Member Article

Family-run lifestyle business Silver Mushroom targets £2m turnover after lockdown sales boost

A FAMILY-RUN lifestyle business started in a bedroom is targeting a £2million turnover next year after seeing a huge sales boost during the coronavirus lockdown.

Silver Mushroom also wants to create 25 jobs to establish itself as a major player in the online homeware sector.

The company sources and sells niche items including hand-crafted tableware, cushions, tables and mirrors.

After increasing its staff six-fold to meet the spike in demand over the past few months, it is now set for more growth by the middle of 2021.

Co-owner Emmie Brookman said: “I think the situation we’ve all been through since March has opened everyone’s eyes to things they didn’t normally see.

“It’s made people realise they want to have nice things in their homes and how important it is to create a pleasant environment to live in.

“Having to take a step back from hectic lives has given people the opportunity to reassess how they want their rooms and houses to look.”

Silver Mushroom was established by Rebecca Kane, 37, in 2011 after she moved into her first home – a quaint cottage in Tockholes – and wanted to surround herself with the things she loved.

Rebecca explained: “I had a passion to create a lifestyle business that reflected my own values, whilst embracing the changes to modern retail and the onset of internet shopping.

“I became enthusiastic about finding items that will stand the test of time and also have minimal impact on the environment.

“I strongly believe your home should be a sanctuary, a place where you truly love to spend time. This is why all our products are carefully selected with this in mind.”

Younger sister Emmie, 23, came on board in 2014, adding her flair for interior design and passion for graphics and social media to the mix.

The company, now based at Ainscough Business Park in Wigan, has grown from five staff before the coronavirus crisis to around 30 at the last count.

Most are charged with sorting and packaging orders to customers around the globe.

That rapid expansion has led to the sisters taking out a new lease on a larger warehouse within the same business park, so they can meet demands and also continue to observe social distancing guidelines.

Rebecca added: “The growth we’ve experienced has been crazy, but very welcome.

“It’s been a hard slog, with staff really putting in the hours to make sure we could meet the demand.

“But we’re now in a position to kick on and keep expanding the business, with the target of a £2million turnover in the next 12 months.”

She added: “I started the business by literally storing stock under my bed – now we’ve had to find a larger warehouse to hold all of our orders.

“I think our success lies in the fact we target niche products, such as Mason Cash Mixing Bowls and the Broste Copenhagen Lanterns, which are quintessential to homeowners.

“A lot of the products we source are made of wood, glass and bamboo to ensure they are sustainable.”

The entrepreneurial sisters are aiming to launch their own Silver Mushroom product lines in the near future, with planning underway on design and manufacturing.

And Rebecca says keeping it in the family is working well.

“Our mum and co-founder is the big inspiration behind the whole thing – we fell in love with homeware thanks to her, so you could say it’s in our blood.

“Now we’ve got around 1,500 products listed on our website and we’re always looking to add more, giving people access to some of the best brands and most innovative designs out there so they can make their homes truly beautiful.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Johnny Greaney .