Tell us a little bit about Belle la Vie?

Belle la Vie is a lifestyle shop in the heart of Belper, a historic market town in Derbyshire. Belle La Vie means beautiful life and we aim to stock wonderful things to make your life beautiful!

We have 3 floors full of ladies clothing, gifts, children’s clothing and home wear including candles and body and bath products. We are a mini department store!

What inspire you when you design your shop window? do you have any blogs, magazines or shops that you use for inspiration?

Our window display ideas come from all sorts of inspirations. I travel quite a bit and I’ve always had my camera on me. I love to visit cities and see the larger stores window designs particularly Fortnum and Mason to see their magnificent designs.

I also take inspiration from trade fairs and begin to create designs in my head when I see and buy a particular product which I think would make an amazing centrepiece. I will then build the design around that centrepiece. We currently have a unicorn in our window and that was the base for the current design. I also like to look in junk shops to see if I can find an unusual item to put in the window to base a design around.

I take inspiration from trends, particularly as we stock fashion. I might use the latest on-trend colour as inspiration or latest clothing design such as a stripe or paisley etc. Instagram and Pinterest are also huge inspirations for me.

I have a background in interior design and I also read interior magazines which inspire me in all sorts of ways. The changing seasons help to coordinate designs, such as Autumn/winter etc and occasions such as Easter/valentine etc. Christmas is always a showcase at the end of the year and one of my favourite windows to design

What are the most important things to consider when you are planning a shop window? 

Because we sell such a variety of products and have quite small windows it can be challenging to design a window to best reflect what we sell and at the same time be arty and eye-catching.

It has been confusing for customers in the past as sometimes they are unsure what our shop actually is but I believe the main purpose of the window is to catch people’s attention and draw them into the shop. We don’t like to clutter our windows too much which can be difficult when you sell so many items but the key to that is to change the windows often.

We change our mannequins twice a week sometimes and we always like to coordinate the gifts and homeware with the clothing so quite often the clothing style/colour is the inspiration for the rest of the window. It is often advised to have a backdrop to the window but we prefer not to as we like the customers to be able to see into the shop hoping what they see will tempt them in.

So we hope the window display will catch their attention and by drawing the customer to the window, what they then see inside draws them through the door 

Do you need a big budget to design a compelling show window? 

You do not need a large budget to come up with a fantastic window. It’s amazing what you can do with clear twine, magnets and a bit of imagination!! Hobbycraft is a great place to pick up creative bits and bobs too! 

Where can we find out more about Belle la Vie?

For further information about Belle La Vie visit us at 23 King St, Belper, Derbyshire or visit us on Facebook & Instagram.

Our website is currently under construction

The post Britain’s Best Shop Window Finalist: Belle la Vie first appeared on Savethehighstreet.org.

Tell us a little bit about Our Handmade Collective?

We are Our Handmade Collective, an award-winning handmade, handpicked gift shopping experience, based in the Grand Arcade in Leeds.  We collectively stock the work of more than 70 local Makers in what has been described as an Aladdin’s Cave of handmade treasures. 

Winners of Leeds Love Affair Best Place to Shop and Best Place to Treat Yourself in Leeds, and TripAdvisor number one for Shopping in Leeds means a visit to us is always a fabulous experience in a relaxed and fun environment!

What inspire you when you design your shop window? do you have any blogs, magazines or shops that you use for inspiration?

Our inspiration for our shop windows comes from the many beautiful products we have in-store.

We usually have themes which we work to, which are planned out in advance for the whole year. We sometimes mirror local events which are happening within Leeds and we like to work with our Arcade neighbours The Bridal Emporium to create coordinating displays where possible to give an even larger visual impact.

What are the most important things to consider when you are planning a shop window? 

The WOW factor is definitely an important factor for us.  We have a large window and you cannot see into the body of the shop, so it is the sole advertisement for us.

Therefore, our display has to draw the eye and make people stop, to invite them in.  It can be challenging to showcase each of the Makers we hold in store while still providing a cohesive display so we work very hard to ensure that our windows always have a wow factor, that they are very eye-catching and are just enough of a tease for people to stop and look and think ‘I need to go in and see what the shop is all about’.

What works and what doesn’t?

We use lots of props with a few selected products rather than having lots of products and a few props as we find this works better for us.  It enables us to fill a large window space with an eye-catching display and showcase the selected products.

Do you need a big budget to design a compelling show window? 

Definitely not in our opinion.  We are a small Independent business in a tough retail environment and our window displays are prepared on a shoestring as we have no large marketing budgets to spend.

