A FAST-GROWING online marketplace has taken to the High Street in Worcester in a bid to bring quality British brands to city shoppers in the build-up to Christmas.
Hope and Story has opened its doors on a brand-new pop-up shop on Friar Street until January to showcase independent British brands and sell their quality and ethically made products in person.
From homeware and fashion to gifts and food, the temporary store will become a hub throughout the crucial Christmas period with the ambitious co-founders already planning to establish a permanent home in the New Year.
Officially launched in August 2021, Hope and Story was originally inspired in spring 2020 when co-founder, Betsy Vickery, spent weeks searching online for 100 per cent British-made gifts for her daughter’s birthday.
She found there was no e-commerce marketplace which sold products made by independent, sustainable, and truly British brands. Determined to fly the flag for British-made lifestyle goods, Betsy enlisted the help of her childhood friend Lizzy Waterhouse and they set to work in developing the virtual British-made marketplace to offer consumers the chance to find and support independent makers with a limited digital presence.
“Since launching the Hope and Story marketplace last year, we have had the pleasure of working with and supporting hundreds of British made brands, while building a community of conscious consumers who want to support locally grown businesses, dedicated to creating high quality produce,” Betsy said.
“Following a series of successful trade shows and events, we realised consumers want to return to the high-street post-pandemic and enjoy meeting friends and family members, while shopping in person.
“We are, therefore, incredibly excited to launch our new pop-up shop and already have plans in place to hopefully establish a permanent retail presence on Worcester’s high street in early 2023, giving local consumers the opportunity to see what these fantastic independent brands have to offer,” she added.
All products listed by the site and showcased in store are united in the same standard of quality to appeal to conscious consumers dedicated to shopping local, shopping sustainable and shopping British
Visit https://hopeandstory.com for more.
