I was lucky enough to speak to Laura Jackson, owner of Friday Vintage, an award-winning boutique that is in a gloriously colourful, aesthetically pleasing store in Old Eldon Square. The shop sells a wide range of accessories and clothing items of various sizes, and each item has its own character and personality that comes with being preloved and personally selected by Laura herself.
Laura was very busy due to the opening of her new store with fellow vintage fashion lovers Hannah (from Mars Vintage) and Lottie (from Milk No Sugar), however we were able to catch up online and she answered my questions with the Northern charismatic charm that makes her so easy to chat to and a perfect salesperson.
Hi Laura, firstly how and when did you first realise you wanted to start a vintage business?
Hi Sophie, I wanted to start a vintage business because I feel like when I opened at the time (2023) there was a gap in the market for a curated vintage store in town, which had a wide arrangement of different eras, it was one of those moments where I just needed to take the leap and I went for it.
How do you feel since the rise in popularity in vintage shopping- do you think there is any harm in buying into it as a trend?
I think it’s definitely a more positive way of shopping, as it is less impactful on the environment, but I think the core problem lies in overconsumption so if people are switching to second hand that’s great but bulk buying is always an issue no matter what the purchase is. Overall though it is a million times better to shop second hand than new.
And what is your opinion on other varieties of second-hand shopping such as online apps (vinted/Depop) and charity shopping?
I think its all really good, also it is the inevitable that more people will resort to shopping second hand because people can’t necessarily afford to buy new things, also the quality of clothes is going down whereas the pricing is increasing so people are starting to click onto the facts that better quality clothing are available cheaper second hand.
And what is the hardest and best parts of being a business owner?
The hardest part of being a business owner is the financial struggle at the minute, it’s extremely hard to keep going through the quieter months, especially when I am doing this all on my own. My friends, family and fiancé help a lot but ultimately the success of this lies on my shoulders, but the good outweighs the bad, as I have created such a community through my business and those relationships I have built are priceless.