Knaresborough’s first pop-up shop to open tomorrow

Knaresborough’s first pop-up shop will open on the High Street tomorrow.

The former Sid Horner and Son unit will provide week-long premises for a wide range of businesses.

Clothing and accessories firm Martha and Bea will be the first to occupy the site tomorrow.

Jane Weston, who runs Martha and Bea, said the concept was perfect for small firms like hers that didn’t require full-time premises.

“Natalie and Rob Horner have done an absolutely amazing job with the shop.

“It’s a stunning and a fabulous addition to the High Street.”

Ms Horner said the pop-up was fully booked until the end of the year and will host a wide range of businesses selling items ranging from glass ornaments to lingeries and photographic images.

Asked about the striking design, she said:

“We just wanted to something eye-catching that was fresh and clean and the polka dots seemed to work well with the pop-up theme.”

Sid Horner and Son now operates from premises on Finkle Street.

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Pop-up shop offer proves a hit with Knaresborough businesses

A pop-up shop on Knaresborough High Street has proved so popular it has been booked up for the rest of the year.

The owners of Sid Horner and Son decided to offer their former premises as a pop-up for a week at a time to help boost the town’s independent businesses.

After offering the shop at £250 a week including all bills, the company was inundated with interest and, within two days, had filled the calendar until 2024.

Owner Natalie Horner told the Stray Ferret:

“Knaresborough is thriving at the moment, with less than a handful of empty units and lots of new businesses opening.

“We know lots of people want to open a shop in Knaresborough and so want this to be an opportunity for independent businesses to test the water before signing in to big leases.

“We think it will be a great addition to the high street as well as a fantastic opportunity for businesses to trial opening a shop, and hopefully some will go on to open full time in town.”

Mrs Horner said the people who had signed up would be offering a range of products including homeware, clothing, stationery, swimwear, and eco and sustainability items.

The shop, which was previously used by Sid Horner and Sons before becoming a chiropodist’s treatment room, is currently undergoing renovations, including colourful paintwork outside,

The first pop-up is expected to open in mid-September.

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Business Breakfast: Small indies to pop up on Harrogate high street

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club!

The second in our series of networking events in association with The Coach and Horses in Harrogate is an After Work Drinks event on February 23 from 5.30pm. Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district, get your tickets now by clicking or tapping here.

Harrogate’s initiative to give more independent retailers a spot on the high street will see a clutch of new names take over a unit in the Victoria Centre this spring. 

Harrogate Pop Up, on the corner of Cambridge Street and Station Parade, was first made available for short-term rent by retail property agent Barker Proudlove in autumn 2021. 

Jessica Swain, from Barker Proudlove, helped set up the pop-up shop. She said: 

“It is fantastic to see the pop-up shop so heavily in demand. Harrogate has such a diverse mix of businesses already and we hope those businesses popping up with us will see a space for them to be part of this community permanently after their pop-up ends.”

This year’s spring line-up includes Beauchamp Accessories, Bamboo Beautiful, Headlock Vintage, We Got U Covered and Martha and Bea:

Beauchamp Accessories, a York firm specialising in Italian leather handbags, will fill the space during February and April, following a series of successful pop-ups in the space in 2022. 

Bamboo Beautiful, which sells sustainable bamboo products including homeware and gifts, will occupy the unit from the March 13 for one week. 

Headlock Vintage will be selling its range of vintage and “preloved” clothing from March 27. 

We Got U Covered returns to the space from the April 10, offering its range of swimsuits, clothing and holiday supplies. 

Martha and Bea will return from the April 17, to transform the space into a boutique of ladies clothing and accessories. 

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Free eco-friendly building course in Harrogate

Harrogate College is hosting a free course where construction business can find out how to build energy-efficient buildings.

Passive House for Construction Professionals and Management is a four-week, one-day-a-week training programme, funded by the government.

The course will start on Tuesday, March 7.

‘Passive houses’ are eco-friendly houses built to be extremely energy efficient. They are designed to remain at an almost constant temperature, reducing bills and emissions.

