As soon as Map Gift Shop opened in Archway 25 years ago, it was dismissed. “You won’t last,” one bloke told owners Kathryn Phalp and Ian Morris. Welcome to N19!
A quarter of a century on, it has not only survived but is as successful as ever.
The shop, in Junction Road, sells everything from ceramics to jewellery, and buys stock from local designers and artists.
Ian says: “We describe our shop as a community hub. I believe the reason for our success is being part of the community. We know what’s going on because we chat to our customers.
“I think that’s very important to be able to succeed in today’s climate. It’s as much about that as our range of gifts and stock, which we constantly change.”
Ahead of the shop’s 25 anniversary next month, Ian adds: “Archway has changed. People are more accepting of what we do in terms of design and things we sell in the shop. People say about Archway: ‘It’s such a great place.’ I never used to hear that.”
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