Business profile – Found

Meris Thomsen and Carla Swift

FOUND GIFTS AND HOMEWARES

An idea that came about over dinner with a couple of glasses of wine has led Meris Thomsen and Carla Swift on an interesting journey into the world of retail. At the time, the sisters were both keen to change their careers, (Meris was working as an analyst and Carla owned a travel agency), so when conversation turned to the concept of starting a homewares business together, they jumped at the opportunity. Within a week, they’d worked out a business name. A few months later, they opened the door to Found Gifts and Homewares in the Lane Cove Arcade. That was in 2014 and the sisters say that they haven’t looked back since. Now four years down the track, their business is continuing to grow and evolve. Starting out mostly in homewares and gifts, the duo now also offer an extensive clothing range.

Why did you start Found Gifts and Homewares?

Apart from the fact that it sounded like a lot of fun, when we started the business there was nowhere else locally that offered trendy homewares. Having lived in Lane Cove all our lives, it was an automatic decision to locate our shop here. It has always been such a great community - our parents operated a business in Lane Cove for over 40 years - and we know so many people locally, many of whom are now our customers too.

Describe your product range?

We offer something for everyone with clothes, shoes, jewellery, homewares and gifts for women, men, children and babies. We spend a lot of time researching brands and we’re very selective about what we sell - nothing comes into our store unless we both love it. We started out mostly in homewares with a little bit of clothing, but have now switched that around completely to meet the needs of our customers. Our favourite clothing brands are The Ark and Lounge The Label, which are both made in Melbourne, and Verge, which is a NZ label known for their exclusive European lightweight fabrics. Most of our clothes are basics which you can dress up or down and they’re great for travelling.

What do you enjoy about running your own business?

We love our customers! It is so rewarding to have someone visit our store and being able to help them choose something so that they leave feeling really satisfied with their purchase. There is plenty to select from, and we really enjoy helping people find the perfect outfit, gift or item for their home.

How would you describe the current business environment?

Because of our brands and product range, we’re more of a destination store so we’re fortunate as customers tend to seek us out when they’re looking to buy a particular item. Certainly parking is difficult and the current situation could have been made easier if Council supplied shuttle buses. We are excited to see what will happen once the Rosenthal development opens.

What 4 words would you use to describe Lane Cove?

1. Home 2. Family 3. Friends

4. Community