WOKINGHAM’S newest retailer has opened 18 months early because such a good shop became available.
Former interpreter and translator Bruna Marcondes, 35, and her partner Dan Rolph, 42, had planned to open their home decor and gift shop – Round Corners – at the end of next year.
But once a property agent found them the empty shop at 10 Peach Street, they were certain it was the unit for them and radically changed their plans.
The couple are due to get married on July 24 and had no plans to open the shop beforehand. But Miss Marcondes, who moved to Britain from Brazil 16 years ago, admits she fell in love with Wokingham and the Peach Street unit.
Mr Rolph, an accountant with Boehringer Ingelheim in Bracknell, had Holme Grange craft village in mind as a premises but the couple did not want to wait once they saw the Peach Street shop.
Miss Marcondes said: “The estate agent gave me a call and said ‘I’ve got the perfect shop for you’. We saw this and it was really what we are looking for. Once we saw it we just said ‘this is it’.
“I’ve got a daughter at the Holt School and we live locally so my daughter can walk here.”
Later Miss Marcondes hopes she can use space upstairs for craft workshops.
The shop is one of a number of premises due to make way for regeneration but Miss Marcondes hopes it will have made its mark by then and stay local when redevelopment work starts.
Round Corners sells ethically-sourced furniture, home accessories and gift items, including many Fairtrade products.
Miss Marcondes says the reaction since the shop opened last Tuesday has been encouraging.
“We’ve been receiving great feedback,” she said.
The store is open from 9.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Saturday.
Visit www.roundcorners.co.uk
