Boscombe area is preferred to Bournemouth town centre due to cheap rent and the influence of the Boscombe Vintage market.
Nicki Grainger, owner of What Alice Found, said: “I didn’t even look at Bournemouth when I was starting the shop. It would be a better market as there isn’t anything in town right now. But the rents are so high that it would be a risk.”
The Vintage market is defining Boscombe as a creative and cultural hub. “The Boscombe Vintage market and the presence of several shops are really helping to improve the area.”
Click below to hear more of what Nicki had to say.
[audio:http://www.thebreaker.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/What-alice-found-inerview-.mp3|titles=What alice found inerview]
Richard Mason, the manager of vintage store, Clobber said: “I wouldn’t go into town. Rent is way too expensive and there are too many departmental stores. Boscombe is more artsy, making it suitable for vintage stores.”
Established shop owners in the area have no plans of moving to the town centre. Leah Austin, owner of Per Sempre in Boscombe, said: “When I started the store, I felt Boscombe was a better area than Bournemouth town to run a vintage shop. There aren’t any vintage shops in the centre and rent is too expensive there. Apart from that, I just didn’t feel there was a calling for the articles I wanted to sell. The average shopper in Bournemouth is quite different from down here.” Leah stocks a whole range of articles from clothes and bags to costume jewellery at reasonable prices, attracting many students.
The Vintage market in Boscombe has given the shops a great boost in sales. “A lot of people sell vintage things like me and some sell the things they’ve made like jewellery, bags or cake. The market has made people more aware of my shop. A lot of people who come down to the market say they’re looking for something particular and if I’ve got that at the shop, they then come there and have a look around.”
Picture: Shivani Dave
