With lifestyle store The Hambledon in Winchester approaching its 20th anniversary next year, owner Victoria, a retail panellist at Pulse last month, reflects on how it all began.
Where did your interest in retail come from?
“My mother owned The Hambledon Gallery in Dorset and, as a three month old baby, she took me to work with her, putting me under the counter in my carrycot! Subsequently, I spent time working in the shop both as a child as an adult, eventually starting my own mail order business.”
What made you decide to open your own lifestyle shop?
“Opening The Hambledon in 1999 was about creating a spectrum that reflected my life. Originally it was an offshoot of my mother’s shop, but then I decided to go it alone.”
What’s the shop best known for?
“We stock very broad based products ranging from lifestyle, homewares and books to women’s fashion and menswear, and are frequently held up as a shining example of a successful, local independent store.”
What was the best piece of business advice you ever received?
“An accountant gave me the license to be confident in buying stock. He was right. I bought more and I sold more.”
What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced?
“When we started out, it was about turnover and making enough money to pay the bills. Now it’s about online and rates and rent.”
How important is social media?
“You have to embrace it. As a business it’s where we are. Instagram is made for independent retailers and I use it as a window on The Hambledon’s world.”
When you visit a trade show, what do you look for?
“New, new, new!”
