AUGUST 2018
Megan secured a collaboration with a major retailer and the first Curated Makers Made Local Pop-Up launched at Debenhams in Manchester. Having started on the 3rd floor near the cafe and the toilets, Megan negotiated her way to a spot on the ground floor near the window and Myro Doodles created their accompanying first ever High-Street window doodle display. Made Local Pop-Ups within M&S, Paperchase, Bents Garden Center, World of Wedgwood and Next followed over the next 3 years.
APRIL 2019
Megan’s partner, Tom designed and built the first Curated Makers custom fixtures in their garden. When using his skills as a joiner to create something to help Megan, little did Tom know him and his fixtures would soon become a major part of the Curated Makers offering, aesthetic and experience.
OCTOBER 2019
Megan won the 'Creative Industries Entrepreneur of the Year' award at the NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Awards, rewarding her hard work and confirming the Curated Makers retail concept was a winner.
NOVEMBER 2019
The partnership with John Lewis was established with the first Curated Makers Pop-Up launching at their Chester store. Since that first event, we’ve popped up with them all across the UK within stores in Liverpool, Cheadle, Trafford Center, Sheffield, Oxford Street, Cribbs Causeway Bristol, Bluewater Kent, Solihull, Cardiff and Glasgow.
MAY 2020
After taking on a 1000 sq ft unit, Curated Makers wouldn’t be stopped by a pandemic so the ‘Postable Pop-Up’ was developed, which saw 250 makers joining in with a virtual pop-up shop from their homes! When restrictions were lifted in December 2020 and we were allowed to trade in person, we launched 4 pop-ups on the same day which was a giant feat but it proved that anything was possible.
JANUARY 2021
Curated Makers was awarded an Innovate UK, Young Innovators grant and business support. This government backing was the boost we needed to get to the next stage and allowed us to invest in equipment and grow our team to help expand the business.
AUGUST & OCTOBER 2021
Our first stand alone, in-line shops were launched in Meadowhall Sheffield and Trinity Leeds and soon after we won the 'Gift Retailer of the Year' at the Meadowhall awards. Having our name above the door of our own shops was a pivotal moment for the future of the business.
FEBRUARY 2022
The growth of Curated Makers was fuelled by Innovate UK and KTN backing via the 2022 Follow-on-Fund. We became a core team of 5 and have since provided income opportunities for a further 70+ freelancers who’ve joined our shop floor teams and have since provided transient income opportunities for over 100 more people who’ve worked as part of our shop floor teams across the country.
MAY 2022
Following testing inside John Lewis during Christmas 2021, Curated Makers Markets were launched with a regular market at the heart of Trinity Leeds shopping centre. Using our design capabilities we created bespoke handcrafted market stalls which meant there wasn’t a trestle table or tablecloth in sight and these are not your average craft fairs.
OCTOBER 2022
We were invited to launch a Curated Makers store in Battersea Power Station as part of their incredible development and re-opening, with our shop proudly sitting in Turbine Hall B alongside high-end shops, stylish restaurants and the one-of-a-kind Control Room B bar. The same month we launched 4 other Pop-Ups around the UK, which brought us to a total of 7 shops and concessions up and running at the same time during a peak trading period.
JULY 2023
Forming a partnership with McArthurGlen, we opened a store at their Designer Outlet in Swindon, testing if our curation of regionally-created gifts would appeal to fashion-loving discount shoppers. Furthering the relationship, another store opens at the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet in York in November 2023.
AUGUST 2023
In recognition of our store in Battersea Power Station, we were invited to start building a really exciting new bridge between big and small businesses, partnering with another passionate, creative, values-driven business; Battersea Arts Centre, thanks to the support of Today at Apple! Nine emerging creatives from the local area and surrounding boroughs were invited to create an expression of the power station using Apple devices and we then sold these artworks as prints and postcards in our store. An exhibition featuring the nine artworks was also launched outside the Apple Store in Battersea Power Station.
OCTOBER 2023
We started our exciting new journey with Network Rail, with the first Curated Makers store inside a train station opening at London Bridge. We rose to the challenges of station security, access and logistics in order to bring soulful shopping to Britain's railways.
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NOVEMBER 2017
Megan launched Curated Makers at a market, selling the work of 4 makers on 1 stall, which was a great success! However a low commission charge meant Megan lost money, despite selling out of lines, so she went back to the drawing board as soon as she arrived home. At the same time as launching her new retail concept, Megan started an enterprise course with The Princes Trust.
2024 AND BEYOND
We hope to optimise and expand further, popping-up in more cities across the UK, changing the retail landscape and providing more opportunities for small businesses’ products to be seen and shopped.
Acting as a bridge between big and small businesses, we celebrate and support local makers by transforming empty retail spaces into unmissable shopping experiences.
ABOUT US
Curated Makers began at a market back in November 2017 when founder Megan Jones curated a selection of products from 4 local makers together on one stall. We have now developed into an award-winning, pop-up retail business that’s devoted to connecting UK shoppers with makers, artists and designers from their region.
From our stand-alone branded stores, as well as concessions within major high-street retailers and our very own markets, we are popping-up across the UK championing more local makers, revitalising more high-streets and helping more people discover beautiful, one-of-a-kind, high quality items produced by local creatives.
MEET THE FOUNDERS
MEGAN
Founder & CEO
Megan is the founder, visionary and unstoppable force behind Curated Makers. She does the big picture thinking, establishes long term strategies and short term goals, manages the HQ team, develops our current partnerships, negotiates deals, explores opportunities plus everything else involved with running a business.
TOM
Co-Founder & Design Director
Tom is the co-founder of Curated Makers and an experienced joiner who makes our shops look as good as they do. He plans our store layouts and can easily adapt to spaces and their unique requirements whilst still maintaining the brands clear visual identity. He designs, builds and develops our fixtures, fittings and display props.
OUR MISSION
ADD SOUL TO SHOPPING
Bring character and independence to UK high streets by helping retailers and developers engage with and support their local creative community.
CHAMPION CREATIVITY
Provide makers, artists and designers with accessible retail platforms in prime locations that can help elevate and grow their small businesses.
MAKE IT SIMPLE TO SHOP SMALL
Provide in-person shopping experiences that showcase the magic of discovering unique, sustainable, locally made products.
OUR VALUES
OUR STORY
CONNECTION
Connection and collaboration are at the heart of what we do. We are matchmakers, building meaningful partnerships with big businesses in order to provide makers with prime retail opportunities where their products can connect with more shoppers. Every decision we make looks to lift up and benefit everyone involved.
EXCELLENCE
We’ve established a track record for creating premium shopping experiences through our focus on store location, store design, product curation, merchandising, maker management, stock handling and team training. We bring passion and enthusiasm to every aspect of our business and seek out partners and makers who do the same.
AMBITION
We are leaders, go-getters and change makers. We try new things, we challenge the norm and we’re not afraid to fail. We chase and create opportunities and work tenaciously to further our mission, encouraging and inspiring others to dream big with us along the way. We’ve only scratched the surface of what we want to achieve.
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