Our Story
No40 is a gift boutique based in Strathaven, South Lanarkshire, and is owned and run by Kirsty & Mel. Here’s our story so far...
The Beginning...
For many years, we had a vision to one day be business partners and to open our very own shop. What once seemed to be a far off dream became a reality in 2018. Years on we still have to pinch ourselves that No40 is ours!
Work in Progress...
In October 2017, we viewed the premises at 40 Common Green. Despite it being an empty shell (the previous tenant had even removed the sockets from the walls!) we could immediately see the shop’s potential. We took the plunge, resigned from our jobs and embarked on building our small business in our home town, Strathaven.
We picked up the keys in January 2018 and started working hard to make our vision become a reality! With Mel’s creative mind, Kirsty’s background in finance and a joint passion for retail, we were proud to bring No40 to life.
The set up phase...
Over the next three months, we worked tirelessly to set up our business and to plan the shop layout. We also started the exciting task of sourcing products close to home and further afield.
With lots of help from our husbands Robert and Philip, and friend/designer Peter, we fitted out the shop and created the No40 we know today.
Opening...
On the 18th of April 2018, No40 opened its doors for the first time! We’ve loved our first few years in business and look forward to many more. We’re so grateful to our lovely customers for their support and their company, the chat makes our day!
Finishing Touches...
No40 is well known for its little quirks - unique window displays, the No40 bench, our dog treat tree (much loved by our passing canine friends) and we’re very proud of our ceiling hung art installation.
We're also proud to sponsor a guide dog and give generously to local charities and causes. We pride ourselves in having a warm, welcoming and cheery atmosphere at No40, and our lovely staff are brilliant at helping us do that.
Building our website has been an exciting stage in our small business’s development, a very important step for us to take given the challenges Covid has presented, and the need to keep up with the digital world!
We hope you've enjoyed reading our story and enjoy shopping on our website.