International Women’s Day 2025: ‘We’re the underdogs,’ says quirky gift shop owner in Northampton
To mark the countdown to International Women’s Day on Saturday (March 8), we will feature a different female-owned Northampton business each day.
The first is Feather Robins Gifts and although business owner Lindsey Scott-Walker has had a tricky time of late, she is proud of the journey she has been on as a woman in business.
Lindsey established Feather Robins Gifts in St Crispin Retail Village in September 2022, in the hope of becoming a one stop shop for all customers’ gifting needs.
A year and eight months on from launching in Duston, Lindsey opened a second store in Weston Favell Shopping Centre in May 2024.
However, the business owner has now made the sad decision to close her shop in St Crispin Retail Village. It is now only open on Saturdays until it shuts its doors for the final time on March 29.
An increase in costs and decrease in footfall are among the main reasons this difficult choice has been made, and Lindsey hopes it will be better for the business in the long run.
Talking about International Women’s Day and the opportunity to celebrate each other’s achievements, Lindsey said: “It’s great, we are the underdogs. I’m really looking forward to it.”
She is attending a rights, equality and empowerment talk on Wednesday (March 5) at the Guildhall, which is being hosted by the UN Women National Committee for the UK.
Lindsey shared she has had a positive experience as a woman in business, though sometimes she does not feel she is taken seriously.
“People think Feather Robins is owned by a group and don’t realise it’s independent,” she said. “It’s mainly because the Weston Favell store already had shop fittings.”
Lindsey’s favourite thing about being a female business owner is that she can do whatever she feels is right and does not have to discuss it with anyone. She knows she can explore new avenues if that is what she desires.
When asked the importance of the community supporting their favourite businesses this International Women’s Day, Lindsey said: “It’s a chance to celebrate our successes. We never shout about it. We need to say this is who we are and what we’re doing.”
Lindsey is proud of her journey with Feather Robins Gifts and reminisced on a piece of advice she was given during a previous career.
“I was told getting from A to B is never a straight line, it’s a spiral,” she said. “Never has that been more true.”
Lindsey gave a shout out to fellow female-owned businesses Applewood Wellness and The Courtyard Cafe, and said “without a doubt” she is proud of Northampton’s female-owned business community.