Edinburgh’s Best Shopping: Love from Indie Street
After discovering the wonderful Love from Indie Street, we simply had to share it with you. One of the great charms of Edinburgh is the abundance of independent shops. From restaurants to clothes, florists to handmade jewellery, this lovely website offers you an easy way to shop locally. If you’re fed up of giving, (or receiving!), boring high street vouchers, Love from Indie Street is the perfect solution.
The ‘virtual high street’ of Edinburgh’s best-known and loved independent businesses allows you to shop like a local, and discover some of Edinburgh’s best-loved shops, suppliers, producers, and artisans. Whether you’re a busy mum with no time to wander around the shops but still want to give a thoughtful gift, or an expat who wants to send their family back in Edinburgh gifts that show you care, have a browse and find the perfect gift for someone this Christmas.
As part of our series on Edinburgh’s Best Shopping: Love from Indie Street founder, Rebecca Christensen spoke to Dickins about the inspiration for the company.
How does Love from Indie Street work?
We currently work with over 80 of Edinburgh’s best independent businesses selling gift vouchers for them through our website. People can log on, look through the gift vouchers available then pick and send a thoughtful gift in minutes to their loved one. We also offer Scotland’s first independent multi-store gift voucher where someone can buy a gift voucher that can then be used in any of the 80 stores.
What was the inspiration for the business?
I was fed up of receiving high street gift vouchers that stayed in my purse unused! The UK gift voucher market is worth £5 billion a year and 15% of that is bought online. How are small independent stores supposed to be able to tap into that market easily whilst running their bricks and mortar stores? That’s where Love from Indie Street can step in. My aim was to bring together the best of the independent scene into one place to create a community and make it easy for people to shop with independent stores online. As the business has grown we have also diversified and now work with employers across the city delivering gift vouchers for their staff rewards. This is proving really popular as it means that local employers can reward their staff with an engaging gift whilst supporting the local economy. We are also heavily focused on the expat market. We all live such global lives now with friends and family flung across the world. At special occasions, the easiest thing for them to do for presents is to log on to a high street chain, we want people across the world with family and friends in Edinburgh to come to Love from Indie Street instead.
What kinds of retailers do you have involved?
Love from Indie Street offers a diverse range of gifts so that people can find something for everyone on the site. Whether that’s a gift voucher for cupcakes at Cuckoos Bakery, a gift voucher for a new pair of jeans at ALC or a gift voucher for a chalk painting course at the Laurel Art Gallery we work with businesses from all sectors.
Could you tell us about 3 items that you think would make lovely Christmas presents?
The multi-store gift voucher is perfect for someone who you aren’t exactly sure what they would like but you know they love shopping with independent businesses.
One gift voucher, 80 stores!
For someone who likes to discover new and beautiful trinkets, jewellery and art I would recommend a gift voucher for Diedododa, her work is stunning and so interesting and unique. It’s always a treat to have a look around her store.
If there is a dog lover in your life then a gift voucher for House of Hounds is a brilliant idea. I don’t have a dog but after my visit to Darren’s amazing store I wanted one! Stocking everything a dog could ever need walking around this store is a real joy!
If you had to receive one thing from the site as a gift, what would it be?
Right now I would love a voucher for a facial at Zen Lifestyle or a gift voucher for flowers from the super talented Rose & Ammi to cheer up this dismal weather!
We offer gift vouchers, we don’t ship physical products. I set up Love from Indie Street to encourage feet on to the streets of Edinburgh’s independent hubs. Whilst you buy the voucher online you have to redeem it in store.
We always love to hear from independent business so if you are interested in joining Love from Indie Street, please let me know!
Find out more about Love from Indie Street…
We would like to thank Rebecca for speaking to Dickins about her wonderful company. We are so delighted to be able to support this website, and it certainly makes our shopping trips easier! Follow them on Twitter or Instagram or like their page on Facebook, and don’t forget to sign up to their newsletter for a 10% discount code.
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All you need now is to find your home from home!
Why not take a look and find your perfect home from home? And, the best thing is, all of our properties have Wifi so you can do all you Love from Indie Street shopping!
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