New Business: Putting the Love in Preloved
This week saw the opening of a pre-loved clothing store in a historic part of town. We met with Helen, whose passion is for pre-loved fashion, to find out more.
You'll find Helen's new business, We Love Preloved, at the top of the market square in one of the Georgian bow-fronted shops (on the left). The first thing that hits you upon enty is the expensive boutique aesthetic. Decorated in teal and mustard gold, the colors provide a rich backdrop for an even richer collection of hand-curated stock.
Helen is bold with her choices, and it's easy to find statement pieces here you'll love for years to come. She's got a broad skill set in supermarkets, JCB; she's a qualified welder, hairdressing, and teaching assistance too. She loves to learn. She started this venture selling a few bits on Vinted from home, which grew to the point where she needed a shop. She'll be hosting her Vinted business now from the High Street store with the items on hangers and on Vinted, giving local Vinted users the opportunity to pick up in-store too.
Helen told us, "I've got five children, I've always been a single parent, I struggled, and felt bad to buy something new for myself because it was expensive - I'd got mum guilt. Every time I had to buy a new pair of trousers for work I always felt guilty - that £14 could go to my children. Bring something that is cheap and cheerful, you don't have to spend much, you can get a whole outfit for £10. It's just better."
Even now her children are grown, the mum guilt remains for Helen, something a good many of us can relate to.
All Helen's stock has a "new" look to it, and she does have items which are still tagged (unworn). The shop needed quite a transformation; it was a salon previously, and to transform the space into a boutique has been a labor of love for her. Helen feels that the timing is right for her to try this new venture; she feels she's in the right space financially, and with children grown, she had to try it.
She has all sizes, and rails are ordered by size, so it's easy to spot yours. She has men's on the right of the shop, sizes up to 3XL, and ladies from size 4 to 24, with shoes and bags dotted around, with a central table for jeans (both sexes).
Helen is also showcasing the work of her 13-year-old niece, a young jewellery maker who also sells on Etsy and has done some fetes.
Helen is also going to do pop-up shops so little businesses can come, and she's currently transforming a separate room just for them, giving local people a business taster just for a week. She's got her first booking too, Brian, who does sports memorabilia. Helen said, "Most people are frightened when they are starting out to pay the rent and the business rates, so it gives them a little opportunity to see how they go." Phil pointed out that many shops want a 3-year contract, which is too risky for many, so an opportunity to trial their idea or hobby without a huge stock investment is a welcome one for the town.
Helen discovered that the price of this particular shop was the same as she needed to pay to house her collection if she had a storage unit, something which had taken over her home, another reason for the timing being right for Helen. She has about 3,000 items of clothing.
Helen and Phil know each other from Phil's day job at Morrisons in Cheadle and when he was mayor previously. Helen said that she didn't know who the previous mayors were. In her mind, Phil is Cheadle's Mayor, and judging by the number of connections and engagement he's been involved in so far, we'd have to agree. He said, "For me, it's all about communication. If people are in pain, come and talk to me. We'll have a coffee or whatever; I'm easy that way, it's nice." We all agreed that the mayoral role is about community, something Phil offers in spades. "I keep my ear to the ground and find out what's going on," Phil told us.
Opening hours for the shop will be Monday - Saturday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm with Wednesday 8:30 am - 12:30 pm. She has a Vinted shop welovepreloved. She also donates to charity any surplus stock she has and anything that is too worn goes to the recycling bins. She doesn't buy from charity shops because she feels that's unfair.
New Business: Putting the Love in Preloved
