[VIDEO] House on Oxford | What Makes This Bulimba Retailer So Special?
By Shannon Edwards // Place Bulimba
Walking into House on Oxford and being greeted by owner Andrea Trutwein is like catching up with an old friend.
It’s the sweet smell of candles burning, the warming interiors and Andrea’s friendly nature that make the shop so welcoming.
With over 30 years’ experience in retail and customer service, Andrea not only has a passion for fashion but also a love for giving to and helping people.
Stocking an array of unique pieces in lightweight materials (perfect for the Queensland climate) from your everyday around-the-house basics, to work clothes and dressier garments with embroidery and beading, House on Oxford has something for everyone.
In between chatting to customers and dressing mannequins, Andrea shared with us what she loves so dearly about her job.
Tell us a bit about the community that’s grown around the store?
Bulimba is a wonderful community.
We have been here for three years now, and as soon as we opened everyone was very kind and welcoming. That is a perfect representation of the people of Bulimba.
Bulimba is more than a place to live, it’s a destination, so we see people visiting on a daily basis that are from all over the city.
Therefore, our products cater for a much broader demographic to ensure that we always have something for everyone.
What I love most about my store is the relationships I get to build with my customers.
There’s a lovely little elder lady who is a regular customer of mine.
She lives by herself just around the corner and every morning she meets me when I open the store to say hello, have a chat and have a look at my products.
It’s a really special relationship and I feel so blessed to have customers like this
How do you support small businesses?
Being a small business myself, I know how important it is to support others.
I have people visiting the area who ask me ‘where should we go for lunch’ or ‘where should we get coffee’ and I always suggest our local cafes and restaurants here.
I also have a number of fabulous Australian designers stocked in store. They are smaller labels and are absolutely adored by all my customers. It’s a great feeling to see them fly out of the store as soon as they come in.
One of my favourite products we sell here are our candles. We have a few different lines of candles that are all made by small local businesses – we have them burning at home and in the store at all times because they smell so yummy!