We caught up with Evangeline’s manager and director, Rebecca Beaman, to find out how her first year in Stone has been
For those who don’t know Evangeline’s is located at the top of Radford Street in the striking Kingscourt building and on Friday 23rd March, they’ll be celebrating their first anniversary!
Rebecca told us the inspiration to open her own store and where the name Evangeline’s came from:
“A big part of my drive and ambition comes from my very successful dad. As I grew up I saw my dads achievements and I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a boss! Deep down I knew I would put in the endless hours of hard work and apply myself to being successful.
“I had completed a degree in fashion at Manchester University and through doing my course I knew that I wanted to open my own retail business! I was concerned that focusing on one area might not be enough so I had the idea to bring a unique retail experience together, a ladies one-stop-shop.
“Evangeline’s was born to bring together hair, beauty, clothing, as well as offering a coffee bar that also sells alcoholic beverages.
“The name Evangeline’s means a lot to me as my mum always wanted to call me Evangeline. At the time other people put her off the name so I wanted to name it for my mum, I also thought it was a classy unusual name that people would remember.”
Rebecca went on to tell us about what attracted her to open up shop in Stone:
“My brother Daniel, co-director, had spotted the building on his travels. I really like Stone and the surrounding areas and when I saw the frontage of the shop, with the unusual full glass and curved windows, I just knew I had to go for it! The building had been empty for a while so I was really looking forward to bringing it back to life.”
Opening a business is never easy but Rebecca and her team put their heart and soul into making it a reality. Over the course of the past year, the business has become more and more established and now boasts a team of 6 people.
Looking back over the first year Rebecca said:
“I’ve been so pleased with how successful the first year has been, better than I could ever have imagined. Hair has been absolutely brilliant for us, we have expanded to an extra station due to the demand.
“I would like to thank the people of Stone and the surrounding areas who have supported our business and have helped us grow as a business.
“I love stone and think it’s a beautiful place and am really excited about my future here.
“With the recent closures of mainstream chains like New Look, Toys-R-Us and Maplins it’s a great time for people to embrace the diversity that we have within Stone. What’s better than going out shopping and getting that personal touch where you can visually see and try on items? Stone has a fantastic array of boutique shops that offer something more….unusual!”
“I really hope that the government and local councils can work together to re-energise High Streets across the UK, not just Stone. Business rates and affordable parking would really help my business out. We need to be encouraging people into the High Streets so that business owners, like myself, keep taking the risk and open new shops.”
Finally, we asked Rebecca how Evangeline’s was planning to celebrate their first year:
“Firstly I would like to thank all of my regular customers for supporting us in the last year, we really appreciate your custom. I would also like to thank my girls for their hard work and commitment to Evangeline’s, I couldn’t have done it without you! I have a fabulous team and I couldn’t wish for better friends. I would also like to thank my parents and brother, Daniel, if it wasn’t for their help and support I would not have had this opportunity.
“To mark the occasion we are having a birthday party from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. There will be drinks, nibbles, a live DJ and us on hand to say thank you to everyone for their support, please come down and join us. ”
You can find Evangeline’s online at evangelinesltd.co.uk, their website has some great 360 degree images to look around!
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