Luckily, we are very creative people and we have amazing base products to work with!

How often you change your shop window?

Every 4-8 weeks depending on the season.

Where can we find out more about Our Handmade Collective?

The best place to keep up with all of our news is on social media, you can find us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.  You can also find us through our website.

The post Britain’s Best Shop Window Finalist: Our Handmade Collective first appeared on Savethehighstreet.org.

Tell us a little bit about Pippin?

Pippin is an independent gift boutique in Edinburgh – we sell a wide range of gifts, cards, jewellery, homewares and things to make you smile. We are really proud to support UK designers from across the country and to bring together a collection of products not seen before in our area.

What inspire you when you design your shop window? do you have any blogs, magazines or shops that you use for inspiration?

I mostly use the products we stock for inspiration, I look at what’s coming into stock and what trends are popular for the season, and work from there to create a display that will really show off those products.

Sometimes I do go for something completely off the wall that just struck me on the train home though! Our Christmas window (the one that has been shortlisted) was inspired by the beautiful patterns on the gift wrap we stock by The Art File. I loved their motifs of trees and woodland animals, and the bold red and blue colouring, so I supersized the concept and added a bit of Pippin magic to create an eye-catching display!

What are the most important things to consider when you are planning a shop window? 

The products that will be displayed in it, how best to show them off, the scale of props, height, the season/weather/lighting, timing, accessibility for staff.

What works and what doesn’t?

Big and bold works, filling the whole space, often using multiples of the same item to create an impact or lots of things in the same colour palette.

Lights work well in the winter to create a cosy glow. From experience, balloons are a nightmare!

Do you need a big budget to design a compelling show window? 

Absolutely not – I make mine on a shoestring budget, often making props out of cardboard or paper, or using old pieces of upcycled furniture.

I’m very lucky though as my partner is a joiner, so if I need anything building out of wood he’s on hand to help with the technical stuff!

How often you change your shop window?

Every couple of months usually, though I will often switch products within the display to keep it fresh (or because they’ve sold out!)

Where can we find out more about Pippin?

You can find us at www.pippingifts.com, Facebook or on Instagram.

The post Britain’s Best Shop Window Judge Vote Winner: Pippin first appeared on Savethehighstreet.org.

1) Pippin

Very professional.  Has a strong colour story.  Props are designed for the products.  Has a story.

Not your usual Christmas window with red, white & blue colour scheme.  Has a good 1st impact feeling that draws one in to look more closely, which is a challenge for such small product

2) Carousel Pig

This looks like something Bergdorf Goodman or Henri Bendel would do.  A lot of work went into this window.  I don’t know what they sell through but for initial impact this is very good.

3) Kindle House

They put a lot of effort into their windows but I very little idea of that they sell.

The post Britain’s Best Shop Window: John Abbate Top 3 first appeared on Savethehighstreet.org.

1) The Langport Stores

Although the product grouping could be improved, they have put thought into the frosted circle which makes customers look through the hole!

I do know that the store has been there for around 4-5 years, their windows are constantly changing and they are very much involved with the local community and keeping the High Street alive.

2) Our Handmade Collection

Great eye-catching and colourful window. Great ‘block merchandising’ although the product groupings could be bigger. This certainly creates a wow factor as the customer walks by.

3) Kindle House

Really nice created outdoor street scene. It doesn’t feel commercialised as usually retailers cram too much merchandise into their Christmas windows. Having said that it would have been nice to see some well-wrapped parcels and product groupings.

The post Britain’s Best Shop Window: Iain Kimmins Top 3 first appeared on Savethehighstreet.org.

Kindle House is a Lifestyle and Interiors brand in South Wales. The flagship store is nestled amongst a small parade of shops in Ystradgynlais and a smaller boutique store can be found in Mumbles. Some of our brands include Nomination Italy Jewellery, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, Masai Clothing, Onjenu, Alpe shoes, Melin Tregwynt.

Tell us a little bit about Kindle House?

Kindle House is a Lifestyle and Interiors store in South Wales. The flagship store is nestled amongst a small parade of shops in the little Town of Ystradgynlais.

Owner, Emma Purvis moved back to the area with her young family in 2010, having worked as an HR Manager in Hertfordshire. With no boutique style stores within a 20-mile radius, Emma spotted a gap in the market and Kindle House was born.

The store is set in a large Victorian end terrace, with 6 individually styled rooms full of hand-selected pieces.  Following the success of the Ystradgynlais store, Emma opened a smaller boutique store in the picturesque village of Mumbles in 2015.

