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In Heaven at Home and The Barber Gallery has been part of the Harborough High street for ten years. The award-winning shop is bursting with gorgeous homeware, gifts and cards, as well as having a self-contained gallery on the first floor.
‘After a life of corporate retail with House of Fraser, Argos and Tesco, in 2009 something sad and unexpected happened in my life which caused me to re-evaluate what really matters,’ says Anne when we visited the shop in June. ‘I decided that I wanted to do something much more meaningful and personal and the initial concept for a home lifestyle store was born. Somewhere I could pander to my love of (borderline addiction to) cushions and cards and bring a curated range of gifts for the home, family and friends. The shop name evolved from the Tracey Emin neon sign: ‘Meet me in Heaven - I will wait for you’. It’s a happy place full of love and lovely things.’ This love is certainly reflected in the wealth and range of items available, and as we walk through the shop it is clear that Anne has thought long and hard about each range and what they bring. ‘I’m always looking for something a bit different and unique,’ explains Anne. ‘I sometimes don’t know what that is until I find it. Other times I have a very clear brief. Great quality is very important, as is affordability.’ During the pandemic, the shop was closed alongside many other businesses on the high street. This blow, followed by a cost of living crisis, has resulted in a tough time for our high street. ‘We closed the door on 23rd March 2020, which coincidentally was the 7th anniversary of the opening of the shop. So, whilst we were doing the right thing to protect our customers and our selves, it was heartbreaking,’ says Anne. ‘We do think about the cost of living crisis and have a range of items to suit any budget. For example, we have over 120 different throws from £24.99 for recycled cotton to £179.99 for 100% cashmere and every price point in between.’ This proactive approach and keen eye for the beautiful, has meant that In Heaven at Home and The Barber Gallery has grown in popularity. Anne, along with sidekick Henry the dachshund, continue to welcome customers and four-legged friends to the shop seven days a week. ‘I am very blessed indeed to have a wonderful team, who include Sally, Candice, Charlie, Trishna and Izzie. It is my greatest delight to see them helping customers to choose something for the home, or a card and wrapping paper for a special gift,’ says Anne. ‘Nothing makes me happier than hearing customers say ‘this is my favourite shop’.’ Anne and her team have also won two awards. The Retas (greeting cards retail) Award for Best Card Shop and the Greats Gift Retail Award for Best Windows & In-Store Displays. ‘We love dressing our windows and change each one every 3 weeks, so that’s about 36 window themes a year!’ One of the most striking stands in the shop is the Marmalade of London range of candles and home fragrance. Anne and the team have worked with the British brand since day one. ‘I have a fantastic working relationship with Marmalade and consider them to be dear friends. It helps that their products are amazing too! We stock all their fragrances in luxury candles, diffusers, refills and now refillable glass body washes and body lotions.’ With such a fantastic range in the shop, we were curious to see if Anne has any particular favourites. ‘I think it has to be cards. I have always been a great believer that sending a handwritten card can brighten someone’s day. We have more than 2500 cards packed into the card department and something for every occasion. I love finding new card suppliers who bring something unusual, and we particularly love funny, pretty and happy cards.’ In Heaven at Home and The Barber Gallery is also very well placed, being both a part of the High Street, and Bennett’s Place Courtyard. ‘We love all our local neighbours; Ruth at Ada, Sophie at Wainwrights, Natalie and team at Milos, Sarah and her team at Inicio and Red Carpets,’ says Anne. ‘Sometimes people refer to the shop as: The Miffy shop, The shop where the lady (that’s me) has cake for customers, The shop with the sausage dog (that’s Henry). They are all correct. We have over 20 Miffys in the shop, I love my early morning baking of cakes which we love to share with customers and Henry loves meeting and greeting customers and welcoming doggy friends.’ After ten years as a Harborough shop owner, Anne has not lost any of her enthusiasm for her business and plans to expand their website offering. ‘Our website now has close to 1000 featured products, and is expanding rapidly each week. We also offer an online wrapping and a handwritten gift message service. We are trying to emulate our in-store personal service for our online shoppers. I also hope that one day there will be another store in the local area.’ Visit In Heaven at Home and The Barber Gallery on Monday to Friday, 10am-5pm, Saturday, 9.30am-5pm and Sunday 11am-3pm or visit inheavenathome.com |
Issue 18
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