Sparks in Bristol has continued to succeed despite UK sales levels dropping to the lowest they have been since 2021.
A report from the Office for National Statistics revealed that retail sales dropped 1.1% in September and by 0.3% in October, but Sparks has gone against the curve.
Located on the shopping district of Broadmead in place of the old M&S, the store prides itself on sustainability and creativity.
Retail sales fell 0.3% in October 2023, following a fall of 1.1% in September.
— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) November 17, 2023
When we look more broadly, sales fell 1.1% in the three months to October when compared with the previous three months.
➡️ https://t.co/kdVkeib2AC pic.twitter.com/Lr0o9RIodG
According to a worker at The Ethical Gift Shop, “in the run up to Christmas, we have been getting busier and busier. Now that people know about Sparks, they keep coming back and expressing how much they love it”.
Lucy from ‘All The Good Things’, spoke about recent success at Sparks since opening up in October, claiming that sales are “good, it has been worthwhile being here and I have seen it continue to increase in the lead up to Christmas.”
She continued, “it is really important for people in Bristol to have a space like this and to think about what they are consuming and what they are buying and to be more connected to who they are buying from”.
However, Stokes Croft China popup shop admit that they have “definitely noticed a drop across the board [with] certainly less people booking Christmas events”.
Fears over local businesses going under have been heightened by Bristol City Council announcing that some arts organisations will have their funding cut.
Sparks has been funded independently by Artspace Lifespace, a registered charity organisation that recycles vacant properties into creative resources.
The independent department store opened earlier this year and will continue to function “until at least 2025” claims Kathryn Chiswell Jones, the company manager for Artspace Lifespace.