What inspire you when you design your shop window? do you have any blogs, magazines or shops that you use for inspiration?

We’re always inspired by the sharingaworldofshops hashtag on Instagram. There are so many great images from all around the world!

The inspiration for our current Christmas window came during a trip to one of our suppliers back in January. They had built a full-size house front in their show-room to display their products, we took one look at it and thought, we can do that!

What are the most important things to consider when you are planning a shop window? 

We start the year with a planning meeting and create a calendar that includes all of the window changes and the general theme of each display. As we go through the year, we add more detail to the plan as new products arrive and we spot new trends.

We always make sure our windows are relevant to the season and are linked to one of the themes we have in store

What works and what doesn’t?

We’ve found that we don’t need to cram in all of our products to each window display. Our customers favourite windows are always the ones where less is more, ones that give a taste of what they’ll find inside. We like our window to entice people in, rather than give the whole game away!

Do you need a big budget to design a compelling show window? 

There’s no need for a big budget, we spend very little on each window. Furniture recycling shops are a great place to pick up bargains. We use lots of old furniture that we then upcycle with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (which we stock).

Our current Christmas Window is the first one where we’ve enlisted the help of a retired D&T teacher. When we briefed him he laughed and couldn’t see why we wanted to build the front of a house in our window, but now it’s all finished and we’ve decorated it, he thinks it’s great! The amount of publicity our window has received through word of mouth and on social media far outweighs the cost of materials and time.

We’ll also make use of it next year by putting it in the window of our store in Mumbles, we’ll probably update the door colour to refresh it.

How often you change your shop window?

We change our shop window monthly up to November, our Christmas window stays in for November and December as it’s always a big one! If it’s a clothing window, we change the mannequins often to keep it fresh and to ensure the clothes are not sun damaged.

Where can we find out more about Kindle House?

We’ve just launched a new website, www.kindlehouse.co.uk and are active on Facebook and Instagram.

The post Britain’s Best Shop Window Popular Vote Winner: Kindle House first appeared on Savethehighstreet.org.

This week we spoke to Phil Mullis, Head of Retail at accountancy firm Wilkins Kennedy. Established in 1882, Wilkins Kennedy has expanded to 18 regional offices based in the South of England with a turnover of £55 million, and over 700 staff and partners.

Can you tell us about the work you do as the Head of Retail?

It’s quite a varied role but it’s client-facing for predominately independently owned retailers; advising them on business growth and areas such as corporate and personal taxes, VAT, payroll – along with audits for larger retailers, accounts and often back office support, particularly timely management reporting. My role is also to prepare useful and informative content for retailers and to coordinate content from the Wilkins Kennedy retail team. I also help with business funding and turnaround, with help from my colleagues in Restructuring and Recovery.

What’s the biggest challenge facing the high street today?

There is a myriad of challenges facing today’s high street; in particular, the drop in footfall. Having fewer people coming to the high street has really impacted upon physical retail; consumers buy through different channels and not just physical.

What is the biggest issue facing independent business owners today that you feel is not being spoken about, or addressed properly?

It’s an issue that has certainly gained a lot of exposure but unfortunately, has not been addressed. Yes, business rates. This is a tax created before there was a digital retail channel; the world we live in today is multichannel and consumers buy both on and offline. Often a Pureplay retailer won’t need to be in a prime location, as its footfall is digital rather than physical, and its premises may have a lower rateable value. The lower rateable value will often give it a cost-saving advantage over its physical competitors. This is not to say Pureplays aren’t playing fair – it’s a valid method of doing business. However, the Government needs to realise that this arcane tax is not fit for today’s world.

How do you think we can attract more footfall to local high streets?

We have to give people a real reason to come to our High Street and make it as easy as possible for them to come. Sensible local parking charges help a little but overall the High Street needs to have more than just retail – it needs to be a place where we can share physical interaction with our community. The High Street today and tomorrow will not have as many shops but the ones it does will be better and provide a great experience for their customers. I believe that humans are social creatures and a great High Street can create a meeting place.

What is the best bit of advice you could give to someone who is looking to start their first independent retail business?

Know your numbers. It is absolutely vital you understand what is coming in, what is going out and when. You need to be cash generative and also have access to lines of credit to enable you to, for example, restock, pay and train your employees as well maintain a great store and digital presence. Before you start your first independent retail business draw up a cash flow model (a good accountant should be delighted to assist) and see where the peaks and troughs will be – this will enable you to plan for both the good and bad times and help you not to run out of cash.

