We visited the new pop-up shop in Spindles which promises locally sourced products in a quirky, Instagrammable, setting.
Chris Todd, who manages the shop, said: “Oldham Made is the celebration of independent businesses – artists, creators, designers, entrepreneurs.
“We’re here for the month of March – you can find us in Spindles just off High Street by Vodafone and across from Boots.
“Pop along and see us – we’re here for the full month.”
The pop-up sells a range of goods from local businesses, including clothing, gifts, candles, and even locally brewed beer.
Open until March 31, the venture is a collaboration between Oldham Council and local independent businesses.
J C Perry is an Oldham-born children’s author and full-time animator now living in Delph.
Her books are on sale in the store – and customers can even get £1 off with a World Book Day token tomorrow (March 3).
She said: “I work full time – the children’s books are something I fit in around my children and my job.
“[Oldham Made] is a lovely way to get more exposure for what we do.
"I’m self-published – so, you know, I don’t have a big publisher behind me – I do all my own marketing, which is hard to fit in when you’ve got a full-time job – I’m really grateful for the opportunity to get seen.”
The shop has been funded by the Welcome Back Fund – a pot of money set up by the EU’s European Regional Development Fund and the UK Government to help areas across England recover from the economic effects of the pandemic.
Diane Barlow runs ‘Gifts under a Tenner’ – one of the local businesses with products on offer in the shop.
She said: “I was approached a couple of weeks back and asked if I wanted to take part.
“I’m an Oldhamer through-and-through and I thought yeah – let’s support a good cause.
“Coming off the pandemic, sales have been hit-and-miss, to be honest – some good days, some bad days. You just take it as you find it.”
The Oldham Made shop is open until the end of March, Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm. You can find it in Spindles Shopping Centre, next to the Three store.
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