A married couple has launched a new business selling local brands from across the UK out of their Trowbridge home.
Tommy and Brittany Toner launched The Local, selling gift boxes and individual products sourced from local businesses across the country to a national customer base.
The couple, and parents of two, launched the business in mid-November, as a way of giving a voice to local craftsmanship, supporting small producers and to connect people with authentic regional culture.
The business offers customers the chance to buy from a range of gift boxes made up of luxury products selected for their quality, story, and sense of place. They then prepares the gift box before sending it to customers, usually with next-day delivery.
What the brand hopes to do differently from other gifting brands is make sure that the independent makers are given a voice and a chance to tell their story.
Since the business officially launched last week, Tommy says, it has been a "whirlwind" as they prepare to ramp up for a busy Christmas period.
Speaking with this paper, Tommy said: "It's been really good. We've had a huge support from friends and family and the local community, which has been great.
"What's been encouraging is the amount of people on social media and sharing words of encouragement."
Both Tommy and Brittany bring a wealth of experience in design and marketing. Tommy has a long history of entrepreneurship, beginning at age 15 when he tried to launch a T-shirt business from his home in Trowbridge.
Most recently, he co-founded a broadband provider that was eventually sold to Octopus.
Brittany, meanwhile, has a background in tech and marketing, having been a client director in the tech world, specialising in the automotive industry.
The couple decided to launch The Local after noticing that many local brands behind quality products did not have the resources to reach a suitably large audience.
A married couple has launched a new business selling local brands from across the UK out of their Trowbridge home. (Image: Contributed)
As they were setting up the business, the couple scoured the country, finding luxury products and speaking with the people behind them.
The couple has since developed strong personal and commercial relationships with their suppliers, and tells each story in depth on the website.
Tommy explained: "We've been over the last few years noticing there are some incredibly British brands all over the country.
"We've been finding these brands in farm shops, but not having central place online, so when we started chatting to them directly of how they came about.
"Each gift box has got a selection of products from up and down the country. From cider makers in Cider to biscuit makers in Scotland. They're put together with the aim of people gifting to friends, loved ones, and brands to give to clients."
What The Local aims to do, Tommy says, is become a retail hub for local brands to launch to from a local to a national stage.
Tommy: "It goes without saying, we'd love it to become a national platform giving a voice to independent brands that would not usually get discovered on a national platform.
"What we're seeing up and down the country with the death of the high street, is that since covid and move to online, it's been really difficult for small independent brands to succeed. It's a country of innovators deep down, and we want to give these people a voice.
"It seems to resonate with people. There isn't anyone doing what we are, and so far the feedback has been really positive. It's going to be an exciting few weeks as we close in on Christmas."
To find out more about The Local visit https://local.shop/