When has a local business surprised you in a positive way and how did they do it?

The Craft Beer Shop in Little Chalfont has been open for just under 3 ½ years and from just providing beer to its customers, as you would expect, its offering has developed, over time, in line with its customers’ needs and wants. It has bought experiences to its retail offering such as: Meet the Brewer, Comedy Nights, Backgammon afternoons and Sports Events. So rather than being just a great beer shop, it has created different reasons for people to come and by doing so expanded its customer base. It has also got a great Facebook page, regularly updated, with events and new products.

Where can we find out more about you and Wilkins Kennedy?

You can find out more about Wilkins Kennedy and our Retail team by going to https://www.wilkinskennedy.com/sectors/retail-and-wholesale/ and me, via Phil Mullis on LinkedIn or @phil_mullis on Twitter.

I would love to connect and discuss retail with you!

The post Industry Insider – Phil Mullis first appeared on Savethehighstreet.org.

This week we have the pleasure to have in our Industry Insider segment, Howard Saunders, Retail Futurist with over twenty-five years of experience. Was part of Rodney Fitch agency Fitch pioneers of retail design, founded in 1972 and now they have 15 offices in 9 countries and over 350 employees.

Can you tell us about the work you do as a retail expert?

I designed stores for over twenty-five years. I learnt my trade at one of London’s biggest and best agencies: Fitch. Rodney Fitch was a pioneer of retail design and believed that design was a force to make people’s lives better. I still carry that with me. Today, I travel, write and talk about the future of retail. It’s so important we don’t lose sight of the fact that shops are the foundation of a thriving community. That’s what’s important to me.

What’s the biggest challenge facing the high street today?

A three letter word: tax. It would be amiss of me not to talk about this issue. Business rates have become unsustainable and must be addressed, not for businesses, but for the sake of our town and city centres. I’m not one of the current voices that believes punishing Amazon will save the high street. It won’t.

What is the biggest issue facing independent business owners today that you feel is not being spoken about, or addressed properly?

A decade ago everyone was bemoaning the ‘cookie cutter’ high street: the same brands, with the same store designs, so that every town looked pretty much identical. Today, many of these brands are dying and there’s a golden opportunity for local independents to show us how clever they are. It’s a process that began in Brooklyn, New York and it’s spreading across the globe. People want their towns to be individual and unique, they want to buy local produce wherever possible, and would love to see local designers and entrepreneurs coming to market. So it’s for all of us to help encourage what I call Brooklynization. Governments, local authorities and landlords must cut us some slack. In turn, local retailers need to smarten up and show more enthusiasm. At risk of offending your entire readership, there are an awful lot of scruffy, dirty, lacklustre independent stores out there. Amongst the gems, of course.

What are the most pressing concerns you hear from local retailers?

Well, I guess I hear the same stories as everyone else: Amazon, Brexit, business rates, unresponsive councils, the weather, there are some that probably blame Donald Trump! I believe, if we can get the financial model working properly, the future will be very exciting. Consider how quickly the craft beer industry took off. Within five short years, it’s turned the world of beer upside down and created thousands of new breweries, bars, new jobs, and some much better beer to boot! And exactly as in Brooklyn, there’s no reason we can’t have the same growth in independent bakeries, butchers, florists, delis, barber shops, bicycle specialists and local fashion designers. Now that would bring us all back to town!

How do you think we can attract more footfall to local high streets?

I think I just partly answered that. Predominantly, we have to get away from this notion of the town centre selling us ‘stuff’. We can get ‘stuff’ on the internet. (There’s tons of it on there). High Streets, on the other hand, are our communities. We go into town to meet with friends and family, pick up some essentials, browse a bit, then stop and have a coffee to watch the world go by. Humans have been doing this since Romans gathered in the forum to see what’s new. Amazon won’t change that. We need to get over this current financial hurdle and encourage our towns to be communities again, with buskers and tastings and fairs, and all the weird and wonderful things us humans get up to when we’re not at work.

What is the best bit of advice you could give to someone who is looking to start their first independent retail business?

Be niche and be nice. We are witnessing the death of mediocre, mass market generalists. Stores that stood for nothing in particular, were specialists in nothing in particular and sold much the same stuff as everybody else. I’d say pick a niche area and excel in it. Make the best muffins, skin cream or leather goods the world has ever seen or tasted, but don’t do all three! You will find your locals should be keen to embrace your homegrown star status. And that’s when the rest of the world will want to know about you, online of course. And yes, with the rise of robots and Artificial Intelligence, hospitality will be more important in the future than it is now. So be nice!

