The shop inspired by the world’s most beautiful destinations and cultures…

Still Life Story, known for its stunning olive-green storefront in the Underbanks describes itself as a place for those who want to live an “expressive, colourful and considered life.” With ethically sourced products from across the globe, owner Ruby is collating a collection of unique, quality products that can’t be found in your average high street store.  

But she’s not just a business owner, she’s also become a familiar face and friend to Stopfordians, building meaningful connections throughout her seven years in the town. She told us what it’s like to be engrained in the Stockport’s bubbling culture…  

 

 

Ruby, tell us about Still Life Story 

Still Life Story is a creative lifestyle store, we’ve been here in Stockport for nearly 7 years now. We sell design-led products with a focus on ethical manufacturing and ethical materials; from homewares and home fragrances to clothing and gifts. A bit of everything really, but just the kind of products that I would really love to find in a store. I find them when I’m travelling and bring them to Stockport to have a bit of wherever I have been here.” 

 So, what inspired you to open a store?  

“I can’t put that into words, really. I’ve just always known that I’m going to have a shop; it was just a very natural path for me. I started my working career in small florist shops, so I learned how to run a shop and all that kind of stuff then. I think once you’ve had that experience, it’s hard to move away from anything that’s not so energetic; a desk job just never felt right to me.  

Before I did this, I was a designer and developer for clothing, and I worked with Chinese factories who were manufacturing for a global audience. So, I learned a lot about commerciality, pricing, sourcing and travelling the world for different inspiration. So, it all kind of tied together, and here I am.” 

 

 

What do people say about you and your shop? 

“I want us to be known as a very, very welcoming, friendly place, where people can come to be inspired, and find products that make them feel good. Customers love this place, they say it smells amazing and they want to move in!” 

What are your best-selling items?  

“Best selling items are our Alice Burgundy sunglasses. Our Wanda candle, which is tomato and blackberry, and the soy gemstone bracelets and necklaces.” 

So, how do you source your products?  

“Travelling to different places in Europe. I travel about three or four times a year for work: places like Scandinavia or Gothenburg, in Sweden. I loved Korea, Seoul was amazing for inspiration… Paris… Edinburgh is great.  

We go to trade shows as well, but I do like to see the product out in the wild a bit more. Yeah, I take a bit of inspiration from everywhere, I’m always looking for inspo.”  

 

 

What are your aspirations for the store?  

“I want to become a destination department store, an independent department store in the northwest, a little bit like Liberty’s, but done in my own style. And I want it to be a destination that people travel all over the country to come to, even from abroad.  

I’ve got a five-year plan, so we’ll see what happens in the next 5 years. It might be a long time until I have a 3-story department store, but, we’ll see!” 

How did you become part of the fabric in Stockport?  

“I’m friends with all the local businesses and I think of them as my colleagues, really. So, when I come to work, I go through the highs and lows with them and we share the experience. And our customers too. You get very close with people when they come in every week. Some people, they’re single parents or whatever, so this is the only adult talk they get all day. I get to know them really well and go through loads of life events with them, marriages, kids, all that kind of stuff.” 

“It’s brilliant here. It’s definitely on the up and there’s more and more people visiting, but it hasn’t lost its heart. It’s still Stockport. The architecture’s amazing, the way it’s all built on different levels. The down-to-earth character of the people here… the banter is great. And it’s cool, but it’s not stuck up.”