by Ruth Hayden |
November 19, 2022
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We haven't posted in ages so we would let you know what has been happening behind the scenes at the shop.
First and most excitingly, Eighteen Rabbit has been accepted as a member of BAFTS (British Association of Fair Trade Shops), which is fantastic news! We very much look forward to growing and learning from this network of Fair Trade shops and suppliers.
The shop itself has not changed- we continue to stock the many beautiful products sourced by Andrew and Louise. We hope to do whatever we can to support our suppliers. It is essential to us to keep the shop going and help Fair Trade as much as we possibly can in these times of uncertainty and climate upheaval.
Please keep a look out from now on, as we post more about our lovely products and the people who make them.-and their countries of origin.In future posts, I hope to bring you more information on various items and suppliers.
Our website is currently having a bit of a makeover with the help of Chris in Scotland (Thanks, Chris!); .Please be patient with us in the meantime. and if you have any queries, it is best to email me directly ;
ruth@eighteenrabbit.co.uk
And finally, Andrew and Louise popped into the shop on a flying visit to Hay on Wye -what a lovely surprise it was to see them.!Off to pastures new.; they are still very much missed here in Hay on Wye so
come and see us again guys!
Best wishes to you all until next time
Ruth
by Ruth Hayden |
November 19, 2022
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Now open on Sundays up to Christmas!
Monday 11am-4pm
Tuesday 11 am-4pm
Wednesday 11am-4pm if open (best to check)
Thursday 10am-4pm
Friday 11am-4pm
Saturday 10am-5pm
Sunday 12-3 pm
by Ruth Hayden |
July 09, 2022
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Back in stock, lovely colourful bottle top earrings .made by Bertha Lekgothle from Chaneng province in South Africa. All the old favourites plus some pretty new ones. Helping to clean up the village one bottle top at a time!
by Ruth Hayden |
July 24, 2021
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Hello from Ruth, Szilvia and Layla!
For those of you who read the previous blog, we are the incredibly privileged staff who were gifted Eighteen Rabbit by previous owners Andrew Williams and Louise Davies in a rare and awesomely generous gesture. To say we are lost for words doesn't actually describe our excitement and gratitude (although it does explain why I have taken so long to write this!)
One of our main aims in taking on this new and uncharted venture is to Pay it Forward and in doing so to help support and promote Fair Trade principles and raise awareness about our suppliers, their stories,countries and way of life. I also think it's important to keep Fair trade going in terms of selling beautiful items gifts and homewares in a physical shop, to keep another shop open on the street in Hay on Wye and also I hope it is a fitting gesture of gratitude to Andrew and Louise who are happily not so very far away and can be relied upon for genuinely good advice!!
To Andrew and Louise and all our customers, quite simply,Thank you!
We aim to keep Eighteen Rabbit as beautiful as it was with Andrew and Louise-as customers your input and suggestions are very important to us so if there are any particular products which interest you or you would like to see back in stock please let us know.
We hope to see you soon in Hay on Wye.
by Andrew Williams |
June 29, 2021
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We have some big news to share with you! And while it's tinged with sadness, we hope you'll agree it's also a positive step. Read on to find out more...
In early 2021, Eighteen Rabbit co-founders Louise Davies and Andrew Williams faced an uncomfortable decision. Having been closed for much of the previous year due to Covid, their six-year lease was coming to an end. The situation was further complicated by the fact that neither Andrew nor Louise were working full-time in the shop. On a day-to-day basis the shop was run by three dedicated and reliable staff members, Ruth, Szilvia and Layla. Should they sign a new lease, or accept that they had reached the end of the road?
It was while thinking about the future of the three part-time staff that the germ of an idea began to emerge. Andrew and Louise no longer relied on the income from the shop. But the fair trade projects around the world had never needed more support. So why not simply give the shop to their staff?
What started as an off-the-cuff remark has become a reality. Led by new shop manager Ruth Hayden, the shop will continue to trade under the Eighteen Rabbit banner for the foreseeable future. Over the past four months, Andrew and Ruth have undertaken a comprehensive handover programme, with introductions to key suppliers, analysing buying patterns and looking at administrative elements such as payroll and banking. Ruth has signed a new lease with the landlord, and as of 6th July, the shop will be hers.
Co-founder Andrew Williams commented, “This might seem on the face of it to be a bit mad. We had the shop commercially valued a couple of years ago and the figure quoted was £65k, although of course Covid has changed the retail landscape. It seemed a great fit for us though – and very much in keeping with the ethical ethos we have had along with the shop.”
Eighteen Rabbit co-founder Louise Davies added, “The main priority for us was ensuring that we could continue to support the incredible fair trade projects around the world. Our customers love the products and knowing they will still have an opportunity to buy them in Hay is fantastic news.”
New shop manager, and now owner, Ruth Hayden said, “I am really excited about this new chapter for Eighteen Rabbit! It has been a steep learning curve, but I'm committed to continuing and developing this meaningful and important retail business. I am really looking forward to seeing everyone during what we hope will be a busy summer in Hay.”
