Purple Pansy Home & Garden pop-up shop back in the Nicholsons Centre ahead of Christmas

A pop-up home and garden shop selling unique gifts and items has returned to Maidenhead’s Nicholsons Centre ahead of the Christmas festivities.

Purple Pansy Home & Garden has set up a temporary shop in the centre over the festive period for several years, selling a range of quirky and festive items.

With the Nicholsons re-development plans receiving conditional approval last week, this looks set to be the shop’s last Christmas in the centre.

But Mark Simeone, who runs the business with his wife Yvonne Smith, 51, said there may be an opportunity to temporarily take up a unit in the High Street next Christmas.

The business was established more than 10 years ago and started with the team attending local markets.

Following a sell-out period at the Maidenhead Christmas Lights Switch-On and various pop-ups in the town centre, the team took a permanent unit in the shopping centre, where they spent two years.

Since leaving the unit, Purple Pansy has been back in the centre each Christmas and has taken different units each time.

This year, the team has once again set up its pop-up shop in the former Card Zone unit, which they also took over last year.

Hundreds of customers, including a number of regulars, have been visiting the shop since it returned to the Nicholsons.

The shop features an array of items including Christmas lights, trees and decorations, candles, tempered glass artwork and animal-themed doorstops.

As part of the pop-up, the team is colloborating with Donna Rumball of Pillowtalkhome, who offers a range of home items and festive decorations. 

“The amount of customers that have been in since we’ve been open and said ‘it’s fantastic, you’re back’ [and have] either bought something, or they’re going to buy something.

“Because they get something unusual here as a gift,” Mark said.

The 64-year-old also emphasised the importance of making the items affordable for customers to purchase.

“I think it’s a tough year this year, and we’ve made a concerted effort to do the best prices we can do.”

In previous years, the pop-up has closed its doors in January, but this year, the team are looking to extend their stay until March.

Mark added: “Business has been tougher this year.

“I think January, February, March and April are going to be tough months.

“So, it makes sense to have the retail outlet, even if we’re open four or five days a week, its revenue coming in.

“Because our online business will probably go quiet after Christmas.”

He added: “I’ve been coming here a lot of years, and I know all the staff here well.

“Jane [Wright] the centre manager, every Christmas she sort of earmarks something for us because she knows we’re coming.

“It’s always nice to come back. There are so many customers that over the years, we’ve got to know.”

“We’ve got a whole range of really nice, quirky Christmas things, [and] garden things.”

The shop is open from 10.30am to 4pm seven days a week currently.

As it gets closer to Christmas, the shop will stay open until 5pm.