

In the summer of 2021, James and I were walking down Burgate together, and I pointed at one of the shops there. I announced that if I were to move the shop to Canterbury, that would be the one I wanted. Large, airy, in a great location, with accessible double doors and a big window to one side. It became a running joke, and James, his kids and I all started to refer to it as my shop.

The joke became suddenly serious when the unit became vacant in September that year. It felt too early, but it also felt like destiny. I knew that as soon as the To Let sign went up, I would have to take a look.

The shop of dreams! (though I'm still not sure what all those keys are for)

The viewings...

Attempting to act responsibly and to not rely solely upon fate, I went to view two other vacant shops in the city. One had two floors, but the landlords couldn't allow the lower floor to be used due to safety regulations, and the other had a main ground floor, and then a host of topsy turvy rooms upstairs. Both had their charms, but I knew that the shop on Burgate was the most practical, turnkey space. I finally got to view it in January, and after months of arduous paperwork, got the keys in August 2022.

Painting, cleaning, scraping and being a (slightly incompetent) tradesperson

Weeks of cleaning, sanding, painting and planning ensued. I was lucky to have lots of support from James and from my family, though most days saw me working solo in the Canterbury shop, painting furniture, listening to podcasts, and having little picnics behind the desk!

I needed to wait until October to open, when my excellent plasterer could come and cover up the breeze blocks that had inexplicably been painted light blue, so Katherine and Mama T kept the shop in Cranbrook running as I dealt with the new space.  By this point James and I had an offer accepted on a house and were waiting to hear a moving date. It was an incredibly tense time!

My family and I packed up the Cranbrook shop at the end of September. I had arranged for movers to help, but had grossly underestimated how much I had to move, so numerous car trips, a couple of trailer loads from my brother-in-law were in order. Plus a second removal company booking. Ahem.

The Cranbrook shop packed up, with some very helpful labelling!

Getting organised...

I spent the first two weeks of October packing up my home and unpacking at the shop. James was a star, prioritising the house move so that I could focus on the shop. I had so much help from friends and family, and Katherine came over to help me too. 

Katherine had agreed to come with me to Canterbury until after Christmas, and then look for another job in January. I was incredibly grateful that she was willing to keep working with me, to get me through the tricky transition. Little did I know that she would still be with me three years later. How lucky am I?

The first window display in Canterbury, and the sign being painted

I was lucky enough to meet Ami in October, just before I opened. Her husband is one of James' colleagues, and James told me what a marvellous asset she would be to the shop. He was absolutely right, and her strength, her organisational skills and her ability to calm the most chaotic situation are as invaluable in 2025 as they were in 2022.

The grand opening...

The shop opened on 15th October 2022. I expected to hit the ground running, but H&G had a terrifyingly shaky start, with scaffolding problems, weather issues and low initial footfall causing a disastrous first few weeks of trade. One month after opening, I genuinely believed that it would all be over by Christmas, and the thought was truly awful. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to have to tell my team, my customers and my loved ones that the shop was closing so soon after it had arrived in Canterbury.

I am however, a firm believer in the joy of learning, and am proud that I managed to hang on through those early tough days. I took on coaches that specialised in retail, mindset and stock control, opened seven days per week and worked hard on the website. I brought creative workshops back to the shop, created all new Shop & Craft events, and made the most of Katherine and Ami's incredible creativity and Mama T's amazing gardening skills with the addition of dried flower bouquets. I joined in with every city event - late night openings, Halloween events, the Medieval Pageant, and Easter trails around the city. I worked with my fellow business owners in the Quarter to bring more footfall and vibrancy to the streets of Canterbury.

Looking back, the shop move was a real baptism of fire, but those early struggles helped to shape the business as it stands today; a place of creativity, resilience and community. I don't know what will happen next in my business journey, but I am very excited to find out.

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