To the delight of local residents that appreciate quality fashion and home furnishings from the good old days the Downtown Retro Empourium has opened this year at Station Parade on London Road opposite Sevenoaks station in Kent, England.
The owner explained that including a retro element to the design of the business was important for attracting younger customers who want to fill their homes and wardrobes with one off classic finds at reasonable prices.
The shop is frequented by all ages and is a veritable cornucopia of vintage gems ranging from crystal necklaces to Tweed jackets and wrought ironwork furniture. This Alladin’s cave enables the visitor to explore the spacious shop. An adventure downstairs into the basement showroom and out into the courtyard means discovering unexpected pieces that are salvaged from the past and just ready to be taken away and loved by their new owner.
Each second hand clothing and furniture seller has their own individual space so the salesfloor is made up of a patchwork of little stalls.
Many customers live locally and this original supermarket is open seven days a week. Original events happening at the store such as the ‘surplus vintage clearance day’ in April, help to spread the word far and wide to new vintage hunters, who can take advantage of the convenient 20 minute train journey from central London. The Empourium is immediately opposite Sevenoaks station so finding it couldn’t be easier.
We could have bought some more silk scarves and shift dresses to add to our collection but on this occasion opted for an elegant long mirror with an old guilt frame, a bevelled edge plus a painted pine single headboard. We were happy to do our bit for the environment and we popped two super pieces in the back of the car for under £25!
The manager and her assistant couldn’t have been more helpful and even helped us wrap the mirror in bubble wrap and carry the items to where we had parked outside. We celebrated our purchases with a tasty coffee in the Italian cafe next door. This is a delicious retail combination that I’m sure will be repeated again in the near future.
This Downtown Retro treat is a positive addition to shopping in Sevenoaks where there is always room for more independent retailers to add character to the High Street favourites. We wish the Downtown team the best of British luck and we are confident that they will continue to be a splendid success.