Passive house in construction

The course is run by Leeds-based passive house manufacturers Pure Haus, who are going to build a mini example-house in the college grounds.

Kevin Pratt, director of Pure Haus, said:

“We’re looking forward to installing a ‘mini pure haus’ at the college… It will be a real eye-opener for students and help educate them about how we need to build homes to play our part in tackling climate change.”

Harrogate college is aiming to achieve carbon zero status by 2035, and is planning a variety of environmentally-focused events for March, which is its Green Month.

Events include a free talk on retrofitting your home on March 16.

Harrogate College principal Danny Wild said:

“It is such practices that we all need to adopt, as organisations and individuals, if we are to make real change, reduce our collective carbon footprint and, of course, save money.”

Paris fashion comes to Harrogate with Aurélie pop-up

This story is sponsored by Aurélie 

Having lived in Paris in her 20s, Lucy Robinson always dreamed of owning her own clothing boutique.

Her wish came true when she launched her fashion brand Aurélie after her travel PR business was hit by the pandemic.

Now, the Harrogate business owner is bringing her online Parisian-style clothing collection to the high street with her first ever pop-up in her hometown.

The event will take place at handmade British ethical Jewellers India Mahon, in Montpellier Street, on Friday 18 and Saturday, November 19 from 10am to 6pm.

During the pop-up, Aurélie will be showcasing the brand’s Autumn/Winter collection, which includes a selection of tailored coats and jackets, cosy knitwear, jeans, shirts and blouses, plus Aurelie’s first ever party wear collection.

Lucy, who worked for a leading luxury fashion PR agency when she lived in Paris, launched Aurélie in January 2021.

She said:

“When the pandemic hit my travel PR business, I had a lightbulb moment and realised I wanted to go back to my fashion roots.

“I spent a lot of time in Paris and worked with some major luxury fashion brands, so I knew where to get hold of beautiful French clothing.

“I used savings to buy stock and off we went. I started off in the spare bedroom at home and I now have an office and showroom at Windsor House with a small team working for me.”

Harrogate business owner, Lucy Robinson, is behind fashion business Aurélie.

Lucy, who attended Harrogate Ladies College, is keen to showcase her clothing to fashion-lovers in the town following its growing success nationally.

Currently customers can make an appointment to visit Windsor House to view the collection, however the pop-up will allow customers to experience Aurélie on the high street.

There will be the chance to try on and purchase pieces from the sustainable brand, which aims to create timeless looks, featuring contemporary shapes that can be seamlessly styled with existing wardrobe items.

Lucy, who takes pride in curating an edited collection of beautiful, timeless clothing for Aurélie, will be on hand throughout the pop-up to offer personal styling sessions.

She said:

“People will be able to see the full collection, which also includes our first partywear collection. I will be there to offer advice and there will also be fizz available!”

For more information or to book a personal shopping appointment at Windsor House: Email: lucy@aurelie.co.uk or find Aurélie on Facebook and Instagram: @aurelie.co.uk 

Success of Harrogate pop-up shop continues

More small independent businesses will be given a chance to run their own town centre shop due to the continued success of the Harrogate Pop-Up.

As pop-ups continue to surge in popularity, spaces for the rest of the year are already filling fast at the store on Cambridge Street.

And a number are set to move in this spring, including a flower shop, a screen printing business and a fashion a beauty boutique.

Kiera McLaughlin, who is involved with organising the pop-up shop, said she was delighted to see so many businesses return to the space.

She said:

“It’s great to see so many local businesses take a chance on our pop-up and see success so great that they want to return.

“Our spring calendar has been immensely popular and we cannot wait to see these businesses open the doors once again. We
hope to welcome even more new faces throughout 2022.”

Freddie’s Flowers are the first to run their pop-up, from now until March 6.

Forme Prints will take over the space from March 14 – 20. Owner Nathan Dalla Riva will be offering a range of his own designed printed t-shirts, jumpers and bags.

