Mark Gribben, owner of Brindley-based independent shop, Ethos Flowers and Gifts, tells us why Brindleyplace has been home to his business for 23 years and why he has no plans on going anywhere anytime soon…
Mark is celebrating 25 years in business with 23 of them spent at Brindleyplace. We recently joined him for a coffee and a chat about the estate, flowers and future plans!
Having opened in 2000 in Harborne, two years later Mark was approached by Gary Taylor, the then Director of Argent LLP, developers of Brindleyplace, who wanted independent retailers to open on the growing estate. Mark took premises in the site of the current Pret-A-Manger store, but the shop proved to be too big, so the Brindley team accommodated him moving to what is now’ Places’ and then to a premises beside what is now Spar (from where he continues to trade today).
To this day, the core strength of the business is corporate work. Ethos supplies fresh flowers not only in the building receptions at Brindleyplace but also across the city and beyond – where companies still want real floral arrangements in their offices and for corporate events. “A few organisations have moved towards decorating their offices with synthetic or plastic flowers because they perceive them to be more sustainable” says Mark. “The fact is that real flowers are very sustainable. They are natural, not man-made, not flown thousands of miles and do not end up in landfill! All of our flowers are bought fresh daily from a wholesaler in Birmingham and there is very little waste. Any leftover flowers are composted”.
Additionally, last year alone, Ethos helped facilitate the raising of £10,000 for charities by working with businesses to raffle off floral arrangements at the end of the business week. Mark has found that people love taking away professionally arranged flowers for their homes and displaying flower varieties they wouldn’t ordinarily purchase.
Mark recently had the shop refurbished and has taken on a little extra space to make way for his expanding gift range. When his lease was due for renewal it was a resounding YES to Brindleyplace with a smiling Mark telling us “I honestly wouldn’t consider anywhere else” and listing the strong sense of community, the friendly faces, secure location and estate team as some of the reasons for this. The new lease is for five years. Mark is approaching 60 and joked that he thought working until he was 70 was a bit too much! He’s very happy with the support Brindleyplace gave him and is quick to point out how grateful independent retailers are for the support.
The pride Mark takes in his business is palpable and he is thrilled to be celebrating 25 years in business. He is also very keen to reinforce that he really believes he wouldn’t have been so successful without the support of the Brindleyplace team over the years – he found the support of both the estate and fellow tenants particularly humbling throughout the pandemic and lockdowns.
Over the years the floristry business has changed so Mark has had to adapt. Part of the reason for needing more space is that his product offering has grown. As well as flowers, Ethos now stocks a much wider range of gifts and cards – chocolate, mugs, cuddly toys and such – to cater to a marketplace that wants a whole gift offering. “People come in wanting a complete gifting package – we really are a one-stop shop when you’re looking for the perfect present!”
Outside of working, Mark’s hobbies include spending time with his grandchildren and gardening (his favourite flowers are peonies and roses). He’s a prolific reader and is also excitedly getting ready for his daughter’s wedding in September – and yes, he’s doing the flowers!
And what of any future plans? Well, Mark is really looking forward to the autumn/winter season when Ethos will be stocking new ranges for gifting ideas and more years of serving the people and businesses of Brindleyplace and beyond.
So next time you’re in Brindleyplace, pop-in to Ethos and discover so much more than just a flower shop! Treat a friend, family-member or treat yourself – we guarantee you’ll be greeted with a smile and more choice than you could have anticipated…
