JULY is Independent Retailer Month – a whole month dedicated to the local businesses at the very centre of towns and cities across the country.
Independent traders are at the heart of Warrington’s local communities and with the ongoing cost of living crisis they’re struggling.
It’s not easy running your own business, juggling increasing overheads, big company competition and a move away from town and city centre high streets and local communities to online shopping.
As part of our Best of 2024 competition, earlier this month we wanted to show Warrington small business owners some love and celebrate the best the town has to offer.
Readers and followers of the Warrington Guardian nominated their favourite independent shop or business as part of the #ukindieday celebrations.
Independents account for around 65 per cent of the 290,000 retail outlets in the UK and they are at the heart of local communities.
There were nominations for butchers and florists, fashion boutiques and home improvement places covering dozens of businesses in Warrington.
We shortlisted the top 12 businesses and shops in the town and you voted Manic Minors Toystore your number one.
View Warrington’s top 12 independent shops and businesses here
As Independent Retailer Month comes to an end, we wanted to shine a spotlight on the three businesses that you voted top of the shops in Warrington – Manic Minors Toystore, Rowswood Timber and HanMade by Hannah.
MANIC MINORS TOYSTORE
Manic Minors Toystore began as an online hobby business in 2012
What’s your name?
Kevin Fleming
What’s the name of the business?
Manic Minors Toystore
What’s the address?
149B Orford Lane - above the launderette
Owner Kevin Fleming
Are you the owner/manager?
I’m the owner
When did you open the business?
My toyshop started as an online hobby business in 2012 and I went full time in 2020 just a month before lockdown. It was tough but I was determined to make it work.
Tell me a bit about your business. What do you do? What services do you provide?
We’ve built a multi-generational toy shop, specialising in action figures, pop-culture collectables and retro console gaming. We hunt down items from the 1970s to the present day from across the UK and beyond. Surveys have shown that 40 per cent of toys are now sold to adults - sometimes referred to as kidults. The shop has become a relaxed community space for geeks of all ages to buy, sell or swap toys and connect with fellow collectors. It’s humbling that people travel for hours to come and see us for that special toy they’ve been hunting for.
Why did you decide to open your own business?
It’s been a lifelong dream as I’ve lived, slept and breathed toys since my first memory. The passion for it evolved into a business. If you’re a sports fan you can go and see your team but if you’re a Star Wars fan you can’t go to another planet! The best thing you can do to feed your longing is to appreciate a sculpt of your favourite character, radiate in its coolness and let it feed your imagination.
Manic Minors is a multi-generational toy shop, specialising in action figures, pop-culture collectables and retro console gaming
What makes your business different to others in the same area/field? What sets your business apart from your competitors?
We are different as our customers can also be our suppliers. I can’t pick up a phone and re-order vintage or discontinued toys as they have to be hunted down. We’ve earned a reputation of fairness and helped a lot of people with the cost of living crisis. This July alone we’ve helped a car pass its MOT, furnished a newborn’s bedroom and put a bond down on a flat for locals.
Why do loyal customers return to your business?
I’m a lifelong toy collector and being from Warrington I’m a savvy shopper so I provide what I would like to see if I was a customer. We track price trends daily and I make every effort to look after people who take time to shop here regularly.
READ MORE:
Meet the Orford middle-aged big kid selling toys from your childhood
ROWSWOOD TIMBER
Rowswood Timber is an independent timber yard and landscaping supplies retailer, specialising in customised garden structures, sheds and fencing
What’s your name?
Stuart Tudor
What’s the name of the business?
Rowswood Timber
What’s the address?
Hatton Lane, Hatton, Warrington, WA4 4DA
Are you the owner/manager?
Joint owner with Scott Brierley
Joint owners Stuart Tudar and Scott Brierley
When did you open the business?
The business is 50 years old, however we purchased the business nearly four years ago from the founding owners.
Tell me a bit about your business. What do you do? What services do you provide?
We are an independent timber yard and landscaping supplies retailer, specialising in customised garden structures, sheds and fencing. We are also a one stop shop for everything landscaping - and great coffee and pies now as well!
Why did you decide to open your own business?
Scott had worked at Rowswood since leaving school at 15. We decided to purchase the business four years ago as a joint venture. Rowswood had a great reputation and customer base, and over the past four years we have grown the business significantly, attracting domestic customers and offering a wide product range.
Rowswood Timber is 50 years old
What makes your business different to others in the same area/field? What sets your business apart from your competitors?
We work hard to gain trust with our customers, building relationships to work together again and again. The new refreshment area has gone down well with everyone. We can customise garden buildings, sheds, gates and fencing to ensure our customers receive the products they want.
Why do loyal customers return to your business?
At Rowswood, we offer high quality products, expert advice and guidance for our customers, we work hard to gain our customers trust and also ensure competitive pricing that everyone expects. Customer service is the number one priority at Rowswood.
READ MORE:
Meet the team heading up new bespoke outdoor living business
HANMADE BY HANNAH
HanMade for Kids launched three years ago
What’s your name?
Hannah Austin
What’s the name of the business?
HanMade for Kids. I chose the name as a play on words. I’m Hannah and I make items for, and from children.
What’s the address?
Home address in Howley
Are you the owner/manager?
I’m the owner
Business owner Hannah Austin
When did you open the business?
In 2021
Tell me a bit about your business. What do you do? What services do you provide?
HanMadeforKids creates personalised gifts and items aimed for children or from children. Ranging from pre-birth with pregnancy announcements to gifts for grandparents, adding children’s names or converting children’s drawings into the perfect present. I run HanMade from my own home where customers can collect their order or I post nationwide. You can often see me at stalls and events around Warrington. Personalisation is done through permanent vinyl, heat transfer vinyl and sublimation. I offer clothing, teddy bears, money boxes, sweet pots, resin keepsakes, chalkboard and so much more which can be seen on my Facebook and Instagram pages. My son was born with a cleft lip and palate and required a number of surgeries at a young age, one of my favourite items to make are ‘forever smile surgery vests’. These are bodysuits or sleepsuits that babies or toddlers wear for a photograph before their surgery with a message like ‘Today I get my forever smile’ and the date. Such a small piece of clothing can be a great comfort to parents and families at an emotional time and because I’ve been through it myself I can reassure families of what lies ahead.
Why did you decide to open your own business?
I regularly took my daughter to Mini Mania Play Café (then in Padgate) where I met an amazing group of friends and one morning while the children were playing we started discussing going back to work after maternity Leave. I needed something flexible around my children and something I would enjoy. The owner Grace encouraged me to buy a Cricut machine and have a go. She believed I could do it so much she asked me to create some T-shirts for the café and that became my first ever order. She knows the struggles of owning small business and has been my sounding board every step of the way!
Hannah can put children's paintings onto t-shirts and cushions
What makes your business different to others in the same area/field? What sets your business apart from your competitors?
There are some amazing companies in our area offering personalisation services. I’m all for supporting other local businesses and I use my social media a lot to promote the businesses I meet. It’s not about tearing other businesses down - it’s about supporting each other as there is room for everyone. I think what sets me apart is that I don’t follow the crowd. I know my market and I don’t want to water my business down by providing all printing services. My items are focused on children and my prices are kept as low as possible to reflect that.
Why do loyal customers return to your business?
Because I care! So many of my customers have become my friends. To me an order isn’t just an order, whether it’s a pregnancy announcement or a surgery vest, a worry bear for someone who’s really been struggling or a teddy bear for a foster child to take to their forever home. I hear some amazing stories and I will keep in touch with people as a listening ear if they need me.
READ MORE:
It’s all in the details – handmade items with the personal touch
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