Quirky gift shop owner praises ‘amazing community’ after success of second store over first three months

Lindsey Scott-Walker established Feather Robins Gifts in Kent Road in September 2022, in the hope of becoming a one stop shop for all customers’ gifting needs.

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.

A year and eight months on from launching Feather Robins, Lindsey opened a second store in Weston Favell Shopping Centre back in May – in the hope of increasing the footfall at both sites.

Feather Robins is located next to the sweet shop, WHSmith and the fish and chip shop, and remains proud to offer a diverse range of gifts for any occasion.

Lindsey told the Chronicle & Echo: “It’s going really well. Word is still getting out about us, which we expect being so new. People are finding us all the time.”

The shop owner has been particularly taken aback by the response to her stock of Maileg, which is a Danish toy brand. It is the fabric mice, which are collectors items, that are “flying out” of the Weston Favell store as Feather Robins is the only stockist in the town.

“It’s been an absolute result,” said Lindsey, who admitted that business has been better than anticipated in Weston Favell.

Lindsey and her team have already developed a loyal customer base, which is helped by people visiting the shopping centre on a weekly basis to do their food shopping and pick up other essentials.

“The community has been amazing,” she said. “We change the window display every two to three weeks and it is a massive draw. People come especially to see it. If people are looking for a unique or meaningful gift, or Maileg, we’ve got them covered.”

The uniqueness of Feather Robins is the main selling point for customers, but Lindsey admitted that running two stores has not been without its challenges.

The Duston store has been closed over the summer, as it was proving difficult to staff with holidays planned – and there is typically a lower footfall during this time.

It is reopening on Saturday (September 14), which also marks two years since Feather Robins Gifts first opened.

The St Crispin store will open from 10am until 4pm from Wednesday to Friday, and 9am until 2.30pm on Saturdays.

The Weston Favell shop will remain open six days a week, from 9.30am until 5pm from Monday to Saturday. From the first weekend in October, it will also open from 10am until 4pm on Sundays, to meet demand in the run up to Christmas.

Lindsey has already received enquiries about when Christmas items and gifts will be in stock. She says they will be rolled out in early October in Weston Favell, and mid-to-late October in Duston.

For more information, visit Feather Robins Gifts’ Facebook page here.