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For one week from March 21 to 27, Tag Queen Cosmetics and House of Zana will take over the space. There will be a range of make-up and ladies clothing on offer.

Returning host Martha and Bea, which sells a range of ladies clothing and accessories, will be back in the pop-up shop from March 28 until April 3. Owner Jane has become a familiar face to those visiting the shop.

Speaking about her last pop-up, she said:

“I had a wonderful week and had some really lovely feedback from customers.”

The Dogs Bakery will then follow with a two-week stint, offering a range of dog treats in store.

And finally women’s clothing and accessories business Patricia Eve Ltd will host its first pop-up for two weeks from April 18 until May 1.

Barker Proudlove and Victoria Shopping Centre came up with the idea to rent out the outlet opposite Cafe Nero back in August.

Businesses can rent the space for between one and six weeks and the £400 weekly cost includes rent, business rates, water, electricity and furniture.

The Harrogate Pop Up will soon be launching its calendar for summer reservations. To find out more, visit the website.

Post-covid shopping trends push independents to Harrogate pop-up

Three independent businesses have come together to rent a pop-up in Harrogate for two weeks.

The three owners started their ventures over the past three years but said, with the move towards online shopping, opening a permanent shop individually was unviable.

They said high rents, long-term contracts and the need to constantly stock a shop, meant craft fairs and pop-up shops suit their businesses better.

Jane Gales, of Jane Gales Design, Julia Gabler, who owns 2 Little Mice and Rachel Locke, of R.Locke Designs, said they felt town centres would prosper with independents if more spaces like the Harrogate pop-up shop opened.

Ms Gabler said:

“I had looked into a shop, yes, but with the overheads and the fact I would have to make all my products whilst serving in a shop it doesn’t work for a lot of businesses like ours.

“Also, some places I looked into wanted me to sign a five-year contract and I just can’t commit to that. It’s important for me to stay fresh and not saturate the market.”

The three businesses have shared the shop space.

The current retail climate, post-covid, has been a challenge for some of these businesses. Ms Gabler said her online orders flourished but Ms Gales said being un-eligible for a government grant made it difficult.

Ms Gales said:

“It wasn’t great for me, I’d only started the previous year so I didn’t have a website. As a new business there was no government grant available. It was really, really hard. I had a private commission that luckily for me saved my business.

“I think small businesses especially will look for more pop-ups as it gives you the visibility without worrying about the big overheads.”

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Rachel Locke said:

“After lockdown sales went down again, but then getting back out there to markets again exposed me to new customers. But for me social media.”

The three businesses will be in the Harrogate pop-up shop until the end of next week.

Barker Proudlove and Victoria Shopping Centre came up with the idea to rent out the outlet opposite Cafe Nero back in August.

Businesses can rent the space for between one and six weeks and the £400 weekly cost includes rent, business rates, water, electricity and furniture.

Harrogate gets another pop-up shop as demand soars

The Victoria Shopping Centre in Harrogate is to get a second pop-up shop in the run-up to Christmas.

The company behind the initiative, Barker Proudlove, said it had seen a surge in enquiries in the run-up to the festive season and was confident it could fill another unit.

The pop-up shops give independent businesses the chance to rent units in the centre of Harrogate on a weekly basis without having to commit to long-term rents and rates.

The first one opened in the Victoria Shopping Centre on the corner of Cambridge Street in September and is already fully booked until Christmas,

Following its success, the former Grape Tree health food shop is also to become a pop-up.

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Jessica Swain, from Barker Proudlove, said:

“It is incredible that we have so much demand for the pop up shop and we are thrilled to continue working with the Victoria Centre team to bring more businesses to Harrogate’s high street during the seasonal period.”

The new pop-up will open with Martha and Bea, a clothing and accessory business from Ilkley, on Monday.

Barker and Proudlove said there were still opportunities to hire the new unit this month and in December.

