Pioneering Online Department Store for Independent Businesses Launches Oxford Street Pop Up
BritYard may have only launched in April this year, but the UK’s first online department store to exclusively partner with independent British brands is already taking the nation by storm and is launching an Oxford Street pop-up over Black Friday weekend.
The pop-up event will take place over Black Friday weekend (28th – 29th November), at 58 Oxford Street, London, to support local businesses during one of the year’s biggest shopping events. There will also be the opportunity to win a giant Christmas hamper worth over £1,000 which will be featured in the Oxford Street window display.
BritYard’s founder, Lara Chant, started the business to put independent British brands at the heart of the retail landscape, with over 90 premium British brands joining her on that mission so far.
She said, “Our purpose is to make it easier for consumers to find and buy from local and sustainable brands no matter where they are in the UK. It is particularly important to me that we represent the true multicultural nature of our British society and build an inclusive and diverse collection of British brands.”
BritYard’s Beginnings: From Critical Medical Emergency to Entrepreneurial Breakthrough
The story of BritYard’s inception is an inspiring one. After a pregnant Lara Chant weathered an amniotic fluid embolism (a life-threatening and rare maternity emergency) in the final stages of labour, she was moved to pursue her idea to launch BritYard.
With an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for championing homegrown brands, Lara and her husband, Robert used this difficult experience to drive them towards achieving their goal of creating a hub for unique independent businesses. BritYard was born.
Speaking about the importance of BritYard’s vision, Lara said, “I found it frustrating knowing that there were so many homegrown brands out there creating beautiful and inspiring products but that finding them was a huge, time-consuming challenge. I felt that these brands were hugely under-represented in the British retail market and was convinced that I can’t be the only one who would like to hear about them!”
This passion for elevating independent businesses has become more prominent in recent years; Black Friday 2021 has seen the biggest movement yet to persuade shoppers to buy from small retailers over larger brands.
BritYard’s founders hope to not just provide quality local goods to consumers but to give small businesses the recognition they deserve as well. As part of this commitment, BritYard will be creating unique, high-quality content, which founder Lara hopes will educate and inform customers on the origins of some of the UK’s most exciting independent brands. She adds, “BritYard will strive to bridge the gap between consumer and creator by telling the stories of independent British brands and the real people behind them, so that consumers can get to know and love these brands and their products in a way that has not been possible until now.”
Some of the products on offer include:
- Home & Lifestyle products including furniture, artwork, lighting and soft furnishings ● Products for women and men, including clothing, accessories, jewellery and bags
- Beauty and wellbeing products
- A curated selection of wines and spirits
All of their products come from local and independent brands like Katie Cardew, The English Whisky Company, SCRUBD, Rollo London, Five Dot Botanics and Loose Fit Furniture.
The online department store also sells Hampers & Gift Sets, making it the perfect place to source seasonal gifts. BritYard is donating 5% of all sales from their Discovery Collection gift sets and hampers directly to the NHS.
To find out more, visit: www.brityard.com