Small Business Saturday Blog
How taking matters into her own hands led to huge success for Revival Retro
Saturday, June 08, 2019 at 23:43
A passion for retro events plus frustration at not being able to find the right clothes and shoes to compliment this look led to Rowena Howie opening Revival Retro boutique in 2011.
Since its opening as both a gorgeous store in the heart of London and an online boutique, Revival Retro has gone from strength to strength, thanks to its beautiful design, bespoke variety of clothing and shoes, impeccable customer service, and offering a definite point of difference in the market place. Rowena has found her business has also received a great boost from being an ambassador for the Small Business Saturday campaign and being included in the Amex Shop Small offer for a number of years now.
“One of my qualms was how to find a stunning retro outfit that looks great, has a definite 30s/40s style, but won’t fall apart when you wear it or try to clean it?” explains Rowena Howie. “Why was all gorgeous vintage clothing too small for me? How do I avoid yet another unsuccessful foray into moth-balled cupboards, sifting through endless eighties sequined jumpsuits labelled as ‘vintage’? This is why I decided to take matters into my own hands.”
And what hands! Not only has Revival Retro stacked up awards since its incarnation seven years ago, but it has built a huge digital presence and following all around the world, and currently has nearly 33k followers on Instagram.
Rowena herself is prolific in banging the drum for small business owners and is a huge part of the Soho community, supporting fellow business owners and being at the forefront of issues impacting small business owners in the area and nationwide. Before opening her boutique, she did a lot of research about the viability of opening a brick and mortar store in one of the most expensive cities in the world.
“From the very beginning I used workshops at the British Library to further my knowledge about running my own business. Long before I ever opened the bricks and mortar store, I was examining the viability, profitability and likelihood of scale for the venture. I started the business because I was thirty-something and couldn’t envisage ever owning my own home on the salary I was earning. The drive for me to learn and grow was fundamental to commercial success of the business, helping me achieve my personal goals.”
The award-winning team at Revival Retro’s success lies in not only offering a beautiful range of clothing, footwear and accessories but being passionate about helping women feel good, and they do this by offering second-to-none customer service and really listening to and understanding their customers' needs.
“There is nothing worse and soul destroying that being shoehorned into an outfit that you feel hideous in – we’ve all been there! We want our customers to love our clothes as I believe there is the perfect outfit here for every woman, and we pride ourselves on our knowledge and expertise to find it and leave our customers feeling wonderful. Clothes are such a powerful thing used well.”
Rowena continues to be an ambassador for this year’s Small Business Saturday UK campaign, and an AMEX Shop Small Merchant, and will be sharing her success story, insight and experience with fellow business owners in the lead up and inspiring like-minded business owners all over the UK. Watch this space!
Click here to visit the Revival Retro online store, and click here to find out more about the Amex Shop Small campaign.
Categories:
- Inspire Series (1)
- Monday Seller Success With Ebay (8)
- Small Biz 100 (1)
- Small Business Saturday Uk Champion (2)
- Smallbiz100 (8)
Latest Posts:
- Spice up your life5 Weeks Ago
- The cycle continues11 Weeks Ago
- Why apply to be a #SmallBiz100 2024?6 Months Ago
- Saying cheese in Prestatyn13 Months Ago
- Hitting the sweet spot in Bucks and Oxon13 Months Ago
- Telford’s Lean Green Eco Machine13 Months Ago
- We all scream for ice cream13 Months Ago
- #SmallBiz100 Joco returns to its roots13 Months Ago
- Coming in from the cold in central London13 Months Ago
- Bitten by the bug in East Sussex13 Months Ago
- Still rocking in Southend on Sea14 Months Ago
- Nobody's fool14 Months Ago
- 16 years of love in Ipswich14 Months Ago
- Small businesses celebrated at the Blue Tie Ball14 Months Ago
- Why apply to be a #SmallBiz100 2023?19 Months Ago
- Zero to hero in Nottingham2 Years Ago
- Monday Seller Success with eBay: That Vintage Football Shirt2 Years Ago
- Rock on in Southend on Sea2 Years Ago
- Monday Seller Success with eBay: Purrfect Cat Gifts2 Years Ago
- One love, one heart on Ipswich’s high street2 Years Ago
- Monday Seller Success with eBay: Hampers by Lauren2 Years Ago
- Good graces in Bristol and Bath2 Years Ago
- Monday Seller Success with eBay: Top Dog2 Years Ago
- Weigh to go in Northwich2 Years Ago
- Monday Seller Success with eBay: Handpicked Penrith2 Years Ago
- Holy cow in Westmorland2 Years Ago
- Monday Seller Success with eBay: The game is afoot2 Years Ago
- All fired up and ready to go in Gerrards Cross2 Years Ago
- Monday Seller Success with eBay: Meteorite Man2 Years Ago
- Dorset's Ice Cream Appreciation Society2 Years Ago
- Monday Seller Success Story with eBay: Giddy Goats Toys2 Years Ago
- SmallBiz100 celebrated at the Blue Tie Event2 Years Ago
- Why apply to be a #SmallBiz100 2022?2 Years Ago
- From field to fork – making the most of Cheshire’s local produce3 Years Ago
- Sustainable living with BLANC3 Years Ago
- Pizza power3 Years Ago
- In the good books3 Years Ago
- From babygrows to beer kits3 Years Ago
