We have some big changes coming soon to The Bead Shop so I wanted to talk through what’s happening and why.
It’s a bit of a long post but a really important one. As a lot of you know we’ve been going as The Bead Shop in Nottingham for over 21 years now. Whilst the world and the retail landscape have changed a lot in that time we are still fundamentally the same. We have grown from a tiny unit selling beads, craft materials and handmade cards to a much bigger shop. Still selling beads (obviously!) and craft materials but also with the addition of haberdashery, handmade jewellery and polymer clay. We’ve also added in jewellery fixes and restrings along with a huge range of workshops covering all sorts of crafts and jewellery making projects and techniques.
When we started out there were only about 10 bead shops in the UK this quickly changed to about 100. Unfortunately we are now in a time of huge decline in physical bricks and mortar retail. Bead shops have become a dying breed and a lot of the stalwarts of bead shopping have vanished over the last decade. This includes many of the older shops and their fascinating history. I’m particularly sad about the loss of the Brighton Bead Shop which was located in my favourite city to visit. Creative Beadcraft and Beadworks in London, who I always visited every time I was in the capitol. And of course The Bead Shop in Manchester which is a huge loss to Afflecks Palace; I’ll never forget seeing the lead singer of my favourite band on the stairs there when I popped in to buy some beads!
I’m determined that we won’t become another casualty. This means we’re going to have to adapt and change. Over the last 15 months almost everyone’s priorities have changed and people have reassessed what’s important to them. For me I realised how important community is to me both where I live, where my business is located and you our customers. I absolutely love having a shop in Nottingham, I love the buildings, the other indie businesses and talking to different people every day. It’s really highlighted that I run a bead shop for the community aspect. It may not make me rich financially but getting to help people make, fix and create and share my knowledge is what’s important to me.
To build this community and generate enough income to survive we will be adding a café in to The Bead Shop. When we were looking for a shop to move to from Upper Parliament Street back in 2005 we tried (unsuccessfully) to find a store big enough to allow us to have a tea, coffee and cake area. The dream was always to have a space where people could meet friends and sit & craft. Things didn’t work out back then and I fell in love with the tall thin building we’re in now (more on this here).
Pre-Covid I often help my friend Jen, of The Split Screen Coffee Company with her coffee business which I really enjoy. During the Covid period I took on a role at Gedling Borough Council helping other retailers recover from the disruption. This has been amazing for me providing both a regular income and the interaction and knowledge sharing I love. Through this role I met the inspirational Kirby of Alf & Co. (a beautiful kids clothing and toy shop and community space). Kirby’s shop, located in Mapperley, is pretty much the same size as us and she’s added seating for coffee and cake. It’s an amazing space, I highly recommend a visit! This made me realise we could do the same. The addition of seating and delicious teas and coffee will mean you can visit us and pick up a kit or some beads and relax. We will be on hand to offer help and advice. Hopefully it will also provide somewhere to leave partners whilst you browse in peace!!
Thank you for reading,
Hana
Part two coming soon with more on beads and coffee & tea plans and why we’ve chosen the suppliers we’re going to be working with. They’ll also be the opportunity to help us choose tea flavours & treats!