Holly Tucker, founder of Not on the High Street has dubbed 25th June as Shop Independent Day and I couldn’t think of a better reason to share some amazing small independent businesses with you all.
As we all know the pandemic has been a struggle for everyone and small businesses haven’t been immune to that. Some had to close due to family commitments. Some were super quiet. On the other hand some may have actually had some of their busiest ever trading but now it’s all gone quiet. However the pandemic affected small businesses they still need support now as the world wakes up again. We all have a chance to Vote with Our Money for how we want the world to look post pandemic.
Holly’s campaign is encouraging us all to spend £1 with a small business today (25th June) so how about getting some inspiration.
Please check out the businesses below and support them. Follow them on Instagram, sign up to newsletters and maybe even treat yourself
Let’s make supporting small business the norm, not a trend at Christmas or in a pandemic
Denim & Bone
Well known for their amazing embroidered vintage jackets Denim & Bone is a brilliant small business.
Daisy uses vintage jackets and repurposes them into super cool pieces that can be customised. They also have organic cotton t-shirts which inspire road trips and hand made pottery.
Lesley Stonier
Lesley Stonier works primarily to empower women in business but it’s her The Empowered Women affirmation cards that are beautiful.
Not only are the illustrations gorgeous but the words are geared towards helping you empower yourself
Jilla Active
Jilla Active is a London based, female founded activewear business specialising is soft, fully fashioned pieces. With a focus on moving the business to more sustainable fibres a lot of the range is already recycled or made from bamboo.
Mutha Hood
You’ve probably seen the Strong Girls Club t-shirt on Instagram and although that’s what made Mutha Hood what it is today it is the passion of Gemma, the founder, that keeps it growing.
Her Instagram stories from behind the scenes are fascinating as she shows exactly what goes into creating a product.
Naked Generation
The block printed gowns of dreams from this small business based in Cornwall.
With an aesthetic inspired by the 1970’s these are the perfect dresses for summer whether it be by the sea or in the countryside. All hand block printed like our prints they are truly special.
Revkah Aromatherapy
Run by yoga teacher Becs Revkah Aromatherapy is a gorgeous collection of hand blended oils.
Themed around their benefit expect blends for clarity, to awaken and even special blends for mama and baby.
Or Else
OR ELSE is a London-based label which designs sustainable organic cotton underwear with colourful hand-dyed patterns.
Each piece is hand-dyed, cut and assembled using sustainable and ethical materials. Our small-batch runs keep our impacts low.
lmacluskie
Set up by Lauren, a print and surface designer from Glasgow, lmacluskie is a colourful collection of eco friendly resin homewares.
The products are hand poured, colour mixed, printed, painted and designed all in her studio in the family home.
The Dartmoor Artist
Run by Sarah, who also runs a farm on Dartmoor, The Dartmoor Artist creates gorgeous prints, cards, wall hangings and also genius hand painted wooden flowers. The bouquet that lasts forever!
Plannher
Plannher is more than just a notebook. It’s a planner come journal that encourages you to dive a little deeper into your thoughts and your planning.
Undated it removes some of the pressure of journaling or planning and instead gives you the space to explore. Ethically made in Europe, its beautiful too
Charrli
A genius idea that connects you to zero waste and refill stores in your local area. Currently only in parts of London bur gradually expanding, you place your order through the Charrli website and they pick it up from your local store and deliver to you via e-bike or e-truck. They even pick up the empties for reuse when you next order!
Olor
Candles are something you can never have enough of and Olor is a gorgeous brand. Inspired by a trip to Barcelona, the name means scent in Catalan, the scents evoke a feeling of travel and what could be better right now.
Everything is sustainably sourced, the candles are hand poured and it is all recyclable.
Authentic House
Authentic House offer eco friendly toiletries and homewares but they also do subscription boxes. These are the perfect way to make sure you never run out or help you to explore products you haven’t tried before.
All orders are plastic free and they plant a tree with every order too.
Bunch Skincare
Made by hand in Letchworth Garden City, Bunch Skincare is a collection of organic face and body oils, plastic free dry shampoos and solid shampoos. All with a commitment transparency, sustainability and recyclable and reusable packaging.
Founded by pharmacist Gosia the products merge science, nature and care for the environment.
Grant + Blossom
Rapeseed, stearin and coconut wax candles decorated with amazing artist designed patterns. Available in recyclable tins but also smokeless dinner candles.
£1 from every sale goes to the charity Stop Hate UK and they have carefully thought about the ingredients and materials used to make sure that we are both environmentally and ethically conscious
In the spirit of the campaign I would love to know your small business loves so please pop them in the comments below