Croydon pop-up gives local businesses a Christmas platform

Cronx Boutique founders and their logo. Pic: Cronx Boutique

A pop-up space showcasing local companies is open until Christmas Eve in central Croydon.

Cronx Boutique allows primarily online-based businesses to use the temporary space for physical outlets without having to commit to a dedicated retail unit.

Companies such as Ray Ray’s Flowers, So & So Studio and House of Lilah have used the space, among others.

The boutique began as a collective by three Croydon brands. The Croydon Photographer and Johnny Howl Club initially collaborated with East Croydon Cool to share a space at the Made in Croydon markets in the local Boxpark.

The group then set up the pop-up space, located on Caithness Walk beside East Croydon station, in December 2019.

In the past, the space has exclusively offered wares from the three brands. However, 2021 has seen the inaugural addition of a rotating cast of local businesses featuring each weekend.

Maddy Duxbury, founder of East Croydon Cool, told Eastlondonlines about how her and her Cronx Boutique colleagues honour Croydon in their own ways: “Glenn, The Croydon Photographer, celebrates the area through his photographic based artwork, while Johnny and Giselle from Johnny Howl Club pay homage to the borough with hand drawn digital prints.”

“As a community marketing platform, East Croydon Cool’s role is to champion the area by showcasing its people, places and events. All three of us also have merchandise that encourages neighbourhood pride!”

The interior of Cronx Boutique. Pic: Cronx Boutique

“We feel supporting small and supporting local have become worthy mantras of the pandemic so inviting other local creatives into the Cronx Boutique helps people do that.”

Duxbury moved to Croydon in 2015. With a background in PR and marketing, she swiftly started East Croydon Cool as an Instagram account. She wanted to celebrate the rich culture of the borough.

She said: “I had a few people question my decision to move here because they had only heard negative things. So I wanted to help show all the great things going on as well as encourage people to take pride in their neighbourhood.”

“I’m aware it’s not perfect, but it’s so much more than how people stereotype it.”

Finding viable retail spaces has become increasingly difficult for Croydon businesses in recent years, with planning permission for the proposed Westfield shopping centre having expired in August of this year.

The concept of mixed business pop-ups shown by Cronx Boutique stands as a possible answer to such struggles.

Duxbury said: “[Businesses] were especially attracted to the concept because it’s run by three local creators. We’re people like them, not landlords.”

One such local creator featured in Cronx Boutique is Rachel Thom from South Croydon. Thom started her business, Ray Ray’s Flowers, during the first lockdown after the shop she was working in was forced to close.

Thom told ELL: “As a small startup, it’s just too expensive for me to rent a retail space at the moment. The uncertainty of lockdowns and high overheads just means it’s more viable for me to keep things online for now.”

Given the online nature of her business, Thom said she appreciates the opportunities provided by having a pop-up retail space.

“As much as Instagram has been an amazing way to gain support, it’s not the same as seeing the product in person. I had people stopping by the boutique to ask about wedding flowers, it’s so much easier and more personable to be able to chat in person.”

Credit: Ray Ray’s Flowers

One such local creator featured in Cronx Boutique is Rachel Thom from South Croydon. Thom started her business, Ray Ray’s Flowers, during the first lockdown after the shop she was working in was forced to close.

Thom told ELL: “As a small startup, it’s just too expensive for me to rent a retail space at the moment. The uncertainty of lockdowns and high overheads just means it’s more viable for me to keep things online for now.”

Given the online nature of her business, Thom said she appreciates the opportunities provided by having a pop-up retail space.

“As much as Instagram has been an amazing way to gain support, it’s not the same as seeing the product in person. I had people stopping by the boutique to ask about wedding flowers, it’s so much easier and more personable to be able to chat in person.”

Also featured in the boutique is Sophie Battershall, owner of So & So Studio. Battershall started her jewellery-making business in December last year.

Having moved to South Croydon in 2013, she began crafting jewellery as a hobby during the pandemic.

Battershall acknowledged the benefit of online shopping for her business, as the format allows her to look after her son more easily. However, digital platforms have made it difficult to emphasise the personal nature of her handcrafted jewellery.

She told ELL: “When people see me, I like to talk about why I started things and how that makes you feel when you wear the jewellery. That’s really hard to put across online, it’s not emotional as it would be chatting to somebody.”

The boutique gave Battershall the opportunity to show her wares in-person and the process behind creating her necklaces.

She said: “For the company that I’m building, being present is really exciting for me. With talking to people face to face, there’s a connection with that. It’s not just an email or a question on social media that somebody is sending, they can see you as a person.”

Cronx Boutique is open until December 24th between 12pm to 8pm from Tuesday to Friday, and between 10am to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday.

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