‘I do my best to visit Northampton businesses when I can – here’s how much your purchase means to them’

It will come as no surprise to regular readers of our Chronicle & Echo coverage that I feel passionately about appreciating the vastness of quirky and independent businesses across our town.

We do what we can to show our continued support to independents through the good times and the bad, and for me that extends to paying them a visit in person too.

If there is something I wish to purchase, I consider which local business I can shop with to give them a helping hand and ultimately invest back into Northampton’s economy.

One recent example that springs to mind is a visit I paid to Feather Robins Gifts in Weston Favell Shopping Centre.

I had been searching for a specific piece of jewellery for myself and was eager to purchase it in-person rather than shopping online – as there is so much value in seeing something in front of you before spending your hard-earned money.

Having searched in many other places and convincing myself that what I wanted simply did not exist, I walked into Feather Robins Gifts and my exact vision sat on a rotating display on the counter.

It was a joy to see business owner Lindsey Scott-Walker, who greets all customers with the same beaming smile.

She is always happy to welcome new and familiar faces into her eclectic shop which, in my opinion, is one of the go-to places for gifting in this town. You never know what you might find in store and are spoilt for choice with everything to look at.

We recently published a story on the fact that Lindsey is opening a second store on Sheaf Street in Daventry. She has chosen to expand to a different area of the county after bouncing back from the closure of her original Duston store earlier this year.

Coincidentally, the weekend I paid Feather Robins a visit was just days before Lindsey was waiting to hear if she had secured the Daventry premises – and she gave me a heads up about the potentially exciting news to come.

Lindsey was full of hope and optimism during that conversation, mixed with the confidence that everything would work out the way it should.

The options were either to secure a new second store imminently or move all of the stock from the Duston premises into a storage unit, and yet Lindsey fully trusted the process. I think everyone can learn a thing or two from Lindsey’s mindset here.

Though I did not know what the future held for Feather Robins when I visited on that weekend, I shared Lindsey’s confidence and it made me even more pleased that I had made the journey to her shop.

To round off the visit, I purchased the piece of jewellery I had been on the look out for – and I was grateful to myself that my patience meant I supported a local, independent business rather than caving to the instant gratification of online shopping.

I know for a fact that the purchase meant just as much to Lindsey, as those who can put their money where their mouths are ultimately secure the future of her venture.

Having spoken to Lindsey many times for this newspaper, I know that finishing off the service by wrapping purchases in tissue paper and the same smile as when the customer walked in is important. And that is exactly what I received.

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