- Smile and say cheese3 Years Ago
- The perfect planner for when you didn’t plan for this3 Years Ago
- Why apply to be a #SmallBiz100 2021?3 Years Ago
- Feeling lighter than air at The Float Spa4 Years Ago
- At the cutting edge of local community4 Years Ago
- Sewing the seeds of success in Scotland4 Years Ago
- Joco's leap of faith pays off4 Years Ago
- No messing around! How Tom Foolery Coffee Company pivoted during the pandemic4 Years Ago
- How Mandira’s Kitchen has its eye on spicing up your freezer4 Years Ago
- Wild about keeping it local and healthy in Bristol4 Years Ago
- Award winning small business announced at Blue Tie celebration4 Years Ago
- Free leadership training for SME leaders delivered by leading Business Schools4 Years Ago
- Six things you can do in your business right now4 Years Ago
- How can my employees return to work safely and legally after Covid-19?4 Years Ago
- What is it really like being a #SmallBiz100? – Stamptastic spill the beans4 Years Ago
- Why apply to be a #SmallBiz100 2020?4 Years Ago
- Why embracing technology should be your New Year resolution4 Years Ago
- Starting a new business: financial tips for start ups5 Years Ago
- A helpful guide to data protection for small businesses5 Years Ago
- From architect to artisan at the Dumfries Larder5 Years Ago
- Putting down new Roots in Abergele5 Years Ago
- How Amazon is helping one woman tackle taboos and period poverty5 Years Ago
- Creating a community: What it means to be a small business5 Years Ago
- Building an enabling bridge, brick by brick5 Years Ago
- Get ready to rock with Rockit5 Years Ago
- How to create an event for Small Business Saturday UK5 Years Ago
- Jampacked with passion: the local cinema that’s giving back5 Years Ago
- Celebrating the North East’s cycle stars5 Years Ago
- Don’t know what to write about? 9 ideas for your next business newsletter, blog or social media post5 Years Ago
- Take a butcher’s at the first of the #SmallBiz100 20195 Years Ago
- 7 essential growth tips that small businesses need to know5 Years Ago
- Making a great first impression: photography & small business5 Years Ago
- Strength in numbers5 Years Ago
- How to choose the right pricing strategy for your business5 Years Ago
- How taking matters into her own hands led to huge success for Revival Retro5 Years Ago
- 5 content ideas every small business needs5 Years Ago
- The Flour Pot Bakery's secret to success5 Years Ago
- How to harness the power of Instagram and drive your business forward - the GB Labels way5 Years Ago
- Making Tax Digital is here! What does it mean for your business?5 Years Ago
- How we should champion success for International Women's Day5 Years Ago
- Step aside Mystery Shopper scheme - hello new Public Procurement Review Service!5 Years Ago
- The top three causes of entrepreneur burnout and how to avoid it5 Years Ago
- Get a great digital ad for your business for just £50, and help tomorrow’s entrepreneurs learn with iDEA!5 Years Ago
- Badge Your Brilliance with iDEA5 Years Ago
- How to make your Christmas the most successful yet!6 Years Ago
- Life in the fast Laine6 Years Ago
- Small businesses shine at launch of Silver iDEA Award St James's Palace6 Years Ago
- Local and sustainable is winning formula for SmallBiz100 Hays Hampers6 Years Ago
- Red Herring Games – Case Study6 Years Ago
- Keeping Up With The Tylers: How To Move With The Times6 Years Ago
- Making our own kind of music at the Blue Tie Ball6 Years Ago
- How to guest blog (and look like you know what you’re doing)6 Years Ago
- How to market your small business on a budget6 Years Ago
- Top summer marketing tips!6 Years Ago
- Purposely: embedding purpose into the heart of your small business6 Years Ago
- A ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ for Britain’s small businesses6 Years Ago
- Five ways to make your business successful in five years!6 Years Ago
- SmallBiz100 Mooch revive the local high street6 Years Ago
- Why apply to be a SmallBiz100 2018?6 Years Ago
- SmallBiz100 Julu on design, manufacturing, and building an online business with friends6 Years Ago
- Small Business Champion Series From Rich Brady ... Setting Business Goals6 Years Ago
- SmallBiz100 Techsixtyfour on how to successfully build an online business6 Years Ago
- SmallBiz100 Frequently Asked Questions6 Years Ago
- Small Business Champion Series from Rich Brady...Putting the Family into Family Business6 Years Ago
- Exporting - not just for the big!6 Years Ago
- Can Giving Really Be Good for a Small Business? Spoiler: Yes!6 Years Ago
- Let's get organised....6 Years Ago
- Is your business leaking money?6 Years Ago
- Podcasting - The Ultimate How-To Guide - Part 26 Years Ago
- Setting BIG goals – why do it and how to go about it6 Years Ago
- International Women's Day 20186 Years Ago
- 9 tips for Business Success - it's all about love.6 Years Ago
- Demystifying LinkedIn for Small Businesses6 Years Ago
- 10 Top Money Tips for Small Businesses6 Years Ago
- Organising a Small Business Event - Tips from the Experts6 Years Ago
- 12 Top Tips for Micro-businesses6 Years Ago
- ACCA on board the Small Business Saturday Bus Tour7 Years Ago
- Is Britain Becoming a Cashless Society?7 Years Ago
- Small Business Spotlight - How Technology Can Help Small Businesses7 Years Ago
- Taking Your Business Beyond the High Street7 Years Ago
- 5 Ideas to Improve your Time Management7 Years Ago
- The Small Business Saturday Bus Tour launches across the UK for its fifth year!7 Years Ago
- Making the most of Small Business Saturday8 Years Ago
- Why I applied to Small Biz 100: Crafty Revolution tells all9 Years Ago