Retailer Spotlight: Pretty Shiny Shop

Welcome to our new series: Retailer Spotlight!

This series is our chance to shine a light on the wonderful independent retailers who stock our cards across the UK. From finding out more about their businesses to hearing what they love most about being an independent retailer today, we’ll be sharing the stories behind the shops that make our industry so special.

Our stockists are at the heart of everything we do. Whether they’re gift shops, bookshops, post offices, garden centres, art galleries or something in between, every retailer who chooses to stock our cards plays a huge part in our journey.

One of the best parts of what we do is building relationships with our stockists. We love catching up in person at trade fairs and industry events, learning more about their businesses, and introducing our collections to new shops along the way. We’re incredibly grateful to be part of such a supportive, welcoming community, and we can’t wait to introduce you to some of the brilliant retailers who help bring our cards to customers across the UK.

First up...Pretty Shiny Shop in Finsbury Park!

Hi Georgina! If you had to describe your shop in 3 words, what would they be? (Other than pretty and shiny! 🤣)

"Affordable Quality and Fun! That was a tough question to not be able to use pretty or shiny!"

When did you open the business and how has it evolved since those early days?

"We opened June 2016 and the shop has changed so much over those years – we recently expanded into the back to give us more selling space. We’ve probably doubled the card spinners, added more tables overall and I feel like we are constantly changing things around display wise….we also painted the shop front years ago from boring white to a very vibrant, hopefully eye-catching enticement to come in."

What's your favourite thing about running an independent shop?

"Being able to hear customer feedback directly. You know very quickly if something is going to work. Being small means we're able to offer a very personalised service as we get to know our customers. I’m also able to bring in smaller makers who don't produce enough to supply a larger retailer – so that allows us to bring in some very unique items and support local makers as well."

What do you love most about selling greeting cards?

"The constant change – I can bring in new designs all the time – test out cards that might be a bit more eccentric because the spend risk is low. Cards are so powerful. They can be beautiful, bring out emotion or make you laugh out loud – and to be able to curate that collection for the shop is a joy."

Which Cath Tate card range is your favourite, and what do you love about it?

"I can’t pick just one – I favour both the Hot Foils and Lost Plots range because they're so bright and colourful and bring out feelings of joy but I also have strong favourites across other ranges as well! The offering is so diverse from Cath Tate! We’ve been buying from Cath Tate since pretty much our beginning in 2016. Has always been an important supplier for us."

What makes your local community special?

"We have such a mix in our neighbourhood – people who have lived here for decades mixed in with students who have just moved in living in the student housing down the way.  Some of my current customers have grown up over the years in this shop! We are also a neighbourhood of many independent shops and it has created a lovely community overall."

Other than cards, is there a product you sell that you can’t live without, or something that customers can’t get enough of?

"We sell jewellery – my second passion! I’ve been making jewellery since I was a teenager and therefore feel like I have a pretty good eye for picking out quality jewellery that is interesting but also affordable. I really want people to be able to come in to my shop – see something they like and actually be able to afford to buy it."

Huge thank you to Georgina for taking the time to answer our questions! You can shop Pretty Shiny Shop online via their fab website: https://prettyshinyshop.com/

Follow their socials here: https://www.instagram.com/prettyshinyshop/

And of course visit them in person: 📍 67 Stroud Green Road, London