"It feels really good to be open" - The Interior Port opens its doors in Drayton after move from Southsea - in pictures

The Interior Port announced it would be leaving Albert Road earlier this month with the new store opening in Havant Road in Drayton today (Friday, September 19).

It was an exciting moment for the mother and daughter owners, Pauline Pierce and Heather Walters-Pierce .

Heather said: “It feels really good to be open. It was very scary this morning, dead on 10 o'clock and we were so worried no one was going to come in but loads of people have.

“They've said hello, they've bought a couple of bits, and the really nice bit is they've introduced me to the area which is really lovely. It's got a good community spirit here so that's really nice.”

As well as opening the new shop in Drayton, Heather will be making the move to the area as well having lived in Southsea for 21 years, moving closer to her mum and her partner’s business - The Drayton Tavern.

Heather and Pauline opened the Albert Road store in July 2023 but felt the move was necessary with a decrease in footfall in the area with a number of independent shops also closing nearby.

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The new property provides more space and the opportunity to stock a wider range of products. The unit was formerly a bridal shop and has two large fitting rooms in the back. As of now they are not being used but Heather has a number of ideas of how they could be utilised in the coming months.

She said: “I'm going to try and find some really nice sort of bathroom bits and children's bits. We love the idea of a kids section with books and I've seen someone who does these really funky bath mats that I like.”

The bigger shop also means they have been able to stock more of what they know sells well.

Heather said: “We've also introduced a lot more throws. Over the last two years, we've realised people love a throw. We always thought that it would be something very wintery but actually, people love going into the garden in the summer, people use them as blankets.

“So we've introduced a lot more throws, a lot more glassware and we're hoping to bring in a lot more mugs as well, because we know everyone loves a good cup of tea.”

See inside The Interior Port in Drayton in the pictures below: