Rural venue attracts an increasing number of antiques, furniture, crafts and garden centre buyers
Stonham Barns Park Retail Village is expanding to create the most affordable retail experience in Suffolk with a variety of different sized pods and outlets available and, as it does, it is becoming an antiques, furniture, garden, creativity and crafts hub for Suffolk.
There are 45 outlets at the venue offering start-ups no maintenance, free parking and retail marketing support. The out-of-town shopping experience is attracting an increasing number of antiques, furniture and garden centre buyers. Explains Keith Forward, Director of Stonham Barns Park, ‘It’s true that rural retail is still doing well as creative business owners are excelling with products that you just can’t buy on the high street. Demand for antiques has always been strong in mid-Suffolk and as a result our flagship antiques brand Aspal Antiques has thrived in this countryside setting expanding in recent years to add Aspal Reclaim and Aspal Emporium to its retail activities.’
Other antiques shops support the main antiques business including Mrs A Antiques & Collectables, The Book Cellar, The Vintage Cellar and The Attic. An Autumn Antiques Fair will be held at the venue on 19 October hosted by Aspal Antiques following on from the success of the Spring Antiques Fair earlier in the year. New business start-ups are also expanding at the Stonham Aspal venue including framing and interiors shop Hemingstone Frames, glass etching specialist Dawn’s Designs, trading cards and accessories specialist GGS Trading Cards and Collectables, dog accessories retailer The Dog Business and wood carving studio Wildlife Creations in Wood.
More independents are starting up in Suffolk. Green-shoots businesses with creativity and ingenuity at their heart. Many individuals giving up jobs since the pandemic to find a business opportunity to focus on that makes them happy. Investing personal savings in business ideas that work both on a retail and online level. Many of these entrepreneurs are women – probably 70% of the total of 44 outlets – with businesses ranging from fashion and jewellery to a grooming business and a sweet shop.
These new business owners often want to fit work around family life – and do something they enjoy – and so have developed start-up businesses to give them a permanent income stream that they can develop over time to suit their lifestyle.
This latest phase of retailers are joining some established retailers at Stonham Barns Park who include the highly successful jacuzzi hot tub and swim spa distributor Hot Tub Village, sheds, summer house and garden office supplier Tiger, wedding specialist Suffolk Bridal Outlet, the all-new Stonham Discount Garden and Home Centre.
Other retailers that have recently joined the village include award winning art and jewellery specialist Sakura Art Studio and outdoor and indoor hobby shop Hobbs Hobbies. Added to these, The Beauty Barn, Elegant Hair & Beauty, Celebrations & Toys, Post Office, The Village Stores, The Serpent & Rose Tattoo Studio, Anything & Everything, Molly Blog’s Sweet Shop, Stone Rose Crystals, Ideal Interiors, Cambridge Windows, Stonham Barns Golf Centre, Suffolk Owl Sanctuary, The Little Dance Barn, TJ Jacks, Carters of Suffolk and Go Cruise and Travel.
Says Stonham Barns Park owner Alan Forward, ‘Stonham Barns Park is one of Suffolk’s premier leisure, retail and holiday destinations. As a venue, we attract thousands of visitors each month for a variety of reasons – whether it’s coming here for holiday breaks, golf, to eat and drink or to attend one of our many shows – and so there is always a ready supply of potential retail customers here for start-up businesses.’
‘The unique range of products on offer means that people can find items that are ‘not-on-the-high-street’ and this makes the place attractive for shoppers who are looking for something a little different. The choice is there and the environment is relaxed with no worries about costly parking – as it’s free. Visitors can stay for as long as they want to knowing that there is no cost to leaving or a battle through the traffic of a town or city on the way home.’
‘It makes sense that more people are choosing out of town shopping to make the experience more memorable particularly when we have other attractions on hand too. It’s all there within the same location and the atmosphere does change depending on the season. We have a free to enter Easter and Christmas Craft Market which also makes it very popular. It attracts many stall holders many of whom sign up for a retail outlet if they find they do well with the introduction of their home-launched business ideas.’
‘More people seem to be taking to rural shopping locations. We hope it continues to bring us more visitors into the future.’
