reader profile: daisy chain


gifts to order such as cushions, bibs and bunting, and personalised book ends, a service which Alison says is very popular for children’s presents. Completing the local and made- to-order offer, Alison decorates boxes and Lesley prints aprons! “Selling locally-made goods means that customers know they can’t get these pieces everywhere else so it helps us avoid the price- comparison trap.” Giftable housewares and


gardening products include Gisela Graham cake stands and jugs, vintage-style rubber gloves (which are creatively pinned at the front of the store), cute peg bags and tea-cosies, storage tins with humorous sentiments, and sets of gardening accessories. These are complemented by a selection of tempting recipe books and beautiful gardening ‘how-to’ books. Alison and Lesley make the


Images clockwise from top right: giftable gardening products, Suki & Rose handbags and Love & Toast beauty.


A seasonally-apt table of


affordable yet stylish and romantic wedding gifts sits in the front of the shop, with wedding planners, photo albums, wedding cards, frames, candles, and heart- shaped ornaments by brands including East of India and The Bright Side. Nearby is a selection of greeting cards and wrap: a department which Alison says is a big pull for customers, “Shoppers love the greetings cards and they rarely just buy one.” Brands include Molly Mae, Liz and Pip, Really Good and Rachel Ellen. Designs vary from the bold to the elegant, but are never cliché, as Alison outlines, “Across the store we avoid going for ‘bestsellers’ or pieces that customers can find everywhere else; we always want to offer something unusual.” Lesley expands, “We buy really


small quantities and don’t often repeat products or have sales. It really drives purchasing and means we are always different and have something new. People expect something different.” So whilst there are items from


popular brands such as Gisela Graham and Jellycat, the duo are very careful to only stock certain key pieces, which are complemented by the smaller niche brands. To develop this unique


handwriting and further cement 10 Gifts & Housewares


the shop’s role within the community, Daisy Chain also stocks products made by local designers on a sale or return basis. These include handbags by Suki & Rose, fingerprint jewellery by 1st Impressions, fabric clocks, handmade lollipops and porcelain jewellery, as well as hairclips and earrings by Lucy Made This. Other local talents make personalised


most of successful initiatives which boost local awareness and drive footfall. “We donate our leftover cardboard to EACH (East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices) where it is recycled for money. We sell cards on behalf The Arthur Rank Hospice and EACH at Christmas, and last year raised over £3,000 combined. We are always involved in the local flower festival and the Histon Feast Week. At Christmas we hold exclusive shopping evenings where customers invite their friends and family and enjoy a glass of wine while they do their Christmas shopping; they are so


successful customers pre-book them year on year.” I enquire as to whether, having


built such a strong business already, they have thought about expanding or opening a second shop and Alison responds, “It’s a difficult decision as we both love what we’re doing but we wouldn’t want to compromise it and be spread too thinly. We prefer to do one thing really well. We have a great rapport with our customers here and we wouldn’t want to lose the personal touch.” When I ask Alison if she


knows what the future holds for Daisy Chain, she looks thoughtful and replies, “It’s a case of watch this space!” 


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