New dog treat and clothing business coming to Freeman Street Market

New dog treat and clothing business coming to Freeman Street Market.

A new business will soon be opening at Grimsby's Freeman Street Market offering a range of dog treats and clothing.

Barks And Bubbles dog grooming has been on the go for two-and-a-half years after owner Cindy Stephenson was made redundant. After getting a puppy while out of work, she decided to take things one step further and open up her own grooming business.

Now, she has a full client list and is looking to expand even further. Having been making bow ties, bandanas and collars on the side, Cindy now wants to take this full time and will be opening a new store at Freeman Street market this Saturday (October 28).

She said: "I used to be a retail manager at Clintons in Louth, but was made redundant so I got used to being at home and got myself a puppy at the same time." Cindy started watching dog grooming videos when her daughter said she should try it herself and the business came about from there.

After getting her qualifications and setting up a salon at home, Cindy has never looked back. She now has someone else working full time to help her keep up with all her four-pawed clients. As popularity grew, she decided to branch out into other things including dog treats and bandanas.

Taking it on tour to various summer shows, Cindy got a great response from customers about her treats, leading her to look for somewhere permanent. "I'm hoping to make a success in Freeman Street Market," she said. "It will be my daughter running it throughout the week.

"We thought about trialling somewhere before finding a more long-term home and felt like this was the perfect solution. I'm excited to get it up and running now. The market are really happy with us coming in and there is nothing like this in there yet so it's a great opportunity for everyone.

"I think it'll do really well because of that, especially with our wide range of treats and clothing. We'll also have Halloween and Christmas themed items to coincide with the time of year we're opening."

Looking ahead, Cindy hopes to build upon her success and branch out with more stores in time. She said: "The dream would be to a permanent store in Grimsby and, in time, maybe expand further afield. We've got family in Lincoln who are looking for a change of career so there may be a chance to go there if everything is successful."

She added: "If someone would have told me this is how things would be going two-and-a-half years ago I wouldn't have believed them. It's been quite surreal since we started and I never thought it would take off as well as it has done. People seem to be really happy with what we're doing and I want that to keep being the case."

By Luke Green Reporter - Grimsby Live

05:00, 26 OCT 2023