On Saturday the 9th of March, Vegan and sustainable skincare brand, Wild & Wood, opened their new Pontefract store and were “completely amazed” to see hundreds of visitors wait in line for hours to have a first-look on the day.
It wasn’t just shoppers from the local community showing their support either, some of their customers travelled over three hours to check out the store on opening day, others visited as a family and some for birthday celebrations.
Aimee Bowers from Ackworth, Wakefield, was one of the first shoppers waiting in line on Saturday and said “I use all of their products for my skincare and was originally introduced to the brand through a friend.”
Aimee wasn’t the only one looking for her Wild & Wood fix, Gemma Hastings from Leeds made the trip over and commented; “My family are based in Leicester and are really jealous that they couldn’t be here today – especially my sister – but for me being able to come and support is something I’m really excited about. Having the shop will allow me the opportunity to try new scents and smells, which isn’t something you can do online.”
There’s no denying that the lasting effects of the pandemic caused struggle for many local businesses within the region, but Wild & Wood’s strong online presence has meant that their loyal community of customers, innovate world-class products and now their new workshop and store cements the business as one that is here to stay.
Just a few years ago Hollie and Lorna were standing at their kitchen sinks with their babies strapped to their backs whilst hand crafting bath milks. Fast forward to today and the Wild & Wood legacy couldn’t look much different for the pair, who now have a team of women working with them to hand craft each product.
The brand, whose sustainable concept has garnered the attention of many, including the likes of TV personality Stacey Solomon, have now surpassed over a million orders.
Speaking of the store opening Lorna said, “It’s just crazy, we can’t believe how far we’ve come. I was honestly worried that nobody would show to the opening of the new shop, so much so I couldn’t sleep the night before due to serious imposter syndrome and pre-opening nerves. So to see the long line of customers waiting outside was incredibly touching and pushed all my previous doubt away, because Wild & Wood really is a labour of love and days like today make it all worth it.”
Hollie added on the day of launch, “We knew that opening a store to this scale would be a lot of work, but we never lost sight of our why – which was to provide a space for our customers that felt intimate and inviting. Today has been crazy, it almost doesn’t feel real, it’s only affirmed that we are here for the long-haul and for that I am so proud.”
You can find the store on 45 Southgate, Pontefract, WF8 1IN.
