A YORK family business has opened a new shop in Leeds.
Back in 2021, as The Press reported at the time, Tom Calvert, now 28, along with his younger sisters, Georgia, 27, and Olivia, 25, turned an empty shop in York city centre in to Avorium - their very own store selling desk accessories and stationery.
They opened their doors at 13, Colliergate, for the first time on November 13 that year and the business has gone from strength to strength.
The family has now opened a new outlet, as well as the York shop, in the Corn Exchange in Leeds city centre.
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Tom said: "York Gin came across and set up a bar in the corner of the shop and we had about 25 people turn out to our opening event including other businesses from the Corn Exchange.
"The building stays open late on a Thursday until 9pm and our event ran from about 5.30-8pm.
"It turned into a bit of a party. It was just really enjoyable."
The siblings will still be working in both the York and Leeds shops with plans to open in the Corn Exchange from 10am-6pm Monday - Saturday and from 10.30am-4.30pm on a Sunday and they now also emply four permanent part-time members of staff.
"Previously we'd all been working seven days a week quite often, but it now means we get our weekends back," said Tom.
The products can be personalised with everything from leather notebooks, diaries and folios to plantpots, phone stands and coasters.
All three siblings went to St Peter’s School in the city and live in York.
Tom said the top floor in York now has a wedding consultation room which is doing well and provides couples with everything from save the dates to wedding invites, menus, place settings and seating plans to welcome signs with between 40 and 50 clients on the go at any one time.
The family has also been attending Christmas markets and on Thursday, September 12 the York shop is hosting a plant pot painting event with York Girlies. Tom says that if it goes well it could be the first of many such events.
The team are also planning to attend Fresher's Fairs.
"We wouldn't be in the position we are in now if we'd just gone down the online route and not had a shop in York," said Tom.
"Having local customers and getting repeat business in York has been the best way of building our brand."
Follow the business on Instagram @avorium_
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