It’s all Hearts and Hugs in Titchfield

It’s all Hearts and Hugs in Titchfield

Hearts and Hugs in Titchfield may have only opened its doors at the end of 2020, but it is already the hub of the village. Owner, Kimmy Sabey, set up her homeware and gift shop four years ago in Wickham but moved both her home and her business to Titchfield, arriving in the village the day after the Christmas lockdown began. 

Kimmy lives with her husband Maz in their period cottage that sits just 52 steps away from Hearts and Hugs!

“Titchfield is lovely, and the villagers have been such a support. I couldn’t have done it without them,” she says. 

“They were brilliant because when I arrived, I dressed the window and, even though they couldn’t come in, they would stop to chat as they passed. It was a great vibe.

“I got to know them through lockdown by talking to them on the doorstep and now I know them even better from coming through my shop door.”

Hearts and Hugs is built on Kimmy’s passion for country home styling, and she handpicks everything for the store, choosing things she would love in her own home.

“Setting up Hearts and Hugs was a new venture for me,” says Kimmy.

“The Live Love Local campaign is so important because not only do independent traders like us need the support of our locals, but the people who come to see us get so much more than they would shopping online.

“We gift wrap everything. We speak to everyone. I know my customers. 

“So many online companies doing what I do set up over lockdown, but it’s just not the same as coming in to see us. 

“It’s about physically seeing things, picking them up. Endlessly scrolling is actually quite hard to do! You’re not getting a feel for things you love. You can order things and when they arrive, they’re totally different to what you’re expecting. People like to have personal interaction with somebody.”

Kimmy is now always busy in the shop, preparing exciting new stock and keeping in touch with her customers.

“I love anything that makes your home cosy and beautiful and we have lots of lovely new things to share with our customers – it’s always like a little grotto of wonders in here! 

“The building we are in was split to make two shops, and next door to me is the Village Boutique @ No 3. We share an entrance and have become something of a ladies’ hub in Titchfield. 

“We call this place TitchEnders – it’s better than the real thing!”

If you want to find out more about Heart and Hugs, check out their socials here!