Poole country and western inspired shop sees sales surge since move
The owner of a country and western-inspired clothing shop in Poole, Dorset, has seen her business boosted since she moved to new premises in a regenerated part of the town centre.
Lavender Moon, owned by Bethany Holland, has seen monthly turnover jump from £4,000 to £15,000 since April this year, when she moved to KINGLAND from the old town.
Before the move, the shop had a loyal customer base but faced challenges with low footfall and lack of neighbouring retail.
"I felt both excited and daunted by the prospect of moving store," said Beth.
"The shop in KINGLAND is triple the size of where I previously operated from, so the scale-up did feel quite a leap. However, being in an established shopping district in Poole with higher footfall has been transformative for my business.
"I’m so proud and relieved that just six months on, Lavender Moon is thriving like never before," she added, also attributing some of her success to the growing popularity of country, namechecking the likes of Beyonce and Taylor Swift.
"I have been blown away by the response from the community. I’m hugely grateful for the support from my landlord, Legal & General, and its partners such as Nest, that have helped to make KINGLAND the vibrant and dynamic high street it is today."
The regeneration of Kingland Crescent in Poole in 2020 was the first step in Legal & General's long-term strategy to evolve Poole’s retail offering.
As a strategic partner, an investment from Nest (the largest workplace pension scheme in the country) helped make it possible.
In the first year of KINGLAND’s opening, there was £2.2 million in additional sales for operators at the neighbouring shopping centre (The Dolphin).
There were also 31 new jobs created, and footfall increased by 16% ahead of its pre-pandemic trend.
The Poole district is home to around 130,000 Nest members, which means local people are everyday investors into the KINGLAND regeneration scheme.
Beth said: "I only recently learnt of Nest’s involvement in the regeneration of KINGLAND and its partnership with Legal & General.
"I never considered that pensions invested in things like this, and as a business owner who has to pick a pension provider for my employees, it would have made me consider more carefully who I selected, if I did."
Elizabeth Fernando, chief investment officer (CIO) of Nest, added: "Legal & General has done a great job delivering this ambitious, but immensely successful regeneration project, and it’s great knowing our members’ money is working hard like these small businesses.
"We want our members to feel connected to their pensions and for them to understand the true power and potential within their pension pots.
"By investing in projects that regenerate local high streets and support small businesses, they are not only helping to boost the local economy and strengthen community ties, but also helping their pensions pots. Our members should be proud to have played a part in this project."
Lavender Moon offers a variety of country and western-inspired clothing such as authentic flares, Aztec jackets, and cowboy hats. It also sells jewellery, crystals, and gifts.
