Hobart’s gorgeous speciality stores are a delight for the senses
From classy boutiques to inviting delis and bookstores that will captivate your minds and hearts, there is no end to the boutique stores that grace Hobart, writes retail expert Louise Grimmer >>
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I’ve just returned from France where I spent many hours visiting small stores in the French capital.
As I meandered through laneways and arcades, I was continually struck by the care and consideration Parisian shopkeepers take in their exquisite store exteriors, carefully curated and beautifully presented products, thoughtful and welcoming interiors and in providing exceptional customer service.
Retailing in France is a respected profession and shopping in small French stores is an absolute joy.
Inspired by my discoveries, this month I’m featuring three small shops which will delight your senses.
Homeroom Design, Kinoko Deli and The Hobart Bookshop are representative of their owners who are utterly passionate about the goods they sell, and this is reflected in their store presentation and the way they interact with their customers.
These stores are yet more examples of the range and quality of small stores on offer in Tasmania and another excellent reason to shop local.
Homeroom Design
6 Bidencopes Lane, Hobart
6223 1963
www.homeroomdesign.com.au
Open Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday 10am to 4pm
Tucked away in a small laneway just off Murray St is one of Hobart’s prettiest little boutiques – Homeroom Design. This store is a delightful treasure-trove of homewares, gifts, clothing, footwear and accessories.
Chloe Cooper and Lucy Gott are the wonderfully talented team behind Homeroom Design, and they have a real knack for interior styling and visual merchandising. Together they have carefully curated a beautiful range of Australian and international brands including bassike, Alemais, Sir the Label, ELK, Status Anxiety, KITX, the very popular Vega sneaker brand, and an excellent range of handbags, wallets, eyewear and jewellery. The range is seriously stylish and fashion forward and highlights Lucy and Chloe’s desire to support unique and independent designers and brands.
In addition to women’s fashion and accessories, there is a strong focus on gifts and lifestyle products including bedding and soft furnishings, wall decor, baby and kids, pets, stationery, body, skincare and fragrances and an abundance of beautiful kitchen and dining wares.
My picks include brightly coloured Kip & Co glasses, Sage x Clare bowls, Tasteology condiments, assorted Black Blaze candle holders, Leif soaps and lotions, Jai Vasicek art Lu Goldie sunglasses, and so much more. It’s simply too hard to list them all here! And if you can’t decide, gift vouchers are available.
Excitingly, the store is the exclusive Tasmanian stockist of popular Sydney-based brand In The
Round House, a fun and colourful range of mix and match tableware, perfect for summer entertaining, and well worth seeking out as it is otherwise sold at David Jones and Liberty in London.
Whether you are shopping for gifts or for yourself (and why not?!), pop in and see Lucy and Chloe or you can shop via their online store, which incidentally is one of the best small store websites I have visited.
Kinoko Deli
Shop 8, Trafalgar on Collins,
110 Collins St, Hobart
www.kinokodeli.com.au
Open from 9am Monday to Friday and from 10am on Saturday
The first time I visited Kinoko Deli I was intrigued to see an orderly and fast-moving queue of city workers and shoppers lining up to order lunch. They were emerging with boxes of food which was either eaten on tables outside the store or taken away to eat elsewhere. Given that queuing outside stores is a rare phenomenon in Tasmania, I realised I had discovered something rather special. At Kinoko Deli the philosophy is ‘everything food from Japan’ and the business seamlessly combines a cafe, specialist mini food market and homewares. It is an absolute treat.
The store itself is divided in two – one half houses the food service and mini food market, and the other side offers specialty hot and cold drinks and an impressive range of authentic Japanese homewares and gifts.
In the morning all the food for the cafe is freshly prepared and cooked, with local ingredients used in abundance. The menu changes daily and you can choose from Bento, Japanese poke bowls, crispy fries with mayonnaise, a range of breakfast wraps (perfect with a morning coffee for a quick takeaway) and much more. Vegetarians and vegans are well-catered for and the food is generous and absolutely delicious. The mini food market is super interesting and despite the small space, actually packs in a huge range of Japanese food and drink products.
The other half of the store is the place to visit for Japanese homewares including flower vases, hot pots, plates, cups and glasses, cutlery, retro Japanese mugs, traditional teapots, rice cookers and much more. In addition, there is a terrific range of gifts – Kokeshi dolls, Japanese handkerchiefs, incense, bento boxes, textiles and cards. One of the reasons I really love this store is that it stocks items that you won’t find anywhere else in Tasmania and there are so many options for interesting gifts for friends and family, all so beautifully presented. I highly recommend a visit.
Kinoko Deli celebrates 10 years in business in 2023, congratulations! Here’s to the next 10 and many more.
The Hobart Bookshop
22 Salamanca Square, Hobart
6223 1803
hobartbookshop@gmail.com
Open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm,
Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 10am to 4pm
In my 30s I managed small stores specialising in rare and antiquarian books in both London and New York, and I love nothing more than seeking out bookshops and spending hours among the shelves. One of my favourites in Tasmania is The Hobart Bookshop in Salamanca Square.
In an age when large online bookstores have affected the survival of small, independent shops, we are incredibly fortunate to have a store of this calibre in Hobart. Situated among Salamanca’s cafes and galleries and the hustle and bustle of Saturday’s market, the store is ideally located to provide a welcome oasis for booklovers. It is no surprise this store is beloved by locals and visitors alike.
My philosophy is bookshops should only be run by those who are passionate and knowledgeable about literary matters and importantly, also love helping customers, and this approach is evident. Whether you are searching for a specific title, or you could do with a little inspiration, or perhaps you need the perfect gift, owner Bronwyn Chalke and her friendly staff will help you find exactly what you are looking for.
The interior of the store is welcoming with masses of beautiful, brightly displayed books, cards and stationery.
The space is regularly used for book launches and other literary events and there is wheelchair and pram access. As well as an impressive selection of books on all subjects, there is an excellent range of books for children and young adults. I admire Bronwyn’s approach in ensuring the store offers a good selection of Tasmanian fiction and non-fiction titles, as well as a carefully curated range of second-hand books.
You can shop online with very reasonable shipping costs (or collect in store), gift vouchers are available as well as complimentary gift wrapping, and there are a number of book clubs on specific topics which run throughout the year. Check out the website for more information and happy reading!
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