Shop Stories – Why Shops Matter

Why We Partnered with the Retail Trust

Shoplight’s recent partnership with the Retail Trust is built on the fact that shops are fundamental to the success of Shoplight. Partnering with the Retail Trust allows us to give back to the people on the frontline of retail, the colleagues who are the driving force of the industry, without whom, stores would not be possible.

Every sale from Shoplight’s BuyBlue biopolymer lighting range earns a 2% donation for the Retail Trust. Funds raised will support the charity’s services such as a 24-hour helpline, health and wellbeing support, financial aid, and supported living and career development for everyone who works in retail stores.

Why Shops Matter

Shops go beyond transactions. They are the fabric of our community and here’s why.

Shops are more than commercial spaces. They are connectors of people. They are meeting points, where friends and families gather for coffee and browse together. They are places where neighbours exchange stories and strangers share moments of connection. All of these are interactions that create a sense of belonging and strengthen community bonds.

Shops are more than the products we browse. They create shared experiences and unforgotten prints in our minds. The distinct aroma of a florist, bakery or shoe shop, gleeful voices in a toy store, conversations about the best gift for someone, or the anticipation of finding the perfect piece of jewellery. Throwbacks of the stationery store you bought your favourite notebooks from, the comfy seat near the window of the café where you had a date, the sweetshop you spent your pocket money in. All these experiences contribute to memories of time spent with family and friends.

Shops are people, not buildings. Retail staff and baristas, fellow shoppers beside us, the army of people who create what we buy and present it in-store as inspiring merchandise – all stories that connect people with an invisible twine of human connection.

Shops are far more than trade that fuels the economy. Whether you’re popping into the shop for a pint of milk or searching for the wedding dress of your dreams, shops contribute to the vibrancy, culture, and social fabric of our lives.

Shop Stories – Lucie’s story

To demonstrate the impact shops have on people and why shops matter, we turned to our team, asking for their shop stories and memories. Our first story is from our Business Development Manager, Lucie, who shares a touching shopping experience with her family when they visited Prestons in Leeds, Briggate.

After a period of being unwell, Lucie’s late father left each member of the family a watch. Lucie’s brother was to have his old watches and the girls were to buy a watch in his memory. They needed to find a jeweller to get these very special watches cleaned and resized and to buy the new ones.

Lucie, her mother, brother and aunt walked into Prestons, not looking forward to the experience but wanting to give the watches the attention they deserved so they could become the treasures Lucie’s father intended them to be.

Andrew was the retail assistant who served them that day. Moved by their story, he empathetically turned a difficult visit into a memorable time of togetherness for Lucie’s family.

There was no hint of rushing them. Instead, Andrew gathered them round, seated them comfortably and opened a bottle of Champagne for them. Lucie’s family stayed for hours sharing memories and stories of Lucie’s father with Andrew. In the end, a sombre event was turned into a memorable experience for each family member.

When they went back to collect the watches, Andrew made the experience even more significant, telling Lucie’s brother that the work done on the watch collection passed on from their father was to be free of charge and that they could come back to get them fixed or cleaned whenever they needed – an outstanding example of people-centred customer service.

Lucie describes Andrew as a “star employee” and that “he made such an impact on that day, something that will stay with us for the rest of our lives”. The family stayed in touch with Andrew and continued to visit Prestons whenever they were in Leeds.

This touching shop story illustrates the meaning of shops, reminding us that the buying and selling that takes place within them are more than a transaction — they are shared experiences, memories being made, and connections between people.