Inside Out - The Next Big thing

Date: 17 Feb 2009

The Next Big Thing

Devon based independent retailer, Insideout, is heralded as being “the next big thing” (Spring Fair 09) after being named Emerging Retailer of the Year in the Spring Fair 09 Awards.

The awards took place last week, with a judging panel that contained a host of influential experts, journalists and designers, including Linda Barker and Sophie Conran.

With three stores in the Southwest, each with its own personality, Insideout sets itself apart with a clear focus on creating a relaxed, captivating shopping experience. The stores have gained a cult following in the region due to the varied mix of contemporary gifts, homewares, designer accessories, jewellery and quirky lifestyle products it houses under one roof. Tim Danaher, editor of Retail Week, praised the Devon lifestyle business, saying “This shop has really defined itself as being part of the fabric of the region”.

Insideout was created five years ago, when husband and wife team Nicky and Paul Edmunds decided to take a real gamble and relocate to the South West, where Nicky had spent much of her childhood. Since then, insideout has gone from strength to strength.

In May 2007 Insideout was voted Independent Retailer of the Year-Southwest at the glamorous Progressive Gift Retailer Awards. In the same year Insideout Nicky was named Credit Suisse Entreprenuer of the Year – Wales and the Westcountry.
In 2008 they also won the award for Service Excellence from the Federation of Small Businesses.

Insideout faced tough competition from across the UK to win the prestigious title of Emerging Retailer of the Year. Fiona Strang, a judge from the Spring Fair 09 Awards commented: “What this gives me is hope! There’s so much doom and gloom about nowadays. The independent retailers who are out there fighting their corner have to be commended.”

So what sets insideout apart? In a world where multiple giants’ rule, insideouts’ unique selling point is that it offers an inspirational, personal shopping experience. The stores themselves have been described as treasure troves of inspiration, and the team at insideout are truly passionate about this, and by the looks of it, it would seem that their enthusiasm is contagious! “To be named Emerging Retailer of the Year is very exciting”, Nicky Edmunds reveals. “We believe that excellent service together with an abundance of fresh ideas and affordable products is the way forward. Our aim is to let more and more people know that great things don’t always have to be beyond their budget.”