About Us
As an independent boutique gift shop owner, I can talk about my gorgeous shop for hours. I can talk about our amazing customers, the funny anecdotes they share, our suppliers, the industry and how it is trying to be more sustainable. I can tell you why the high street will never actually die and may see a resurgence in coming years, no matter how much online shopping is done. Unfortunately, no one wants to listen to that, do they?!
When asked to describe White Orchard the only words I can think of are this, ‘it’s a gorgeous little shop tucked away on a cobbled street in the heart of Shrewsbury in a stunning Tudor building from the 1450s and it’s full of all my favourite things: jewellery, handbags, leather purses and wallets, scarves, gloves, and other accessories for women and men, along with gifts for just about anyone and any occasion you can think of. Oh! And don’t even get me started on our selection of cards! They are amazing! Plus, we offer a brilliant selection of gift wraps, gifts bags, and all the other little surprises you’ll find tucked in the nooks and crannies of our little shop.’ Most people who visit us for the first time describe White Orchard as an Aladdin’s Cave meant to be explored in a leisurely, meandering fashion to ensure you don’t miss anything. I have a visceral reaction every time I hear that; it tells me we are doing exactly what we set out to do when we took over White Orchard at the beginning of 2019.
As a business that has been operating in the same location since September 2011, I’m sure you can imagine that we’ve been through some transitions in recent years as we try to react to the changing demands of our customers, ensuring we are always offering what they are looking for. That’s why we now have such a large collection of blank greeting cards. We recognized there was a gap in the local market after losing a large high street chain during the pandemic, so we stepped in to help fill that gap for the people of Shrewsbury and all who come to visit us. As part of that work, we have also added sheets of gift wrap, an extensive collection of gift bags, gift tags, and ribbons. We even have gift boxes available for the jewellery pieces you purchase as gifts.
This year, we introduced our Milestone Moments Gift Gallery. This is a section in the shop where you can find gifts for all those special milestone moments we all hope to live long enough to celebrate. We have an ever-growing, beautiful collection of gifts for baby showers, christenings, and other new baby related gifts. It’s become one of my favourite departments to stock! We have gifts for those special birthdays: 16, 18, & 21, as well as many other gifts for birthdays of all ages. We have sentimental gifts for your loved ones and those special moments in life. We have a collection of gifts for engagements, weddings, and anniversaries, which seems to be getting better every year as our partners create new and wonderful lines. We have gifts for graduation, retirement, pet lovers, new home purchases, and the loss of a loved one. Plus, we have an amazing selection of blank greeting cards to choose from to pair with any one of our gifts.
Our goal was to become the premier gift shop in Shrewsbury Town Centre, offering everything from the greeting card, the gift, and the packaging you need to give to the person you lovingly bought it for, and I feel like we have achieved that. Every day, our customers grow increasingly confident in being able to find exactly what they are looking for, and they bring friends, family, and work colleagues with them every chance they get so they can introduce them to the shop that helps them meet all their fashion accessories and gifting needs. It’s a wonderful feeling knowing that we not only met that goal, but knowing our customers see real value in the service we provide to the community is the best feeling of all.
Now, if you’re still wondering what the fuss is all about, then I invite you to come visit us in person. We are in the heart of Shrewsbury Town Centre, only a short distance on foot from the train station or nearby car parks. We also have fantastic, upgraded park & ride services for the town centre which I highly recommend. When you come to see us in person you can browse through all our ranges instead of just the select ones we are able to put online. You also get to experience the warm, friendly atmosphere we try to create for everyone and if you bring your dog(s) then we will happily provide treats, belly rubs, and ear and head scratchies. Plus, you can always find a water bowl outside the front door for our furry friends.
We hope to see you soon!