103 RETAILER INTERVIEW Tell us a bit about your store and how you came to open the business. We wanted to celebrate local craftsmen and everyone who was using smaller supply chains that had a focus on heritage and traditions, and essentially were being made here in the UK. It was also important for us to tell the story of each maker. Why is being a digital store important to you? Digital allows people from far and wide to have access to our makers collections and stories. What challenges were overcome when the company was starting out? Being in and out of lockdowns – weren’t able to visit our makers in their studios and this plays a huge part at V+S as we video and document how each piece is made. What is your customer base? It started with friends and family and grew thanks to taking part in the London Craft Week. Having hosted a couple of pops ups here in the Cotswolds we feel our customer base is growing nicely. What’s your USP? We hope to give customers a new take on shopping, be it for themselves or as a gift. Being able to see how the collections are made and hear from the makers creates a feeling of community and purpose behind your purchase – one that will last you a life time. Are you active on social media, and how do you use it for your business? We are learning on the job to be honest and every day we feel a new portal into the stratosphere of social media is growing but it’s exciting and we can’t wait to learn more. For now we are using Instagram and trying to push our YouTube channel as it gives us more scope to showcase longer videos and interviews of the makers. What brands do you stock and why? Ceramics, leather, basket weaving, jewellery, and knitwear. Mainly because so much of how our makers work is bringing it back to basics with handmade made to order pieces. What are your plans to do develop your online presence? Bringing more makers on board and creating more online digital experiences for our customers with digital markets and live feeds Do you undertake any charitable initiatives? We work with the Amber Foundation, which tirelessly works to rebuild and
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