Quirky gift shop owner proud to celebrate first year at popular Northampton shopping centre
The owner of a quirky gift shop is proud to celebrate her first year at a popular Northampton shopping centre, just a couple of months on from closing her first store on the other side of town.
Lindsey Scott-Walker 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.
She planned to set up an online gift shop in April of that year, but fell in love with the premises in Kent Road, St Crispin Retail Village.
A year and eight months on from launching Feather Robins, Lindsey opened a second store in Weston Favell Shopping Centre in May 2024.
However, the business owner made the sad decision to close her shop in St Crispin Retail Village. It shut for the final time at the end of March as a result of massive increase in costs and a decrease in footfall.
Lindsey stands by that decision and as the dust has settled over the past couple of months, she is pleased to celebrate her first year at Weston Favell Shopping Centre.
“The first year has been really good and has absolutely flown by,” Lindsey told the Chronicle & Echo. “At the same time, it feels like we have always been there. It’s an achievement in the current climate and after having to shut the Duston shop.”
The founder has built a community of regulars and is pleased that she has filled a gap in the market – after people used to say that Northampton was missing a shop like Feather Robins Gifts.
“People now know where we are and make the journey especially for us,” she said. “We order minimal stock of our different items and we’re constantly refreshing what is on offer. If people are looking for a little something, they know they will find it with us.”
Lindsey says that it remains sad that she had to close the Duston store, but is happy that her customers have followed her over to Weston Favell Shopping Centre and remain loyal customers.
To mark the year anniversary, Lindsey worked with local design business Detype to create a new website. Online purchases can be made for postal delivery or click and collect, which encourages customers to pay her a visit at Weston Favell Shopping Centre.
With an optimistic mindset towards the future of Feather Robins Gifts, Lindsey shared she is actively looking for the right location for a second store. She says it must be somewhere they fit in, with other retail and hospitality facilities nearby.