Staffordshire's first creative department store - launched by Keep It Local - was a great success.
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New shop news for Keep It Local

1 min read

The founders of a shop championing local makers and artists have announced they are taking up a new permanent home – and expanding into the North West. 

Keep It Local has worked with dozens of creative small businesses and launched Staffordshire’s first creative department store in Stoke-on-Trent in the run up to Christmas. 

The shop ‘excelled all expectations’ and closed after three months on Christmas Eve, but it has been confirmed that a new permanent home will open in The Potteries Centre on 1 February. 

And a new store will open in Warrington’s Golden Square on 7 February. 

The new mall stores will be branded Yellow by Keep It Local.

However this news comes after both of Keep It Local’s other stores – in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, and Newcastle-under-Lyme – closed their doors for the last time on 21 December. 

Keep It Local founders Laura and Andy Nixon.

Co-founder Laura Nixon told Daily Focus: “Our creative department store was an incredible success with more than 330,000 visitors. We could turnover the same amount a day in Hanley than we would a month in Longton or Newcastle. 

“We absolutely love those towns, but this has taught us that we need to be where the footfall is to be sustainable in the long term.” 

The creative department store was based in the old Next unit and sold over 18,000 products, giving ‘well over’ £100,000 back to its team of makers.

The new place will be elsewhere in the shopping centre in a yet-to-be-confirmed unit.

While many of the makers represented will stay the same, there will be some new ones coming onboard. 

Some of the items in the Hanley store before Christmas.

Laura said: “We are looking forward to reopening with a mix of familiar and new makers and items. 

“For us, it is all about giving back to the small businesses and the positivity of having a place like this to shop. 

“We had someone from Austria who was staying in Manchester travel to Stoke-on-Trent after hearing about the shop and we have had people buying oatcake mixes from us to send abroad.” 

She added: “It was always our plan to expand into other areas and it is exciting to be opening in Warrington.” 

Keep It Local’s base in Longton, which has now closed.

Keep It Local started out running pop-up events before opening its first permanent shop at Longton Exchange Shopping Centre in September 2023.

The Newcastle shop followed and then the creative department store, which showcased 200 creative businesses and artisans.

Laura and Andy have also said they are ‘scoping out’ their next store, and will be recruiting more members of staff this year.

Hayley Johnson

Senior journalist with over 15 years’ experience writing for customers and audiences all over the world. Previous work has included everything from breaking news for national newspapers to complex business stories, in-depth human-interest features and celebrity interviews - and most things in between.

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