Store Review 2: Sue Ryder Vintage and Retro Store

Greetings

Hello my dear readers, I hope all is well and you are happy with your week, if you are not pleased with your week, I hope this post will cheer you up and a word of encouragement to you so that you know that I care. 

''A word of encourage given during failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success''

This is uplifting for the spirit especially when things are not going as expected, always know that someone out there is ready to give you comforting words to ease the frustrations of life.

However, I present another store review of vintage and retro store  in my local area Leeds, UK.I have decided to incorporate reviews of places, stores and products on my blog. I feel it is a way of engaging the readers and I have noticed that a lot of the readers are quite interested in the detailed information of reviews on my blog. However, I would like you the readers [especially students] to leave a feedback of this review in the comment section and if you live within the Leeds area, you could visit the store.

About Sue Ryder Vintage And Retro Store

Sue Ryder is a National Charity that provides incredible care for incurable illnesses. They have 13 centers across the country that each provide healthcare and support to people affected by life-ending or life changing illnesses as well as their families.Sue Ryder closest care center is Wheatfields Hospice, located only 2 minutes from the shop in Headingley. Wheat field's needs to raise £2.8million each year to run it's services, this is done partly through fundraising but a great deal is still needed each year which is where the retail side comes in.  Sue Ryder currently has over 420 shops in the U.K. with the profits from these shops going directly back into the charity.

Sue Ryder opened their doors in June 2012 with the aim to provide the people of Headingley with a new charity shop experience and with 11 other Charity Shops already in the area, they wanted to stand out and give the charity shop look a make-over.To do this they decided early on to specialize in Vintage and Retro clothing due to it's rising popularity in the local student population.This quirky looking shop attracted not only customers, but also younger volunteers with specific interests in fashion, retail and all things vintage.  With a younger volunteer team they have used their skills to keep the shop current and relevant to our target market, whilst our low prices ensure that customers always come back again.Sue Ryder relies solely on donations,  they have to make the most of every item  gotten, this led us to recruit volunteer seamstresses and start our 'Handmade' section, filled with up cycled items made from items that would have been disposed. 

 The team is  constantly looking for new ideas and ways to use what we have in the most effective way to drive sales.With the student population moving further into the city center, the decrease in customers mostly student has already resulted in the closure of the other vintage shops in the area, leaving us as the only Vintage and Retro Shop in Headingley. Sue Ryder strongly believes that their unique feel, friendly atmosphere and  well priced good quality clothing has been the reason that their sales have steadily increased, despite the competition in their environment.Overall, the ultimate goal for Sue Ryder store has for its customers is to provide an environment where people will enjoy coming to, shop their items without guilt because they know you are spending your money on a good cause.

Details

Address: 56 Otley Road, Headingley LS6 2AB, Leeds UK.

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Pictures of some items in the store

All photographs were taken by me.

What I think of the store

When I first walked into the store, I felt the retro and vintage interior design of the store. The interior was designed in a way that attracts retro and vintage store lovers. The clothing and suitcases sold in the store are contributions of people and organisations in the area. Although, the fashion accessories, musical records and instruments are bought from other stores. I like the arrangement of the guitars and musical records, it completes a vintage and retro store. Also, my favorite part of the store was the accessory section especially the vintage hats. I feel that, it will go well with a little black or white dress and a nice stiletto pumps. However, I was not really into the clothing because I know that, my style is not mainly  focused on vintage clothing and accessories, I just like to get bits and pieces to add to an outfit. Personally, I think the items in the store are selected  mainly for students and some office wear  are available in the store. Overall, I conclude that the mission of this store is to engage people especially youths and students in the Leeds area, provide fashionable clothing for people and provide charity services for people who are in need. Therefore, if you decide to visit this store, you are not being extravagant in fashion, you are supporting a good cause.

Thanks for reading and have a blessed life.

Best Wishes,

Peace.

Store Review

Gossip Store: ''Its Worth Talking About''

Hello everyone, I hope you are all well and you are happy with your goals for the week, if you are not pleased with your week. I will like you to seat back, relax and reflect on the happy moments in your life and remember that life is one step at a time to get to where you want to be. According to Joseph Campbell ''Find a place where there is joy and the joy will burn out the pain''. I hope this post will cheer you up and make you interested in the information I am about to give on this blog. 

I was walking through the city center of Leeds,UK looking for new outfit pieces to put in my idea book and I saw this vintage store called Gossip. As I walked into the store, I was surprised by the accessories and design of the store, it had this vintage feel, with pictures of vintage celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and African antiques that greatly inspired my future fashion posts. I walked around the store, looking at the jewelry, bags, clutches and shoes, they were quality materials inspired by pieces of famous designers like Vivienne Westwood, Celine and Alexander McQueen. These items were sold at inexpensive prices which is suitable for students, workers or people who are on a strict budget or do not want to spend too much money on fashion items. I was pleased with the quality of the items I saw in the store because they looked similar to the items we see on models in the runway. Also, I imagined the pieces in one or two future outfits I would wear to go around the city and I used one or two of Gossip items to style some previous outfits that you all have seen in on my blog[Vintage Mix and A story to tell] and I took the photos of those outfits in the store. Gossip pieces are suitable for both casual and evening outfits, each item have individual characters that give a statement to what you are wearing, I was fascinated by the interior decoration of the store and was surprised that such a small retail store could carry such character.

Mission and Vision of Gossip

Gossip store was opened last summer with the mission of providing fashion accessories and selected clothes all in line with the concept of providing boutique clothes without boutique prices. The Gossip store sells its brand items exclusively. The items of this store are carefully selected by the brand owner,his selection of items for the store is determined by his mission for the boutique. The vision held by the brand owner for Gossip is to incorporate a men fashion line called 'SHOUT' to his store. Also, he has a mid-season sale around the corner, so if you live around Leeds you could visit his store.

Address: Unit 13 - Central Arcade, LS1 6DX Leeds
Facebook: Gossip Store

Some of the items in the store

                           

                 

      

All photographs taken by Sabrina Ahmed

What I think about the store

The Gossip store is not like your regular vintage store where you buy old items but this store has its vintage items with a modern feel and a touch of African decor that appeals to me. I love the statement  jewelry and accessories in the store, they are affordable, chic, and classy. The store sells clothing, but I wasn't really interested in the outfits because it wasn't suitable for my curvy nature. However, the store is good anyway and I did a video of the store.I would like you guys to feel free to drop your feedback  of the post in the comment section.

Thanks for reading and have a blessed life.

Best Wishes,

Peace.