Quirky gift shop soon to open second store in shopping centre on the other side of town
A quirky gift shop is set to open a second store in a Northampton shopping centre on the other side of town next week.
The business owner was unable to return to her previous job following an injury and after her mother sadly passed away in January 2022, Lindsey was in a position where she did not need to go back to conventional work.
She planned to set up an online gift shop in April 2022, but fell in love with the premises she now owns in St Crispin Retail Village.
Now, a year and eight months on from establishing Feather Robins, Lindsey is opening a second store in Weston Favell Shopping Centre next Tuesday (May 21).
Lindsey told the Chronicle & Echo that she hopes opening a new site will increase the footfall both in Weston Favell and Duston.
“I kept saying I wanted another shop,” she said. “The jewellers was empty in Weston Favell and I thought it was perfect. I liked the frontage and it’s a similar size to the Duston shop.
“It’s next door to the sweet shop, WHSmith and the fish and chips shop, and we took it on at the beginning of March.”
With Weston Favell Shopping Centre looking to welcome more independents to the lower mall, it seemed a perfect fit for Feather Robins Gifts.
The signage will be going up on Monday (May 20) before the grand opening of the gift shop the following day (May 21).
Though the stock will be similar across the two sites, there will be limited crossover between Weston Favell and what Lindsey describes as the “flagship” Duston store.
The business owner has had to take on five members of staff, who now join her and her bulldog companion Humphrey – who is an important part of Feather Robins and attracts his own visitors.
Though Lindsey admits handing over and learning to delegate has been a “nerve wracking experience”, she is proud to see the team expand. Each of them will do two to three days a week.
From next Tuesday (May 21), the shop will be open from 9.30am until 5pm from Tuesdays to Saturdays and from 10.30am until 3.30pm on Sundays. Both stores will remain closed on Mondays.
When asked how it feels to have the opportunity to open a second store at what is still a difficult time for businesses, Lindsey said: “It’s hugely scary but if we can keep trading in difficult times, it’ll get better.”
Lindsey encourages customers to come and see the quirky and colourful items at “great price points” for themselves, in both St Crispin Retail Village and Weston Favell Shopping Centre.