When has a local business surprised you in a positive way and how did they do it?

This is a great question, as it gives me the opportunity to mention two personal favourites, from very different ends of the spectrum, as well as the country. First is Webb Bros, a hardware store in my hometown of Woodbridge, Suffolk. It’s a store very clearly from the Arkwright school of design (Open All Hours, Ronnie Barker) This place is a veritable Aladdin’s cave of bits and pieces that we will all need, at some point. But most importantly, at the centre, beneath the hanging brushes and spools of multi-coloured rope, stands Maggie, the oracle of all things that need to be done. Seriously, there is not a task nor job on planet earth that Maggie doesn’t know how to do and what tool you’ll need. Now, what town is there out there that doesn’t need a store like Webb Bros?

Secondly, there are two very good people in the town of Totnes who own and run two fashion stores by the name of Fifty5a. Malin and Aron Hosie visited us in New York and absolutely hoovered up the independent vibe that is Brooklyn, and brought it back to Totnes. They are both creative and endlessly enthusiastic, and as a result, their stores feel alive, charming, personable, elegantly curated and cosy. They really ‘get’ how an independent store can outdo the chains.

Where can we find out more about you?

You can read my blogs and rants on all things retail here: www.22and5.com/blog/

Email me here: howard@22and5.com

And follow me on Twitter @SaundersHoward

The post Industry Insider – Howard Saunders first appeared on Savethehighstreet.org.

We recently spoke with Ceri Davies, former Head of Retail and Operations Director at Camden Market and former Head of European Stores at Urban Outfitters.

Ceri is an expert in Retail Stores, Retail Operations and Property Management and was part of the team leading the renovation of Camden Market, with the mission of bringing back the spirit that made Camden Market – for the 28 million visitors per year – the trendiest place in London during the mid-80s.

Ceri, can you tell us about you and the work you do as a retail expert?

I like to draw upon experience that I have gained over the years that I have been in retail to provide support and advice to tenants who feel that they need the support. This isn’t always easy for them to take on board the feedback as you are talking to them about their businesses which they have built however I would like to think that with my experience but also the way I try and relate to them that I can deliver constructive feedback for them to be able to take their business forward.

What’s the biggest challenge facing the high street today?

One of the biggest challenges facing the high street at the moment is the costs of actually running a business. It’s hard enough for an independent business to get themselves setup without all the additional pressures that are put upon them such as business rates, upwards only rent reviews, labor costs. Local council and the government need to be doing more to encourage and support these businesses to succeed as they are what bring diversity and interest to the high street and not the multiples that you see in any town across the country.

What is the biggest issue facing independent business owners today that you feel is not being spoken about, or addressed properly?

For me the issue with business rates needs to be addressed and whether this should be some form of rates relief for new businesses in their first 12 / 24 months business to allow them to get set up and have some breathing space while they get their cashflow in place.

What are the most pressing concerns you hear from local retailers?

Probably the biggest concern I have had flagged is rent as generally this is the biggest fixed cost that a tenant has and it is so easy to fall into arrears which makes it an uphill struggle for the tenants to not only pay their rent in advance but to also try and paid back any monies owed.

If you could encourage a local retailer to develop a skill or take a class, what would it be?

My initial temptation would be to say social media as this is such a vital part of any business strategy at the moment for anyone wanting to succeed but actually as a starting point I think one of the key skills for anyone starting out should be financial planning as without this skill you cannot effectively manage the cashflow of your business……you need to know your numbers if you want to succeed in the long run.

What is the best bit of advice you could give to someone who is looking to start their first independent retail business?

Find out what sets them apart from their competition and make sure that when they know what this is that they make sure they deliver this to the very highest possible standard, you cannot do it half-hearted if you want to succeed.

When has a local business surprised you in a positive way and how did they do it?

A great example is The Cheese Bar when they launched in Camden, they already had a great offering and following, however, they maximised their PR machine for launch with some amazing coverage, sharing videos on social media which got millions of views but then for opening did the most amazing sandwich amnesty where you could swap your shop bought sandwich for one of theirs which they, in turn, gave away to a homeless charity, what a great story.

Where can we find out more about you?

Find me on LinkedIn.

The post Industry Insider – Ceri Davies first appeared on Savethehighstreet.org.

Alex Schlagman our CEO will be discussing the future of the high street.

You can see it here

The post SaveTheHighStreet.org on BBC first appeared on Savethehighstreet.org.