Press Release - Suffolk Socks go 'Bricks and Mortar' and set up Shop at Westerfield Business Centre

On-line retailer Suffolk Socks have been in business for over 6 years, operating their niche Sock Wool retail business from home. The business is run by Julie and Jon Walters. They are originally from Northumberland but moved to Suffolk over 30 years ago. Julie is the buying and marketing specialist (she used to own and run Spare Moments on Northgate Street in Ipswich) and Jon is an eCommerce retail consultant who looks after the SuffolkSocks.com web site.

Suffolk Socks offers a full range of sock yarn from popular commercial brands such Opal, West Yorkshire Spinners, ZigZig, Mondim through to independent dyers like Life in the Long Grass. They also sell all the accessories - needles, stitch markers, sock blockers, patterns, knitting bags etc, required to knit socks, shawls, hats gloves and blankets.

For the last two years they have been looking for a physical presence for the business but the COVID pandemic delayed their plans. With the easing of restrictions in early 2021, the search began again. After looking at a number of premises in and around Ipswich, Julie found "The Studio" at Westerfield Business Centre which had recently become available after beauty therapists "Eden Beauty" expanded into their larger premises at Laurel Farm.

"The Studio is ideal for Suffolk Sock's first 'Bricks and Mortar' location, as it provides a lovely cottage craft studio feel, it is easily accessible from Ipswich and the rest of Suffolk and has plenty of customer parking. We really like it here and the staff at the business centre are very helpful and friendly. It also allows us to expand the range of knitting and needlecraft products for our worldwide online customer base"  says Julie.

The studio allows customers to "touch and feel" the full range of yarns. Julie will also be holding knit clubs and sock lessons from the studio which is known as the Suffolk Socks Craft Cottage.

The Craft Cottage enables the firm to provide a "Click and Collect" service for local online customers to pick up their orders, saving on postage.

The Craft Cottage opened on May 1st 2021 and has attracted a good number of visiting customers from as far afield as Norfolk and Cambridge, plus a couple of customers out for a walk in the surrounding countryside!

When not selling wool, Jon & Julie also provide child care for their grandchildren so the studio opening hours can vary, but as Julie says "if the sign is out then we are open!".

For directions and up to date opening hours customer can check their status on google.