TAKE A TOWN - BRIGHTON
August/September 2026
housewareslive.net
Brighton
For this issue, the Housewares Magazine team of mystery shoppers visited, and assessed, eight stores across Brighton.
Pro Cook, Churchill Square Shopping Centre,
HOLD, Bond Street (WINNING INDEPENDENT)
Established in 2019, HOLD is an independent lifestyle boutique that has a passion for sustainability, provenance and quality. I was looking for lamps to sit on our bedside tables. Inside the store, I
looked around the ground floor of the store, before heading up the stairs to the first floor showroom. There were two lamp ranges that caught my eye. The first range was the NOD Dimmable Table Lamp from Tiptoe, which was priced at £185, and available in six colours – ash pink, cloudy white, graphite black, majorelle blue, naples yellow and rosemary green. Chris Hon, the manager of HOLD, said the lamps are designed to stand the test if time in terms of both functionality and style. He added that with a culture of nurturing craftmanship at its heart, the
French brand, from Haute-Savoie, has always insisted on 100 per cent European production. I also liked the black Mush Mini table lamp, which was also priced at £185. Chris said the lamp is from Danish brand Hübsch. Chris said that the lamp would be brilliant as a bedside table lamp.
Sales skills: 5/5
Store presentation: 5/5
Total score: 10/10
40 |
Summary: Chris was great at talking about the products, and he’s passion and enthusiasm for them was infectious. The store was very well presented, and the ranges of products were beautifully curated in-store.
Russell Place (WINNING MULTIPLE)
The retailer first opened in Brighton in Ship Street in August 2019 but moved to this location on April 24, 2026. I was looking for a new toaster for my recently refurbished kitchen. Inside
the store, there were many toasters on display. Dean approached me and asked if I needed any help. I explained that I had been bamboozled by the number of products on display and Dean recommended a product.
He explained that the stainless steel Long Slot toaster was idea for
toasting sourdough bread or pitta breads. It was priced at £79.20 and Dean mentioned that the product was in the sale, with a 20 per cent discount based on its usual price.
As well as the two long slots, Dean said that the toaster offers seven
browning settings, as well as defrost, reheat and cancel features. He added that the toaster comes with a built-in crumb tray to leave your countertops looking pristine whilst being easy to empty. Dean said that the sale price would last for another couple of weeks, and he added that the toaster comes with a two-year guarantee.
Sales skills: 5/5
Store presentation: 5/5
Total score: 10/10
Summary: Dean did a great job and the two mentions of the sale price, and the guarantee were attempts to close the sale. The store was well presented and very well lit.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