The Cambridge Street shop currently houses 2 Little Mice, with Jane Gales Designs arriving next week followed by Posh Tat on November 15.

Caption: New pop-up shop unit in Victoria Shopping Centre (left) the first tenant will be independent shop Martha and Bea (right)

Are pop-ups set to stay in Harrogate after boom in popularity?

The trend of pop-ups stores appears to be on the rise in Harrogate town centre with two new ones opening recently at the Victoria Centre.

The latest ones follow the Ellie Warburtons pop-up cake shop which took over the former Swarovski store on James Street.

The idea of a pop-up is that it gives prime town centre space to small, local businesses at a fraction normal Harrogate high street rents.

The pop-up space outside the Victoria Centre near Claire’s is run by property consultants Barker Proudlove.

Before opening, Barker Proudlove had five businesses booked in for the first seven weeks.

The first tenant of the space, last week, Laura Berryman of L&N Candles said her pop-up was a “great success”.

She suggested similar venues should open in Harrogate to give small businesses the chance to reach more customers.

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Today, a ping-pong pop-up parlour opened in the shopping centre as a community space for locals to use. The aim is to encourage more people in to the town centre.

Pop-ups also stop a unit standing empty in Harrogate, even if only temporarily.

The trend has been welcomed by the Harrogate BID manager Matthew Chapman. He said:

“The BID is very supportive of having pop-up shops, albeit temporary, to bring empty units back to life. It is a great way of helping breathe new life into the high street, and also helps start up and independent businesses to test the market with their products without unnecessary financial risk.

And for the landlord, it also means they aren’t liable to pay ‘empty shop’ rates.”

First business set to operate from Harrogate pop-up shop

A Harrogate town centre pop-up shop aimed at showcasing small businesses is set to host its first business from today.

L&N Candles was set up by Bilton-pair Laura Berryman and Natalie White back in 2018 as a side hobby.

It will become the first small business to take advantage of the shop, which has been offered to rent by property consultants Barker Proudlove and Victoria Shopping Centre.

Laura and Natalie started selling candles, bath bombs and wax melts online and while it did well during the covid lockdown, the pair opted to bid for the shop.

Laura said:

“We did well during the pandemic, but we wanted to meet our customers and try to build that base.

“We picked some dates but didn’t realise we would be the first.”

Laura, who works full-time at Covance, and Natalie, a healthcare assistant, hope the week-long stay in the shop on the town’s Cambridge Street will pay off.

Online-only until now, the outlet will be the first time the business partners have operated out of a shop. Long-term, the hope is for L&N Candles to have its own base in the town centre.

Showcasing independent business

Barker Proudlove and Victoria Shopping Centre came up with the idea to rent out the outlet opposite Cafe Nero back in August.

Businesses can rent the space for between one and six weeks and the £400 weekly cost includes rent, business rates, water, electricity and furniture.

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James White, centre manager at The Victoria Centre, said previously:

“The pop-up shop provides an opportunity for small businesses to showcase their brands, ideas and test the market place on Cambridge Street.

“It offers a short-term commitment which makes trying new business ideas more attractive.”

The two organisations hope the space will attract a stream of independent businesses.

Pop-up cake shop to open on Harrogate’s James Street

Bakers Warburtons is to open a pop-up cake shop in Harrogate next week.

The former Swarovski store at 36 James Street, which once sold diamonds, will now sell cakes throughout the summer.

The shop will sell the newly-launched Ellie Warburtons cakes, which come in eight flavours, including cookie dough and raspberry with passion fruit compote. It will not sell bread.

The cakes are being launched on a trial basis in temporary stores in Harrogate and Skipton, which will be open all summer.

People will be able to buy the cakes online after their national launch on June 21.

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Jonathan Warburton, chairman of Warburtons, said:

“This is an exciting new venture for our family business and we are taking very much an entrepreneurial approach to how we build the brand while bringing with us the core of Warburtons ethos – quality and taste.”

The Skipton pop-up shop at 18 Otley Street will open on May 28.