Shops / Shop of the Week
Shop of the week: RePsycho
Andy Minter stands proudly behind the counter of RePsycho, one of Bristol’s most popular vintage shops. With a stylish range of vintage clothes, footwear and homeware a collection of vinyl records spread across three floors, this thrifty emporium is one of the coolest vintage stores in town. Originally from Slough, Andy opened the store in 1995 but has been selling vintage clothes since long before that.
“I was down in Portsmouth trading vintage clothes and then had a stall on Portobello Road in London,” Andy says. “I then moved to Bristol and chose Gloucester Road to open a store, because of the number of students that live round there and the amount of already established independent shops in the area. The whole road just has a really nice vibe.”
Inside RePyscho
RePsycho is sandwiched between a flurry of charity shops, just a few doors up from the Hobgoblin pub, and firmly settled amidst the bustling independence of Gloucester Road. Andy has seen things change greatly in the time since he opened the shop: “We could see the area had huge potential when we first opened but the area has definitely improved”.
is needed now More than ever
Unlike the road, Andy says the store itself has remained relatively untouched in the 23 years he’s been trading. “In all honesty the store itself hasn’t changed an awful lot except for a lick of paint,” he says. “The style of clothes we sell is probably the biggest change we’ve had in the shop. We survived on 70s style probably longer than the era actually lasted. Now it’s mainly 90’s clothes as that it what’s in style at the moment.”
Along with the style change, people also are less worried about the authenticity of the items, Andy says. “Most people now just want something that looks good and don’t really care if its real or not.”
As for the future of RePsycho, they have just launched a website allowing them to sell their wares online as well as in the shop. “That’s the biggest change we’ve gone through and it took a while to come together, but it’s going well,” Andy says. “We’ve had a really positive response.”
But Andy has no plan to sell up and move his business exclusively online. “Hopefully we still be here for a few years yet. As with most businesses we have to consider the online aspect but I still enjoy having the shop and having that interaction with the customers.”
Repsycho, 85 Gloucester Road, Bristol BS7 8AS
www.repsycho.co.uk
0117 983 0007
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