Their doors may be closed for now, but gift retailers up and down the country are managing to stay connected to their communities, inspiring locals with their feelgood initiatives.
With London the hot spot of the UK’s coronavirus outbreak, MAP gift shop in Holloway is among the North London gift retailers who are bringing much needed colour to people’s lives.
The shop has painted a giant rainbow on the outside of the building, put up a poster in the shop window asking passers-by to send in their pictures of rainbows, and created a rainbow edit of giftware that includes umbrellas, notecards, a framed print and a jumper.
Another gift retailer who is determined to cheer people up, and stay in touch with locals, is Jo Webber, owner of gift shop Jo Amor in Tiverton.
“Although we’re closed, Jo-A-Story – a bedtime story for little ones – is still broadcasting, with regular posts on Instagram,” Jo told GiftsandHome.net. “We are also posting positive images every day featuring the plants in our garden, views of our daily walk on the nearby canal and images of our family pets. This seems to be going down really well and keeping up our great interaction with our local community and followers on our Facebook and Instagram pages.”
Adds Jo: “The local views work particularly well for the followers who live away from Tiverton and can’t get home at the moment, confirming that a shop is not only a place to buy great treats, but is also a local hub.”#positivevibes #joamortiverton
At Kemps General Store in Malton and Kemps On The Coast in Whitby, owner Liz Kempis offering her customers personal shopping and group slots via Skype and Zoom. “People can also continue to shop with me online, via social media or by phone,” adds Liz.
Top: MAP’s eye-catching rainbow exterior.
