A Heartfelt Farewell to Our Beloved Poundbury Shop
It was with mixed emotions that we decided to say farewell to our beautiful Poundbury Shop. Our time in Crown Square, though brief, has been nothing short of a dream – a wonderful chapter in the journey of byFoke.
The joy of manifesting our brand into a tangible space! Transforming the byFoke ethos into a physical bricks and mortar shop was a labour of love, a venture that whilst challenging at times, was an absolute joy from start to finish. We envisioned a sanctuary that would reflect our brand’s values and aesthetics, and allow us to actualise our brand essence: design, sustainability, independent retail and community all in one space. Where conversations flourished, events sparked inspiration, and our online business and design studio thrived. The end result we created surpassed our expectations in so many ways, and for that, we are incredibly grateful.
In the span of 18 months, we achieved remarkable milestones. Our little shop was immortalised in the fabulous book “Places to Shop” by 91 Magazine, and we won an award for the Best Sustainable Gifting Shop In the South West. Yet, what really sticks with us is the experience of connecting with you, our dear customers, and becoming a vibrant thread in the tapestry of the local indie business community.
Why then, did we decide to move, and why so suddenly?
The answer is not a straightforward one (as these things never are) and is really split into two parts;
On the one hand, it was the success of the shop that made us start to question its location. We were, and continue to be, so pleased with the space that we created and the feedback that we received. This success planted a seed of possibility. We began to envision the magic we could create if we were untethered, free to meet our lovely customers wherever they may be. Our lovingly crafted space was not defined by its physical location but by the experiences and connections it fostered, it was a truly wonderful space, but was it reaching it's full potential? This revelation reminded us of our original vision: to bring the joy of an indie high street to your doorstep, regardless of where you live.
This leads to the second reason; Poundbury. It is a bit of an enigma, it is often likened to Marmite, a love it or hate it destination. But for us, it was love at first sight, the beautiful architecture of both our shop and the surrounding square, the commitment to not only independent businesses but sustainable ones too, a new and committed local business community. It was, we thought, the perfect location for our first byFoke shop.
Sadly the reality was quite different to the promise, as it turned out The Ivy Brasserie wasn’t opening opposite us, (funnily enough that ended up being just one of many promises that failed to materialise). The bits we didn’t show in our perfectly edited Insta reels and glossy photography, were the continuous building noise, dust and daily HGV traffic, caused by construction delays that crept from months to well over a year (and are still ongoing as I write this); a big developer as our landlord who was reluctant with the truth, yet very adept at over promising; a newly built independent retail square with less than a handful of shops and instead lots of offices and empty spaces in what should be retail units. All this, despite the best efforts of ourselves and the few other indie’s in the square, meant that footfall most days struggled to get over 3 people, the majority of those, our regulars coming specifically to see us.
All this and yet the rent and fees were still set at the market value of a finished and thriving retail destination.
So we were left with a dilemma: what do we do with our beautiful, award winning, 100% 5 star review (we're very proud of that one) business with hardly any customers coming through the door?
We could either divert a significant portion of the time and energy of our small team to driving footfall to Crown Square (and in the process neglect other important areas of our growing business).
Or we could end on a high, celebrate what we had achieved and take everything we had built and learnt over our 18 months there and take it with us to start a new chapter elsewhere.
It was a tough decision, but absolutely the right one and while we definitely shed a tear (or two) when we removed the last load that turned that white box into byFoke and locked the doors for the final time, we knew 100% without doubt that we had made the right decision. We have big plans for our little business and while we relish a challenge, fixing Poundbury’s issue with footfall is a much larger problem than we want to take on at this stage in byFoke’s journey.
So what’s next for byFoke?
At byFoke, our commitment to supporting small indie brands and providing impeccable gifting services remains steadfast. This transition allows us to hone in on our core values, offering a curated selection of sustainable, independent gifts beautifully wrapped and delivered quickly and efficiently anywhere in the world.
The retail landscape is ever-evolving, and to thrive, we must adapt. By investing in our online platform and embracing the dynamism of pop-up events, we align ourselves with modern retail trends, ready to meet future challenges head-on. The constraints of foot traffic and our landlord's limited understanding of indie retail in Poundbury are behind us as we embark on this exciting new chapter.
Our mission is to make gifting-well accessible to everyone, regardless of location, budget, or time. Our Poundbury store has gifted us with incredible memories and connections, for which we are profoundly grateful. As we step into the future, we look forward to expanding our reach, serving you better, and creating unforgettable experiences beyond the confines of a single location.
Thank you, dear Poundbury, for the memories. The future is bright, and the best is yet to come. Stay tuned for our upcoming pop-up events and new online offerings. Thank you for your unwavering support, together, we shall continue to Gift Well x
