Lincoln’s first experiential retailer, The Lincoln Imporium, officially opened its doors to customers on October 31, 2024, at 36 Steep Hill, Lincoln.
The immersive shop specialises in selling handcrafted Lincoln Imps, which are made from natural materials and take roughly 3-4 days to create.
The Lincoln Imporium also features a range of interactive elements for customers to enjoy, including button-pressed pictures of Imps disappearing and a large handmade tree nestled in the corner of the shop.
Thomas Atkins, 28, shared owner of The Lincoln Imporium, said: “We want customers to feel that they’ve stepped back in time.”
Steep Hill’s newest shop was created and is run by Thomas Atkins, 28, and Marcus Askam-Yates, 34, a University of Lincoln graduate. The pair have been working on the idea for around ten months with help from family and friends.
Being the first business to fully explore the symbol of the Lincoln Imp, the pair aimed to open on Halloween, as Thomas said that the legend of the Imp is known to be a “mischievous character”.
Thomas said: “We realised that the Imp was an unexplored symbol of Lincoln. It’s a great way to bring in visitors and is a direct investment in Lincoln tourism. I really hope through this that we can bring the Imp to more people.”
The Lincoln Imporium was well supported on its first day, with a queue of six people welcoming them on the morning of its opening.
For more information, visit lincolnimporium.co.uk.