Well hasn’t it been a hot minute since we’ve posted one of these updates, eh!? To anyone reading this, we hope you’ve been keeping well and thank you for tuning in.
3 years ago we set out on a mission - to become the first specialised hobby store for Japanese model kits in London, and 3 years on, our humble little online store is still here and kicking!
We’ve gotten to know so many amazing people in the hobby community that we couldn’t be more grateful to anyone and everyone that supported RC over the last 3 years. And while we’ve grown alongside the community, we still have a long way to go (in actual truth there is no end). However as an online only store, we could only push so far. We realised from attending conventions, setting up pop up stores and hosting build days and workshops, that being able to connect with the hobby community in person brings something an online shop cannot… (I think you know where this is going!… I hope).
*ahem!* *drum roll please*… Without further ado, we are incredibly proud to announce that Rivals Corner will now have a physical shop! (Someone pinch me because it still doesn’t feel real).
The very thing we’ve dreamed of doing all those years ago will actually now become a reality, meaning RC can truly be a place for Pla-Mo builders of all skills and levels to visit. Think of it as a hub for our plastic hobbies - A hubby store!
But what does this really mean I hear no one asking? - Well it means that we’ll now be able to stock more than ever before, expanding our existing range of model kits (not just Bandai mind you), even more specialised tools and a whole new swathe of hobby supplies. We’ll no longer be confined to the limits of the spare bedroom that RC has been operating from. (It’ll be SO good to finally have our flat back).
But it’s not just the product offerings, we’ll now be able to host more regular build days, TCG tournaments and… midnight launches anyone? (if you’re into that sort of thing). But even during normal business hours, we’ll give our customers the option to sit and build in the store if you don’t feel like building alone.
We all know that this hobby can be quite isolating at times, so now there’ll be a place for all our incredible customers, both existing and newcomers, to enjoy the wonderful world of scale models. That’s what Rivals Corner was always about at it’s core - a place for the plastic model community to shop, get together, build, share tips, tricks and connect with one another, all tucked away in a corner of London.
Okay, okay, so there’s a lot of really exciting stuff we can do at the store, but it hasn’t really sunk in yet to be honest, and in all truth we’re also a little nervous. We’ve never operated a physical store before. *puts serious hat on for a sec* From a business point of view, we’ve just opened up a whole new can of worms logistically, meaning there’ll be a new level of responsibility involved that’ll need to be in check, especially financially (eek!).
To quote our own mission statement from 3 years ago:
"… hopefully with enough dedication, patience, some support from the community and let’s face it, da monies, we’ll be able to reach our goal and continue to serve a growing community of passionate fans and newcomers alike.”
That will ring even more true than ever as our commitment to upkeep the shop will be extremely high for a micro business of our scale. (and yes, that is actually the correct term, we’re not even considered small yet!).
It goes without saying that Rivals Corner couldn’t be here without you and we have only been able to operate this long because you, yes you reading this, consciously decided to support us by purchasing through our store. When I write those handwritten notes in every order, I truly mean it that your support means immensely to us. It’s the lively hood of not only the store but effectively it’s now also my full time job as a store owner. So with the deepest meaning, thank you to everyone for being there and hopefully you can continue to purchase and support RC in the years to come 🙂
Okay okay, enough about that. When is the store opening?!
By the time you’re reading this, the store will be in a fit out stage, which means things are being worked on and prepped. We don’t have a definite date yet, but as soon as we do we’ll let everyone know through our social channels. We’ll also try to host some kind of grand (but small!) opening to our friends, families and close regulars. Look forward to it!
I’ve yapped on long enough (thank you for reading this far!), so please enjoy some pictures as well as a little vlog from the moment I collected the keys for the shop.
See you all there and don’t forget, keep building Rivals! 😃
Den @RC
