Focus on business: Portfolio
Portfolio first opened in 1981 as a photographic gallery on Portobello Road and Jayne Diggory opened the shop at 105 Golborne Road some 20 years ago. The shop sells a beguiling range of cards, gifts and jewellery. You can buy everything from a pocket IQ test to a postcard aeroplane to a tasteful Buddha statue – and prices start at around a pound with lots of unique gifts in the £10 to £20 range.Along with her business partner, David Corner, Jayne runs two other businesses in the area, a wholesale greetings card business which sells to outlets like John Lewis, WH Smiths and Waitrose and wholesale jewellery business specialising in original designs in silver, semi-precious stones and pearls.
‘I love running the shop says Jayne, it’s really a lot of fun finding the quirky things that we love to stock. Our goods change all the time and I’m always on the lookout for something new and different that’s not available on the market or nearby shops.
‘Golborne Road is a great place to run a business because it has such a community feel – people really look out for each other. I’ve seen lots of changes in the last 20 years.
‘Our business is doing well at the moment – we noticed a definite dip in footfall with the introduction of the congestion zone, but we’ve recovered in the last year.
‘Of, course our shop is backed up by our thriving wholesale businesses but I know that many traders along Golborne have been hit by the recession. I wonder if the Council, who own so many shop properties along the street, could find a way to help more flexible with lease restrictions and rent levels.’
Portfolio, 105 Golborne Road, W10 5NL, 020 8960 3051
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