RUBY & Harry in Lymm is gearing up to celebrate its fifth birthday, a milestone that owner Jennifer Grimes is proud to have reached having moved premises in the village, remained in business despite the Covid-19 pandemic and fought back against the current cost-of-living crisis.
The shop, which is named after Jennifer’s two children, is on Bridgewater Street in Lymm and sells unusual gifts and decorations for the home.
There’s even a child-friendly pick ‘n’ mix counter and a party balloon branch of the business.
Here, in our first Trader of the Week feature, Jennifer tells us why she wanted to open her own business, what customers can expect when they visit her shop and why she is campaigning for people to ‘love local, love Lymm’.
The shop on Bridgewater Street in Lymm
What’s the name of the business?
Ruby & Harry. The shop is named after my two children.
What’s the address?
12 Bridgewater Street, Lymm, WA13 0AB
What are your opening hours?
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: 10am – 4pm
Thursday, Friday and Saturday: 10am – 4.30pm
Sunday: 11.30am – 3.30pm
When did you open the business?
We opened in October 2017
Has the business always been in the same location?
We were originally in Statham, Lymm, for the first two years but we relocated as there was no passing trade. We relied solely on word of mouth and advertising. A shop, which was formerly Lymm Electric, became available and the rest is history. We moved premises in October 2019 and it was the best decision we ever made. We gained so many more customers and met so many wonderful local business owners who all champion each other to succeed.
Ruby & Harry has quirky gifts and home decor
Are you local to the area? Did you grow up here?
I was born in Lymm and still live here. The village and its future are so important to me. The cost-of-living crisis has had a huge impact on my business just like other traders in the village. Twenty-seven business owners are working together to increase the footfall in our village, liaising with local councillors and also Warrington Borough Council. We are in the process of creating a “love local, love Lymm” brand, which would hopefully encourage residents to shop locally, by offering discounts and special offers as well as organising local events all showcased on one social media channel and, in time hopefully, we can create a Lymm app.
Tell me a bit about your business. What do you do? What services do you provide?
We are a female-owned business which sells quirky gifts and home décor, which you wouldn’t ordinarily find on the local high street. As you walk through to the back of the shop, we also have a sweet shop and we provide balloons, catering for corporate and private events all over Warrington and the northwest.
Spiderman balloons are a popular choice for children's parties
Why did you decide to open your own business?
The initial business idea came totally out of nowhere. I always knew I wanted to work for myself as it allows for flexibility that’s needed when you have a young family. I started selling balloons from home, using my garage as a base, and it went crazy. A the time, it was difficult to find anywhere in Lymm that did balloons and as I got busier, I realised I needed a base and Ruby & Harry was born.
What’s your business background?
I have always worked in customer service, both face to face and over the phone, but I am naturally arty and creative. The artistic side, which comes from my mum, coupled with my customer service experience, creates a great blend to open a business.
Why this type of business?
I’ve always liked to have things matching and complementing each other, especially when it comes to home décor. When my daughter was born, I started organising lavish birthday parties. The whole business idea stems from there - the love of organising, matching items and the satisfaction of seeing it all come together.
How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect your business?
There was a period of about three months where I was closed as it was too difficult to fulfil balloon orders while trying to home school Ruby and Harry. Once restrictions eased and the children went back to school, I could reopen the business.
What makes your business different to others in the same area/field? What sets your business apart from your competitors?
My whole ethos is to provide a welcoming, super friendly and well-priced environment for people to shop. We are a fun place to visit and we love children, many of the children in the village we know on a first-name basis. We have a traditional pick ‘n’ mix counter solely for children so they can experience what I loved about buying sweets, growing up in the 90s.
A child-friendly pick 'n' mix counter is popular with younger visitors
Why do loyal customers return to your business?
Customers return to Ruby & Harry because we're honest. When customers are placing an order for balloons, we tell them where they can save money or how they get the best value for money. Many of our customers have become friends and they know that I will go above and beyond to provide the best service, whether that includes gift wrapping, sourcing a product that isn’t available in the shop or meeting customers outside of shop hours so they can collect balloon orders.
What’s next? What do the next few months hold for you and your business?
I hope the business can survive these unprecedented times we are facing and continue to build a better village together with the Lymm Traders Association. We are celebrating our fifth birthday later this month, which is a huge achievement for us having moved location, come back after the Covid-19 pandemic and now in the midst of the cost-of-living crisis. If we can survive all that then I hope it means we're here to stay!
Halloween treats are on display at Ruby & Harry
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