Sweet shop closing

[Seabag]

I think the shop part of the Hope & Greenwood empire is a loss leader

It's hard when you volume wholesale, to keep your heart in the very thing that started it all. It's all about units, selling large orders. It makes the shop part of your business hard to keep on. I'm in a not too dissimilar position, in that my original niche business, now only represents 15% of our turnover, but takes the most energy to run. So i'm bracing myself to sell that bit, but it's hard emotionally

Sad, but good while it lasted

Dogs, hey ho...if we must

[natty01295]

Anyway thanks for your reply

Is it just dogs or any other animals ?

What will you sell ?

[keane]

Why is it closing? I thought they were doing well - no mention of it in a big profile piece they did with the Telegraph a couple of weeks ago which seems strange?

[sedm]

Lillyrose - I loved the sweet shop but very happy that another small independent is opening in its place - much better than the place being empty. Best of luck.

[CocoC]

Good luck Lillyrose! I wish you all the best with it. Will you have anything for the cat lover too?

[lillyrose]

Thank you so much Coco and Sedm. It is so lovely to have some positive feedback, you would think I had burnt the sweet shop down or something!!

And yes, I will be having lots of things for cat lovers too.

If you check out my Facebook page you will see some of the things I will be selling

https://www.facebook.com/MaisonDog

[DulwichFox]

I can see it now.

http://incrediblethings.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/i-love-dogs-52-carat-Diamond-Dog-Collar.jpg

I Love Dogs 52-carat Diamond Dog Collar ? $1.8 Million

Yeah we?ve seen snobby pets with diamond studded collars before, but none as excessive as the I love Dogs Diamond Dog Collar. Studded with more than 1600 hand-set diamonds on 18 K white gold attached to a crocodile leather collar.

After all this is East Dulwich

DulwichFox

[lillyrose]

Er, i'm not selling anything like that

[StraferJack]

lilyrose

pay no heed to anyone having a pop for taking over the shop - seems they can't join the dots

Business opens small shop

Business does well

Business does VERY well

Business outgrows shop

Business decides/is forced to not renew lease due to cost/no longer a priority

Shop is put back on market

A new Business starts at step one (hopefully does as well)

Best of luck

[jomou]

Lillyrose, congratulations on your new premises - your shop sounds like great fun and I will definitely come in when it's open.

There are many grumpy people on this forum so don't mind them. It's a shame to see the old sweet shop going but as their products are now in John Lewis, WHSmith etc I'm not surprised by the news - clearly their empire is growing into bigger and arguably better things.

[James]

Lillyrose, may I add my congratulations too. There are loads of dog lovers round here (myself & partner included) so I will definitely be popping in for a look.

For what it's worth I loved the concept of Hope & Greenwood but in reality their stuff was shockingly overpriced so more suited to the big-ticket locations they now have.

[DulwichFox]

Hi Lillyrose..

I have looked at your Facebook page for the things you will be selling.

I'm sure they will be very popular with dog cat lovers.

From your Facebook page..

Is Maison Dog your company / The name of the shop. ?

Is maisondog.co.uk your website. ?

Dulwichfox

[steveo]

A brief look at H&G's web site suggests that their brand is in loads of high profile stores, they have a branch in Covent Garden and apparently 12 others in Japan.

From little North Cross acorns

[lillyrose]

hi Dulwich fox, that is my website. My website at the moment only caters for my antiques, I got a bit obsessed with collecting them! I will put a few antiques in the shop as they are very attractive, but I will be selling a lot of new products too that you can see on Facebook. I have designed my own range of cards and mugs and rolling pins etc...

[Sue]

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?30,1025385

ETA: The owners of Hope and Greenwood have posted on the above thread.

[Sue]

As I am also obsessed by dogs, this has made my day.

Not quite sure in what way, though :))

http://www.maisondog.co.uk/#!concept/ct4o

[Otta]

100% what SJ said!

Good luck to you lillyrose.

Anyone that think we can all get together and stop a shop from closing (when the owners have decided to sell it and move on) is a moron and not really worth worrying about.

For those that want sweets, nip up to Dartmouth Road, there is a place there called sugar fountain or something like that.

But having a pop at someone's new venture just because they're moving in to a VACANT property which used to house something you liked is shit.

[KidKruger]

" Anyone that think we can all get together and stop a shop from closing (when the owners have decided to sell it and move on) is a moron and not really worth worrying about. "

...or when the shop has ALREADY been sold and the transaction is days from completion !!!

It's Sugar Mountain I believe in FH, which is where I'll now have to confection-ise.

[Cedges]

HI Lillyrose,

Good luck with your venture - as others have mentioned, an independent replacing an independent is no bad thing.

I think the reason there is a bit of dissapointment in the community is that sweets generally appeal to a vast swathe of people. Dog stuff to a more select crowd - its especially difficult around here with the number of renters etc to own a dog so dog ownership, I would imagine, (I'm sure someone will correct me) round here is perhaps lower than other areas of the country, hense why there may be a little less interest in your business over that of a sweet shop. Most people can justify a couple of quid on a bag of sweets, not so many will justify more for a dog rolling pin! There are also quite a lot of places locally selling nice mugs/cards/teatowels etc.

I'm sure you've done your market research and you'll do very well but please try to appreciate that for a vast majority of us, you may as well be opening an estate agents or hairdressers, for the appeal of your shop looks quite niche. Saying this, I will of course come and check it out when you open and hope that others will too.

I hope what i am trying to get across makes sense!

Good luck x

[jimbo1964]

Good luck to the new shop. I think people (inc me) are just a bit sad that an old favourite has gone. Sugar Mountain does look nice but I'm unlikely to put my son into a car and drive him up there.

[Sue]

Just seen a photo of Sugar Mountain with a blackboard outside advertising "hot drinking fudge."

What's not to like? I'm there! Drooling already :)

[Otta]

Woman who runs / owns it seems very nice too, as did her teenaged daughter who has been working there a couple of times when I've been in.

It's absolutely fine for people to be sad about losing something nice, but to take against the new business which will open on the premises just because of that, is pretty harsh.

[LadyNorwood]

Good luck lillyrose - give me animals over sweets any day of the week!!

[natty01295]

Good luck with the business !

[natty01295]

You won't sell much, I would imagine, around was east dulwich