Shrewsbury vintage shop continues expansion with new store as shoppers flock to buy '70s, '80s and '90s items
Shrewsbury's love affair with vintage clothing is showing no signs of slowing down with High Street retailer Pretty in Pink opening a third shop in the town.
Pretty in Pink's first High Street shop opened last year, and its success has seen the firm opening not one but two new shops next door.
The latest, Pretty in Pink Street Wear, officially opened on Saturday (July 25), stocking a host of quality vintage clothing with brands like Stussy, Palm Angels, True Religion, Carhartt, and Harley Davidson gracing the rails, along with football, rugby and cricket shirts.
The streetwear shop follows Pretty in Pink Too, a store with a focus on colourful, vibrant summer and festival wear, which opened earlier this year.
The original shop, which has been trading since August last year, has proved a High Street hit, catering for men and women of all ages, with its 1970s, '80s, and '90s vibes being celebrated by those old enough to have been there the first time round, as well as capturing the hearts of the younger generation.
Taking its name from the classic '80s 'Brat Pack' film by the legendary John Hughes, the store is true to its roots with a heavy rotation of '70s, '80s, and '90s music and video transporting shoppers back in time.
Graham Holbrook, Pretty in Pink founder, said the appetite for vintage clothing only shows signs of growing.
He said the success of the store had meant the opportunity to take on the neighbouring shops was too good to miss.
He said: "When we first started here in August last year we were amazed at the demand.
"The two shops next door came free within a few months and it seemed like a sensible thing to have the three shops next to each other."
He said vintage demand is particularly strong in Shrewsbury, and revealed his own aspiration for a 'vintage quarter' in the town, as have been hugely popular in some of the UK's biggest cities.
He said: "Shrewsbury is absolutely ripe for vintage clothing and what we are trying to do is create a vintage quarter like you see in Manchester, Liverpool, or London.
"Vintage clothing is becoming so massive, both online and in shops around the UK, particularly in cities, and Shrewsbury, despite the fact it is known as a brilliant place for shopping with its independent shops, has relatively few and quite small vintage boutiques, so what we are trying to do is promote a much more visible presence on the high street for vintage clothing."
Graham said he believes part of the surging interest in vintage clothing is down to the style and quality of items made in the '70s, '80s and '90s.
He said: "I think a lot of people now accept that clothes made before 2000 were made a lot better and last a lot longer, and were more stylish and individual than they are now.
"A lot of it has become homogenous, soulless stuff that is not particularly well-made. Vintage clothing from the '70s, '80s and '90s is absolutely brilliant in terms of quality and individuality."
The Pretty in Pink founder added that with Shrewsbury currently booming as visitors pour into the town to shop, eat and enjoy the ambience, it is the perfect place to set up shop.
He said: "The high street is absolutely buzzing, we have got so many people and tourists coming into town every weekend.
"We have our clothes on display outside and people really buy into the fact, it helps and adds colour and texture to the high street and it is much more exciting than it was 10 to 20 years ago."
The latest expansion will almost certainly not be the last, with Pretty and Pink looking to add fresh shops in the cellar space below the first store in the coming months.
