This is the day in the life of Ryan, Shop Manager at No.87 Vintage and Retro!
Hello, my name is Ryan Wilson-Preen and I joined the No.87 shop on Newland Avenue, Hull in September 2020 as the Shop Manager.
What made you join the Dove House team?
I was always aware of the amazing impact Dove House Hospice has within the local community. It has built an amazing reputation for providing exceptional care amongst both its patients and families. I used to be a keen shopper within a number of Dove House shops as I knew it was always a place you could grab a bargain, but my favorite has always been No.87. It’s a really unique shop that offers something totally different. I have a real passion for vintage and retro fashion/ culture, so I knew I had to become a part of the team eventually!
What was the first thing that struck you about Dove House when you came for the first time? Is that the same now or has it changed over the years?
I was always aware of the incredible care that the hospice provides, but I was totally blown away by how much impact it has across Hull and the surrounding areas. As my role is customer-facing, I get the chance to meet so many people who have incredible stories of how Dove House has helped them and their families throughout the years. I feel the hospice plays a crucial role within the community, and hopefully does so for many more years.
What do you feel makes Dove House special?
This is the first time that I’ve worked directly for a charity organisation, and knowing the incredible care that the hospice provides to families and friends throughout some very distressing and uncomfortable situations on a daily basis is truly inspiring. As I previously mentioned, I get the opportunity to meet so many people who have lost loved ones or had various family members that have spent time under the care of Dove House, and it’s truly amazing the impact that it has on those people due to the fantastic work of the hospice. This has quite rightly built an incredible reputation within the local community.
What do you look forward to each day?
Working at No.87 is a really unique experience! As we specialise in vintage and retro, we get the opportunity to work within a shop that sells products we’re really passionate about. We’ve had so many amazing donations come through the door in just the short time I’ve spent managing the shop, and you just never know what you’re going to find next, which is really exciting. Naturally, the shop garners the interest of many other people who are just as passionate as us, which allows us to engage with the locals who share these interests, which is a really unique experience!
What does a typical day look like for you?
We start our days working through our delivery. This will mean excitedly unpacking boxes, which are likely to contain some really interesting pieces of bric-a-brac, before sorting through bags of clothing. This is always the exciting part as you just never know what could come out of the boxes. Our volunteers are also given the opportunity to do this, which they also get really excited about. We’ve had some amazing donations over the years, from Beatles tickets to one-off pieces of original art. Once this is done, we make some strong coffees to power us through the pricing phase, which means carefully pricing every individual item. Due to our very generous donators, we get some items that can be worth quite a lot, which is so thoughtful that they think of us. We like to ensure we’re raising as much as possible for the hospice! We’ll then put the new items onto the shop floor for the customers. It’s a really quick turnover, and we like to keep our customers on their toes! Lastly, we’ll have a tidy and ensure the shop is looking spick and span to do it all again the next day.
What are the biggest achievements you have accomplished while working at Dove House?
We’re really fortunate at No.87 as we get the opportunity to take the shop on the road and to various vintage markets and fairs. It’s amazing getting the chance to meet like-minded vintage enthusiasts who share a passion for vintage like we do! We’ve met some lovely folks over the events we’ve done and spread the word about the amazing things Dove House does. It’s a great feeling to spread the word to a wider audience, and we plan to attend many more events in the future!
After the rush of Christmas last year, we were very fortunate to have a refurb of the shop throughout the quieter weeks of early January. It was amazing to discuss our options as a team, and collectively find ways in which we can really give the shop a fresh (but still very vintage) feel. I’m really proud of the work we’ve all done, and it’s had an amazing response from our customers who really like the new look.