RETAILER SPOTLIGHT
August/September 2025
housewareslive.net
Amy’s Housewares E
Michael Clark, Managing Director of Amy’s Housewares, speaks to Will McGill about the challenges of keeping an independent retailer alive in London, from soaring costs to shifting consumer habits, and why community still matters on the high street.
ast Finchley and Swiss Cottage may be only a few stops apart on the Northern Line, but each carries a character all its own. East Finchley, once a rural hamlet, grew into a bustling suburb when the railway
arrived in the 19th century. Today its high street still feels village-like, watched over by the famous Art Deco archer statue that towers above the tube station, forever poised with bow in hand. Swiss Cottage, meanwhile, owes its curious name to an 1804 tavern styled as a Swiss chalet, an eccentric landmark that christened the neighbourhood and lent it a touch of Alpine charm in the heart of North London. It’s here, between these two contrasting corners of the capital, that
Amy’s Housewares has made its home. With roots stretching back over 30 years, Amy’s has become a trusted local name - part treasure trove, part community hub - offering everything from stainless steel cookware to children’s toys, colourful kettles, and seasonal garden goods. Loved by loyal customers who prize its service and spirit, it remains a rare independent on the high street: adapting, evolving, and quietly holding its ground through decades of retail change.
What began as a wholesale business in the 1980s grew into a retail
operation with as many as 20 stalls and shops across the capital. Today, under the leadership of Managing Director Michael Clark and his business
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partner Dominique, Amy’s operates from two locations, East Finchley and Swiss Cottage, where it continues to serve its local communities.
Taking over the reins
Mr Clark has lived and breathed retail since his teenage years. He started out part-time with Bejam (later bought by Iceland) while studying for his A-levels, then joined the company’s management training programme rather than go to university. Over the following 14 years he rose through the ranks to Store Manager, where he was tasked with training new members of staff. After stints at other retailers, including Pets at Home and Topps Tiles, and a period helping to run friend’s Subway franchise, he joined Amy’s Housewares. He began as an Assistant Manager at the Swiss Cottage branch, working his way up over 12 years. Around four years ago, Mr Clark and Dominique took over the business from long-time owner Geoffrey, who had run Amy’s into his 80s. “Geoffrey was still sharp and active at 83, but his children weren’t
interested in taking on Amy’s,” he recalls. “So we we came up with a plan to buy it off him. It was a dream opportunity.” Ownership, however, soon brought challenges: “I’d been in retail
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