Home Retail New traders arrive at The Piece Hall as Loafers Vinyl expands into...

New traders arrive at The Piece Hall as Loafers Vinyl expands into larger unit

The Piece Hall, Halifax

The Piece Hall has grown its independent retail offering with the arrival of four new shops including an art and craft studio, a children’s designer clothes shop, a handmade gift shop and a jeweller. Loafers, a vinyl and coffee shop which was one of the first businesses to open in the Grade I listed building, is moving into a larger unit on the arcade level which will provide an extra 100sq. ft of space.

Loafers move follows a hugely successful two years for the company, which recently won the ‘New Starter Business of the Year’ award at the Yorkshire Choice Awards. Since opening in 2017, Loafers has hosted an array of live musicians including Inspiral Carpets and Dan Sealey from Ocean Colour Scene. Mark Richardson, owner of Loafers, hopes that the new space will allow room for more live music events as well as a regular open mic, comedy nights and coffee and wine tastings. He comments,

“We’ve had an incredible first two years in The Piece Hall; although our current spot is slightly tucked away, we’ve built up a loyal customer base who have supported us from day one. Moving into the bigger space will open up countless opportunities for us; we will be able to stock a much larger array of vinyl, there will be more room for customers to relax and enjoy a coffee and we’ll be able to bring even more live music to Halifax. Opening day is just around the corner and we can’t wait for everyone to see the new shop.”

Loafers will reopen on Saturday 24th August.


Custard Create, an art shop and creative space, opened in July in a 397sq. ft unit on the colonnade level of The Piece Hall. Owner Kim Orwin had dreamt of owning a shop in The Piece Hall since she visited the Grade I listed building regularly as a child with her grandparents. Kim, who has been a photographer and artist all her life, decided to open the shop after being made redundant from her job in corporate management. As well as selling her own art and photography in the shop, Kim also runs arts and crafts classes for children and will start lessons for adults in September, and she also commissions all different styles of artworks. The shop is also home to a photography studio and photo restoration service.

The Handmade Gift Shop opened its doors in June, selling an array of gifts including textiles, metal art, jewellery and eco-friendly products. The shop, which is located in a 294sq. ft unit on the colonnade level, is run and owned by Shelly Foster. Shelly previously ran her crafting business from her workshop at the bottom of her garden, creating cottages from reclaimed wood. She also previously managed several Salvation Army charity shops and decided it was time to bring both her love of crafting and retail together. Everything in the shop is handmade by 49 different independent crafters from across the Yorkshire region.

Shop 4 Little Horrors also opened in June, in a similar 294sq. ft unit on the colonnade level. Owner Caroline Huson had always wanted to open a shop in the Piece Hall and had originally planned to start up online, however when the opportunity to open in The Piece Hall came along, Shop 4 Little Horrors was born. The shop sells nearly new children’s designer and high street clothing, a wide selection of new unique gifts and Jomanda soft toys. They also run an ‘Adopt-A-Teddy-Bear’ service, where customers can purchase a unique teddy which comes with its own personal story and certificate.

Also joining the independent offering at The Piece Hall is Leon K Dewhurst, who has opened a jewellery shop and workshop in a 490 sq. ft unit alongside the other new businesses on the building’s colonnade level. Leon is a third-generation jeweller who specialises in handcrafting pieces of jewellery in gold, silver and platinum. Growing up within the jewellery trade, Leon is passionate about the work he undertakes. Previously based in Settle, North Yorkshire, he decided to make the move to The Piece Hall after seeing the newly refurbished building on BBC One’s Antiques Roadshow. Leon offers an extensive alteration, repair and remodelling service and will also purchase any unwanted jewellery to recycle in his workshop, and he also stocks a variety of sourced bronze sculptures and glassware which compliment his original pieces.

Nicky Chance-Thompson, chief executive of The Piece Hall Trust comments, “It has always been the Trust’s vision that independent businesses can establish themselves in The Piece Hall and thrive. It is fantastic that Loafers have been able to expand their business in just two short years. The four new additional shops add something totally different to the already eclectic and vibrant retail offering that we have here; I wish them all great success and I’m so pleased that they have chosen to be a part of our wonderful Piece Hall community.”

Prospective tenants interested in units should contact the commercial team on 01422 525200