Feral & Funky. . . The Beginning

In June 2020, mid pandemic and youngest child Axll, in hospital after smashing his mouth to pieces, I got a text from my beloved. Letting me know that a shop on Warner Street Accrington was empty. And he had arranged for us to view it. Did not think anything of it at all. Being local I know how popular Warner Street is in Accrington, its the hidden gem of the town with shops such as Pure Perfection, JB Photography, Amelia’s Boutique. We viewed the property and made an offer the same day. That text was the beginning of me having a children’s store. Totally out of the blue, with no plans, no name and no stock. Just a national lockdown getting in my way.

The Shop

The shop had previously been a gift shop, very neutral décor. Neutral décor is the furthest thing away from me.

Out came the white paint and a barrage of ideas were soon swishing around my head. 2 weeks in to get getting the keys and ordering the wallpaper I received a lovely email letting me know that the wallpaper I had designed the whole shop around. Was not only out of stock. But also discontinued. Wahhhhhh!! Bad times. So with that I had my first business blunder. I don’t plan, I work better on impulse. Decided on a black and white animal print wallpaper.

From that point the shop started getting some of my personality. Little bits added here and there made it just perfect.

The Name

Deciding on a name was the hardest thing of all. I had so many ideas, so many suggestions. It the end it was between “Barn-Ickle” as our surname is Barnes, Arlo is obsessed with whales and barnacles. It just wasn’t giving me the feels though. Although I knew I wanted it within the business somewhere. Which is a whole new blog post. I settled of Feral & Funky Kids Co. I love animal print, my child is feral, they are always dressed funky. It just felt right. Its had a great response. There has been an odd snowflake on Facebook stating that its offensive, but there is always one isn’t there. Next up . . . Logo. Another struggle. Again I felt like I was being bombarded with suggestions. But nobody can see your own vision. I knew what I wanted. My eldest son Dylan invested a lot of time with me and we slowly put together the logo. Its been super handy having such a creative son. Not only that but I love that I have been able to keep everything within our family.

What Were We Going To Stock

I knew immediately that I wanted to stock Insta Brands. Ive been a keen small business shopper for quite some years now. The boys wear handmade clothes daily. I like them to stand out and be different. I wanted an exclusive feel to the shop. From supporting these shops on social media I know first hand how the algorithm has impacted small shops in a negative way. I am totally passionate about the shops I have in store. They aren’t just medi orcre t-shirt designs found on software. These ladies go out of their way to stand out from the rest. Its an honour to support them by stocking their goodies in my shop. My shop is totally original down to the creativity of these fabulous people.

The Grand Opening

The grand opening? There hasn’t been one due to covid-19. Cheers virus. My first day open to the public was the 11th August 2020.I had so much support from family and friends. Lots of flowers and cards. 11 weeks on and i am still living my absolute dream. This website is the next piece to the puzzle. With that I am going to stop typing as I could go on forever and forever.

I hope you all know a little more about my shop now and enjoyed the read. There is going to be plenty more to read as the weeks go on. Be sure to follow my Facebook and Instagram pages for regular stock pictures.