On December 1st we headed to Margate and Islington to celebrate shopping small with our community of independents. In Margate, at sustainable and ethical boutique Aarven, we gathered around to sip wine served up by Laylo, browse their range of beautiful artisan-made Christmas decorations and give tummy rubs to their shop mascot, Wolfie.

Over in Islington, cupcakes and ear piercing was on the go at Scandi fashion destination Wild Swans, along with their signature cocktails and a charity raffle with proceeds going to local food banks.

In Marlborough, the Willow & Wolf team kicked off their Christmas festivities with in-store discounts, goody bags brimming with treats, and Laylo to sip while browsing their party-ready pieces and festive hosting essentials.

A week later on December 8th, we headed to frosty Bristol to join the team at home and lifestyle boutique Truce. Customers came in for a spot of origami crafting with illustrator Molly Bland, mince pies from Cutter and Squidge, and beers from local brewery Good Chemistry. All watched over by VIP and star of the show, trusty shop dog Luna. 

In Berkhamsted, we joined Paul and the team at &Quirky. Giving Santa’s grotto a run for its money, the store was packed to the rafters with tree ornaments, festive decorations and other delights - plus a whole lot of Christmas cheer.

On the 15th December we rounded out the festive fun in style at Sunshine and Snow in Bideford, with Heartbreak Hotel Coffee taking over their coffee bar serving up signature cocktails and the best doughnuts in Devon (so we hear), as well as local makers popping up in-store, from ceramic artists Popalini & Jezando to jewellery maker Imogen Rose.

Along the coast in Brighton, we joined the team at DOWSE for a cosy night of festive shopping in their North Laines store. They hosted a raffle in aid of The Clock Tower Sanctuary, a charity that provides a network of support to move young homeless people from crisis to stability, and local brewery Abyss popped up in-store to launch its new T-shirt range as well as some new brews.

In London, we joined Jeane at her boutique Alkemi, in both Nunhead and Forest Hill. A hub of independent Korean brands, we sipped wine and munched Cutter & Squidge mince pies while doing a spot of last minute shopping.

Special thanks to our event partners:

A huge thank you to all our independent boutiques, their local community, Trouva customers and our event partners for helping us to celebrate shopping small and support independents this festive season. Keep your eyes peeled for more in-store events taking place in 2023.