Retail project a lifeline, say independent traders

A community retail project that has generated £1m in sales for small independent businesses has been described as a "lifeline" by traders.

Up The Garden Bath, a community interest organisation that upcycles discarded bath tubs, set up the Unity project at Peterborough's Queensgate Shopping Centre in 2023, to help more than 50 independent businesses sell their products.

Dave Poulton, the Unity project's founder, said the money made was a "ground-breaking moment" and that "it represents thousands of moments when people chose [to shop] local".

Alaina Davies, who runs the stationary and accessories business Alaina Creates, said it has been "amazing" to be part of Unity store.

"It's given me a very steady platform to introduce my products to a much wider audience that I wouldn't necessarily find online," Davies added.

Davies set up her business about five years ago and previously mostly sold her products in-person at small fairs.

She joined the Unity store in Queensgate three years ago and said it has been "very helpful", but added the retail industry has been "up and down lately".

"I'd say these kind of shops are popping up slowly - there's a lot more than there were five or so years ago. But I'd say every city needs at least one just to support local economy.

"People are wary of spending too much money right now - no-one really knows what's going on in the world at the moment. But that's kind of the wave you have to ride as a small business owner."

Davies, who has also started working in the Unity store as a retail assistant, said the space has given her a "chance to meet customers and build confidence".

The project secured a three-year extension to its lease at the shopping centre in 2024 and businesses pay a monthly rent for their stalls to help Unity's founders pay for essential costs.

The Unity store also organises educational and craft workshops and the project said it has welcomed more than 30,000 families to the sessions so far.

Danni Majid has been running her bakery Sweet Addictions at the Unity store since October, which she said has led to "phenomenal" sales and "helped promote the business".

"I was looking to expand my business, but I couldn't afford to run a shop by myself because of the financial cost [and] the overheads," she said.

"It has helped me reach a wider target audience that I wouldn't have been able to reach on my own.

"It's been fantastic for customers who come in and buy my bakes, it then leads on to more orders of celebration cakes and wedding cakes and it's been amazing."

Gillian Colley makes jewellery from recycled books and paper and sells it through her business Paper2Pearls at the Unity store.

"I'm a long-term seller with them and it's been great because it's the chance to have that outlet in a major city centre. It's just so unique because normally I wouldn't be able to do that.

"Like all shops, it's a challenging time for retail. I usually go on a Friday to do a tidy up and a restock and there's always people coming in and out, and of course sometimes it's, you know, holidays and things, it can be busier.

"I just couldn't have done it without them. The other thing is I get people that contact me who've bought something there.

"I've had extra orders from them because they said, 'Oh, can you do this and this?'.

"I've also got offered different face-to-face market events so that again widens out my market and my sales."

Last year, Poulton launched a fundraiser to help secure Unity's future as it faced a £20,000 business rates bill.

He said since the campaign, vendors have agreed to pay the store 10% of their sales every month to help with the costs.

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