Member Article

Enterprising mothers open boutique children's shop in Tynemouth

Two schoolyard friends have put their heads together to launch Tribe - a boutique children’s shop in the centre of Tynemouth village.

Combining their joint passion for quality children’s clothing, Julie Marsh and Vicki Turner are embarking on their new business venture with support through North Tyneside Council’s Business Factory.

The ambitious duo, who are both mothers, have brought their dedicated kids’ clothes and gift shop to Percy Park Road, joining a growing mix of small independent retailers in the village centre.

Catering for newborn up to 10/11 year olds, Tribe has already secured listings with UK and European-based designers who wave the flag for unisex clothing with appeals to boys and girls alike.

With a range of clothing that isn’t available anywhere else locally, the pair hope that people will be encouraged to choose to shop more in Tynemouth village centre, over larger online retailers.

Mother of two and co-founder, Julie Marsh said: “The Tribe philosophy is quality, stylish, fit for purpose clothing which stands out from the crowd and lets children enjoy themselves.

“We’ve gone for a lot of unisex designs, as it’s frustrating to see boys and girls fashion differentiated at such a young age, so we have set out to create collections with mixed appeal and have been able to attract talented designers who share our vision and join our Tribe!”

Tribe was supported through North Tyneside Council’s Business Factory programme which worked with the pair to ensure that their business plan was robust enough and offered support in areas which the pair lacked experience.

Also a mother of two and co-founder Vicki Turner added : “The Business Factory has been a huge source of support for us and without a doubt has saved us from some of the inevitable headaches of starting out in business.

“We are both new to retail so having a business adviser like Tracey who is well versed in setting up and operating in this sector has been a huge help and has saved us from a lot of pitfalls and wasted hours; I would recommend anyone, even just thinking about setting up in business in North Tyneside, should make The Business Factory their first port of call.”

The Business Factory is delivered through TEDCO Business Support which offers a range of start-up and business growth advice.