Today is a super exciting day. I am both 40 weeks pregnant and I got to see an exclusive sneak peek at new Northampton based boutique Rockit Kids at St Crispin's Retail Village. I was super honoured to be invited along by Holly to see the progress of the shop and have a little look at the brands she'll be stocking as well.
In the modern day of convenience internet shopping, high street retail has been taking a bit of a battering. However, like all things considered a bit retro (vinyl, film photography, physical books over Kindles), the good concepts will live on. A boutique store with good ethics, a nice location and well-thought out design concepts will always have a place for the discerning shopper who wants to have an experience whilst parting with their hard-earned cash. At the forefront of this experience at Rockit Kids is Holly herself who exudes passion for her project, the brands she stocks and the local area. I can totally imagine hoards of new mums flocking to Holly's store to treat themselves to gorgeous quality items whilst venting to Holly about the stresses and pressures of parenthood. What more could you want from your retail therapy experience?! A fellow mother who knows her stuff and won't sugarcoat anything baby - a welcome relief!
The shop is also as ethical as they come which makes your conscience feel a little better when you're indulging too. All the brands are carefully sourced with an eye on their own sustainability and practices during production. Holly is mindful to keep her own paper wastage down by not providing printed receipts and distributing e-flyers rather than printed matter. Even the decor itself has been recycled and ethically sourced wherever possible. The dominant feature of the shop is a tree which fell near Holly's home and now has been repurposed into both a display unit for socks and a focal point for the whole shop to pivot around. The shop counter is made from scaffolds rescued from a skip some years ago during the building of Holly's own house just round the corner. And the support for local businesses is also strong with bags hand-stamped by local printmaker Kat Lendacka and involvement with local marketing projects.
Holly was keen to sort out her own work life balance with two children who attend the local school. She will be opening the shop at 9:30am to give her a chance to take the children to school, closing briefly for school pick-up and then re-opening with the help of her children. Her son is keen to become chief till operator, a skill which is bound to help with his own numeracy and people skills! All the products have been tried and tested by the children and they have had a hand in selecting the stock too. They have even got stuck in with choosing colour schemes and painting and the shop feels vibrant and homely for their personal touch.
Holly was keen to stock brands that didn't fit current trends too rigidly as this creates a too disposal culture of fast fashion. Her idea is to create more of a capsule wardrobe with items that she knows are high quality, last well and survive multiple washes from her own experiences as a consumer. Holly is keen for people to come and shop for items that will be passed down through the generations and forever have that timeless quality. It's not just clothes either. Rockit Kids could become a one stop shop for all new mums or baby shower shoppers with the opportunity to order bespoke teethers as well as shop nursery prints, ceramics, toys and cushions.
The location within St Crispin's Retail Village is also fabulous. The area is easy to get to without having to battle central Northampton traffic, there's easy and free parking and other shops to browse. I went for tea and cake afterwards at Tick Tock Coffee Shop and Wine Bar which was beautifully presented and they also run lots of activities and workshops for kids - well worth checking out. Next door to the cafe is a lovely florists with unusual but reasonably priced bouquets and seasonal decorative items. Holly recommends the beauticians for great lashes and the restaurant Hops & Chops who are open for brunch, lunch and dinner.
Rockit Kids opens this Saturday and will be open Tuesday-Saturday, 9:30am-5pm. Follow Holly's journey on Instagram @rockit_kids and Facebook on rockitboutique. Make a morning of it and I'm sure you'll come away feeling like you've had a lovely morning of rest and relaxation - rare in our fast-paced consumer society.
