A popular independent boutique from Culcheth has spread its wings, or perhaps its ears, and opened a second branch in Stockton Heath. The Rabbit Hole, run by David Bishop, has taken over the former Donna Marie Gifts unit on London Road.
David, 57, started the business three years ago after working in high-end stores for several years. He began in an upstairs unit at the CPS Centre in Culcheth, which is not exactly Bond Street, but clearly did the job. The shop later moved to Jackson Avenue, where it built up enough of a following to justify this new Stockton Heath adventure.
As David put it, he had a bit of money put aside and decided to give it a go. He said: “You’re never too old to take a punt. This is like my last hurrah - I’ve got 10 years until I retire and I’m not getting any younger.” Honestly, there is something rather cheering about that. Too many people talk themselves out of trying things, while David appears to have looked retail gloom in the eye and said, “Actually, I’ll have another shop, thanks.”
The new Stockton Heath site has been completely gutted, painted and decorated in just three weeks. Both floors are now open, selling cards, stationery, diffusers, home décor and gifts. Three weeks is a serious turnaround, especially when most of us need that long to decide whether to repaint the downstairs loo.
There is still more to come, with David hoping to open the rear garden at the shop next year. Customers have apparently been praising how bright and inviting the new place feels, which is promising. Stockton Heath is hardly short of boutiques, so standing out there is not for the faint-hearted.
From a Culcheth point of view, this is a nice little success story. An independent village business has done well enough here to take a second punt elsewhere, and that reflects well on the support it has had locally. It is also good to see someone investing in proper bricks-and-mortar retail when so many high streets are full of empty units and suspiciously beige chain offerings.
That said, let us not pretend this is easy. Expanding from Culcheth into Stockton Heath means more costs, more stock, more staffing headaches and more chances for the universe to throw a wobbler. Independent shops need loyal customers, not just people wandering in, saying “ooh, lovely,” and then buying the same thing online for 87p less.
The original report was by Ella Wilcox for the Warrington Guardian, with a rather odd note about an exclusive subscriber partnership with sister title USA Today and that it may not reflect the view of The Herald. Make of that editorial origami what you will. The important local bit is simple: a Culcheth-born boutique has expanded, and for once, the news from retail is not another boarded-up window and a sigh.