The owner of a new homeware and gift shop said she and her team are “pleasantly surprised” on the reaction it has received days after opening.

CornerCopia opened on Soham High Street on November 20, a day that many people turned up for to catch a glimpse of one of the town’s latest independent shops.

“I felt there was not a lot of choice in the town where you could go and buy gifts,” shop owner Sarah said.

“We wanted to add to the high street with a shop that offers not just gifts, but also decorative homeware.”

Sarah, who has five part-time staff working at CornerCopia, saw queues of shoppers outside the shop on its first day in business.

Ely Standard: Many shoppers came to the new CornerCopia shop in Soham on opening day.Many shoppers came to the new CornerCopia shop in Soham on opening day. (Image: Mike Rouse)

And already, she believes targets have been met.

“The things we love in our home, we want to share with other people,” said Sarah.

“We’ve exceeded our expectations, but we know we’re in the honeymoon period.”

Ely Standard: Many shoppers came to the new CornerCopia shop in Soham on opening day.Many shoppers came to the new CornerCopia shop in Soham on opening day. (Image: Mike Rouse)

Sarah, who has experience in sales and marketing, admitted there was not as much awareness of the shop opening as there could have been.

But residents have been able to keep up to date on the development of the business, and in their first week of trade, has in part had to rely on emergency supplies.

“We have had to get emergency stock because it’s flying off the shelves!” she said.

“A lot of people have been watching the development of the shop, so I think there was a buzz before we opened.

“We are pleasantly surprised.”

Ely Standard: Many shoppers came to the new CornerCopia shop in Soham on opening day.Many shoppers came to the new CornerCopia shop in Soham on opening day. (Image: Mike Rouse)

Cornucopia means an abundance of something, which is what Sarah and the team are looking to achieve.

One customer complimented the different items available in the shop as opposed to other businesses in the area.

Sarah is planning on visiting Soham’s primary schools where for every item sold, a percentage of proceeds will go to charity.

Ely Standard: Many shoppers came to the new CornerCopia shop in Soham on opening day.Many shoppers came to the new CornerCopia shop in Soham on opening day. (Image: Mike Rouse)

It is this involvement in the community that she feels can also help continue the shop’s strong start to life on the high street.

“We’re trying to introduce our brand to the local community,” Sarah added.

“I think we will have more time to focus on marketing and in future, hopefully build an online presence, too.”

For more information, visit the CornerCopia Living + Gifts Facebook page or @cornercopialiving on Instagram.