Nov 4, 2021

10 Quick Questions With Shop Indie - Chesterfield, UK

Here at Coulson Macleod, we want to shine a light on our amazing stockists. Being a small team of 7 ourselves, we're really passionate about the 'Shop Small, Shop Independent' campaign.

This month, we head to Chesterfield, Derbyshire; home of Shop Indie.

We caught up with Lisa and John, shop owners, to tell us more about their wonderful store (that has the most beautiful monochrome frontage). At the bottom of this post, you'll find important info such as their opening times and website.

If you're looking for cool things to do and places to visit in Chesterfield then read on...

White and black classic shopfront of Shop Indie in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Steeplegate traditional door window in gold. — Shop Indie in Chesterfield, Derbyshire

1. Can you give us aN introduction?

Hi! We're Lisa and John and we own Shop Indie in Chesterfield, North Derbyshire. Our gift shop specialises in products from independent British makers and designers. We stock lots of amazing, unique products that you wouldn’t usually find on the high street. Cards, chocolates, jewellery, candles, stationery, prints, mugs, gifts for children and so much more!

We work in the shop alongside Natalie who joined our team this summer.

2. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS?

We've been in business for 12 years now as British makers ourselves under the name Altered Chic, but we opened Shop Indie in October 2019 to bring not only our own products to the high street but also to showcase the amazing talents that British makers and designers have.

3. HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE NAME FOR YOUR SHOP?

We wanted a simple name to describe what our shop was about so Shop Indie (independent) was born.

A quirky Scandi gift shop with bath products, handmade jewellery, greeting cards, paper wrap and more. — Interior of Shop Indie

4. IF YOU COULD DESCRIBE YOUR SHOP IN 3 WORDS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

Unique, fun and quirky.

5. wHAT COULSON MACLEOD PRODUCTS DO YOU CURRENTLY STOCK?

We've been stocking Coulson Macleod products since we opened in 2019. Our customers love their ‘local’ products so we stock lots of their mugs, wooden plaques and prints with Chesterfield and Derbyshire on.

6. WHO INSPIRES or motivates you?

All the wonderful British makers inspire us. They create such lovely products. You know what love and care each maker has put into every single product!

7. WHAT JOBS HAVE YOU HAD BEFORE BECOMING SHOP OWNERs?

During the early days of Altered Chic, Lisa was working part-time in retail – her parents owned a craft shop in Chesterfield which came in very handy for sourcing those initial craft supplies! John trained as an IT teacher but as the business got busier we both took the leap to work for our business full time.

A photo of Lisa and John. Owners of Shop Indie in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK. — Lisa and John - owners of Shop Indie in Chesterfield

8. WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR TOWN?

Chesterfield has a lovely group of independent shops spread out across the town. Steeplegate, where we're located, has a lovely interiors shop, baby clothes shop, vintage clothing shop and some amazing cafes. There are also other historical parts of the town which have some amazing and unique businesses, as well as the town’s market square and famous Crooked Spire!*

*The Crooked Spire is quite an unusual sight. Nope, your brain isn't playing tricks; it really does look like that. Built in 1362, the spire of Chesterfield's Church of St Mary and All Saints is both twisted and leaning. No one knows exactly why. Historians have suggested that there was a lack of skilled workers at the time due to the Black Death. That combined with the use of unseasoned timber and the addition of heavy lead has caused the spire to warp over time.

9. IF WE WERE COMING TO VISIT YOUR SHOP, WHERE ELSE WOULD YOU RECOMMEND VISITING IN THE LOCAL AREA AND WHAT'S THE BEST PLACE FOR FOOD?

We'd certainly recommend a good look around the town – make sure you step off the high street too to make sure you find all the hidden gems that Chesterfield has to offer. We also have a lovely Vintage Tea Room right across the street from our shop!

10. AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT DOES 'SHOP SMALL' MEAN TO YOU?

Shopping small is so important. We're so grateful to all our customers who have continued to support us during the last couple of years. It's not been an easy time to open a new business! Shopping small does mean shopping locally, supporting those independent businesses nearby but also shopping from unique independent businesses online too. Just try and shop with people who will really appreciate you choosing them and their products!