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Welcome to oneStep’s first newsletter of the year! Â
We are in touch to let you know what’s going on at oneStep as we end our first month of the most uncertain of new years, yet full of hope and promises. Let us first and foremost wish you good health and high spirits, and the gift of patience! Â
LOOKING BACK AT 2019Â
OneStep took a long six-month break from markets last year, first by choice (we needed a big rest), then by law, as we joined the nation’s efforts to battle the pandemic.Â
While off, we had time to think. Think about our purpose and our future. Our 2020 mission had been to tour the country’s food & well-being shows, reaching out to new corners with our everyday eco solutions. But it wasn’t to be: as festivals are on hold, instead of thinking big, oneStep had to think local and grow online.
So what next? Â
From July, oneStep was back at a market near you. Behind the masks were Amy, Laura, Bethany or Gwen, working damn hard comes rain or shine, serving our lovely customers in a safe and distanced way. We love markets! They place us at the heart of your community, they are filled with learning and rewards, and a guaranteed good laugh.
Still, with markets, oneStep was in and out of boxes and on & off shelves. Our lovely eco products deserved better than the boot of the car, they needed to come out and stay out. The further we moved into 2020, the more we felt oneStep was ready to touch down and lay some roots. This was more of a dream than a reality, until …
Out on a summer picnic at Home Park with friends, we walked past a charming little shop to let in Bridge Road, Hampton Court. And so after two years on the road, we had found our perfect home! Negotiations started, and despite Lockdown 2 looming, we signed a lease on 5 November.
Paint and repair works began, with a big help from our friends, children and neighbours. Mates were consulted on colour schemes, and I spent late nights roaming Facebook marketplace for beautiful furnishing bargains. We arranged our first window display just on time for our grand opening on 4 December.
We had three brilliant weeks running the shop and learning our new trade. We love our new manor! What a welcome we got from the good people of East Molesey! They said OneStep fits in perfectly in the Bridge Road community hub,  and you are exactly what we need, and again and again what a sweet little shop ….. so much positivity, so much love, we are very thankful.
LOOKING FORWARD TO 2021Â
Right now, our Bridge Road ecoshop is shut, waiting for the Covid crisis to pass. But we are alive and kicking! Online for all our UK customers, with free deliveries in the TW and KT postcode areas (with coupon LOCAL) and for those more local to us, a click & collect service from Bridge Road every Friday (with coupon CLICK).
We are bursting with energy and ideas as we’ve used the opportunity to get creative and raise oneStep’s profile and engagement.  We had a family brainstorm and a bunch of new ideas emerged from it. Here are a few:
- fun videos and reels to show what our products are capable ofÂ
- approach local ‘eco’ influencers to help us spread our wingsÂ
- enter the world of PinterestÂ
- start a newsletter to keep our customers informed, and …Â All this on top of two lovely initiatives for 2021:
Our workshops in pottery and silversmithing ran by Julie Peel Ceramics and AMC Jewellery (we will reschedule them once the country reopens). There will be more exciting opportunities to create and learn with oneStep in cooperation with local artists … watch this space.
OneStep has teamed up with some lovely local ethical businesses to offer their fabulous products upstairs in our shop. We have soy candles, beautiful wool blankets, terroir treasures form the Provence, vintage clothing and air plants. Find out more here.
We’d love to hear of any other great ideas you might have for oneStep!
That’s all from me, stay updated through social media platforms @onestepearth, and again, I would love to hear your thoughts!
Until the next time
Gwen