Daventry town centre store gets new lease of life under new ownership

from left to right: seamstress Emilia Gadomska, Mr Clean manager Sally-Anne Dudgeon, Supanee (Tan) Klinprayoon, owner of Make2Fit, Mr Clean employee Dominika Sicinska, Daventry Mayor Cllr Lynn Jones, Make2Fit owner Rob Vorwerk, Darren Stoppani, business partner at Knightley Blinds, and Mrs Fletcher, the landLord of Make2Fit

Tan and Rob, the owners of Mr Clean and Knightley Blinds, have taken over Joan Turley’s haberdashery, wool and curtains shop in Sheaf Street.

In August, Joan announced she was selling up but not retiring, and she'll continue making curtains for Make2Fit and Ruth Payne, who has been with Joan for 35 years, is still assisting.

“We have a good team of very experienced people. Joan has been making curtains for 35 years, Emilia our seamstress has been sewing for over 35 years, and Darren at Knightley Blinds has been selling and installing blinds for more than 10 years," said Rob.

Rob and Tan pose for a picture with Daventry's Mayor

In a climate of retail decline, Tan and Rob said they were not afraid to open a new shop as they realised that online is for a mass market, but locally their model is about direct customer interaction, being helpful and meaningful and trying to fulfil individual needs.

“Either our customers want to make to fit and we supply all the items and assistance they’ll need, or our customers want us to make it to fit and we’ll do all we can we can to make that happen," said Rob.

"But one of the biggest challenges in the current market is to answer to an ever-changing customer demand due to online developments. But we do think that in the next couple of years things will settle down.”

Mayor of Daventry Lynn Jones visited Make2Fit on November 13 for the shop's official opening.

Make2Fit also offers blinds, and an in-house alterations and repairs service has been added.