A new local entrepreneur hub has opened on Aylesbury Street in Fenny Stratford.
The hub is half shop, half workshop space and houses 27 small businesses from the local area. Local businesses currently showcased in the store include Bougie Lab, The Fat Mallow Co, Mamafillie, Ada’s Natural Dog Treats, Sweet Gestures, Fabbi and Just Luv It – to name just a few.
A unique feature of this retail shop is that it combines business coaching with a brick-and-mortar shopping experience. In addition, the shop is backed by an app that appeared on Dragons’ Den in February 2023. Founded around four years ago by Ashley and Max in Manchester, SHOCAL lets residents order online from independent retailers in their area through an app and a website, and have the goods delivered to their home. Milton Keynes is the latest city to join Coventry, Liverpool, Birmingham, Canterbury and Manchester.
Like Deliveroo and Just Eat, SHOCAL provides an online store on the app for local restaurants, high street shops, events, and startups, with affordable commission levels and supported local drivers. It is easy to join as a vendor with no registration fees: https://www.shocal.org/
Launching just in time for Christmas, SHOCAL will serve as a stepping stone for new local retailers. Entrepreneurs can test their products, earn revenue, and earn support from Incubation Nation CIC's support and low-cost space within the store. In addition to online sales, a pre-order delivery service is available even when the store is closed, and there’s a choice of delivery slots.
Since 2020, Milton Keynes City Council has partnered with Incubation Nation to deliver Business Bootcamps covering topics such as social media marketing, cashflow forecasting, and concept validation. Incubation Nation Founder Samantha Poole, who also owns an advertising agency and a local magazine, is behind this new shop and SHOCAL facility. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to test the concept on a high street in a regeneration area.
Samantha commented: "After co-founding the Love Local Hubs in Milton Keynes and Watford, Aylesbury Street is a very different experience. But it is where my brother opened his tattoo studio in 2011 and it is still going strong today. While some days can be quite challenging with limited footfall, the local community has welcomed us and the feedback has been wonderful! As part of that community, we look forward to activating the workshop area and supporting local businesses in their transition from the kitchen table to retail shops on our high streets.”
SHOCAL is located at 48 Aylesbury Street, Fenny Stratford (next to Kutchenhaus). You can follow updates on their Facebook page, "Shocal Milton Keynes." They are open Wednesday through Saturday from 11am to 5pm, and they also hold events from time to time.