Hartlepoool family plant business celebrates opening of new town centre shop as lockdown lifts

Plantopia, which sells indoor plants and accessories, celebrated their first day in new premises on York Road in the middle of Hartlepool town centre on the day businesses were allowed to open again after more than three months of lockdown.

Run by mum and daughter team Linda and Emily Vaughan, they moved from the Park View Industrial Estate where they opened their first shop last July.

Their first day in their new location went well and they are looking forward to a positive future.

Emily said: “It’s been really good. We’ve had loads of people come down and walking past who have said they are going to pop in at the weekend.

"Everyone is saying they love the new shop and style as well.”

Despite the impact of lockdown on the high street and many businesses, Emily said they have benefited from people being at home more.

They have been busy delivering all over the North East thanks to online orders during the enforced closure of shops.

Emily added: "We’ve been pretty lucky because people are spending more time in their homes and are filling it with plants and redecorating.

"It has been really busy in the town centre with shops opening back up and with things like the free car parking hopefully that continues.”

The new shop was previously a newsagents and Linda and Emily jumped at the chance to move to the town centre.

"It was ideal for us,” said Emily.

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