Clothes Shops in Fleet: What Shopping at Sugarplum Is Like
If you are looking for a clothing shop in Fleet, we are at 154 Fleet Road, and have been since 2013. Sugarplum itself started back in 2004, so we have been doing this a good deal longer than the shopfront suggests. The building is about a hundred years old and was never designed to be a shop, which is why the floor slopes slightly and why nothing in here looks like a chain.
Gina and Julia own it and run it. Between us we choose everything that comes in, which is a great way to buy stock and the reason you will not find the same rail here that you found in three other towns last weekend.
- Trading since: 2004, and at 154 Fleet Road since 2013
- Where: 154 Fleet Road, Fleet, Hampshire, GU51 4BE
- Phone: 01252 544618
- Sizes: UK 8 to 20 across the shop
- What is in: women's clothing, jewellery, handbags, footwear, homeware and gifts
- Open: Monday to Friday 9.30am to 4.30pm, Saturday 9.30am to 5pm, Sunday 11am to 4pm
- Clothes shops in Fleet, and what an independent does differently
- What is actually in the shop
- Sizes, fit and trying things on
- Finding us, and when we are open
- Frequently asked questions
Clothes shops in Fleet, and what an independent does differently
The honest difference is buying. A chain buys thousands of one style because a system told it to. We buy small numbers of a lot of things, because we are picturing actual customers while we do it, many of whom we know by name.
That has an obvious downside worth saying out loud. If you love something and leave it, it may well be gone next week. We do reorder styles that fly, so it is always worth asking rather than assuming you've missed out.
The upside is that nobody is going to leave you alone with a rail and a mirror unless that is what you want. Some people come in to browse quietly and that's good with us. Others want a second opinion, and we will always give you an honest one, including when the answer is no, why don't you try this instead.
What is actually in the shop
People are often surprised by how much is in here, because the front windows only show such a small selection. Four things share the space.
- Clothing. Tops, trousers, dresses, knitwear and the Made in Italy pieces we are known for locally. Easy to wear rather than fashion-led.
- Jewellery. A large wall of it. Necklaces, earrings, bracelets and bangles, from everyday silver to occasion pieces.
- Bags, scarves and footwear. The bits that finish an outfit, kept near the clothing so you can hold things together.
- Homeware and gifts. Candles, diffusers, lamps, photo frames, cards and lots of gift ideas. This is the half of the shop people often discover on their second visit.
Online you can browse the same ranges through clothing, jewellery and homeware. One thing to know is that a handful of pieces are shop only and never go on the website, usually because we have a single one of them.
Sizes, fit and trying things on
We carry UK 8 to 20 across the shop. A lot of what we stock is one size, cut generously with stretch in the fabric, and the fit range for those is stated on every product page rather than left vague.
One size is the thing most worth trying on rather than ordering. It works beautifully at the middle of its range and less well at the very edges, and five minutes in a fitting room settles a question that photographs cannot.
Bring the shoes you would wear with it if you can. Trouser length in particular changes completely between a trainer and a low boot, and we would rather sort that in the shop than have you bring something back.
Finding us, and when we are open
We are on Fleet Road itself, at number 154, postcode GU51 4BE for the satnav.
- Monday to Friday: 9.30am to 4.30pm
- Saturday: 9.30am to 5.00pm
- Sunday: 11.00am to 4.00pm
- Bank holidays: 10.00am to 3.00pm, with Easter Sunday and Easter Monday closed
Ring us on 01252 544618 if you want to check something is in before you make the trip. We are happy to put a piece by for you, and happy to tell you honestly if it has gone.
If you shop with us regularly, then join our Sugarplum Rewards and collect points every time you buy, in the shop and online. Joining earns you 500 points to start with.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Sugarplum in Fleet?
We are at 154 Fleet Road, Fleet, Hampshire, GU51 4BE, on the main road through the town. The shop has been in this building since 2013 and Sugarplum has been trading since 2004, and it is a hundred year old building rather than a modern unit, so look for the older frontage rather than a chain shopfront. If you are coming for the first time and cannot spot us, ring 01252 544618 and we will talk you in.
What are your opening hours?
Monday to Friday we are open 9.30am to 4.30pm. Saturday is 9.30am to 5.00pm and Sunday is 11.00am to 4.00pm. Bank holidays run shorter hours at 10.00am to 3.00pm, and we are closed on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Hours occasionally change around Christmas, so it is worth a quick call on 01252 544618 if you are travelling any distance in late December.
What sizes do you stock?
UK 8 to 20 across the shop. A good proportion of our clothing is one size with stretch, cut to cover a range rather than a single number, and every product page states the fit range for that particular style. If you are at the upper or lower end of a stated range, trying it on is genuinely the only way to know, because two pieces carrying the same range can fit very differently depending on the cut and the fabric.
Can I buy everything online?
Most of it, but not quite all. A small number of pieces are shop only, usually one-off items or things we have a single one of, and those never go on the website. Everything else you see in store should be online, and anything online can be sent out to you. If you have seen something in the shop and want it posted, ring us and we will sort it rather than sending you hunting for it on the website.
Do you do gifts and homeware as well as clothing?
Yes, and it is about half the shop. Candles and diffusers, lamps, photo frames, cards and a lot of small giftable things sit alongside the clothing and jewellery. People tend to come in for a top and leave with a birthday present sorted too. If you are stuck for someone, tell us roughly who they are and what you want to spend, and we will walk you round a few options.
Written by Gina Paskins
Gina co-owns Sugarplum Boutique & Home on Fleet Road in Hampshire. She helps choose everything that comes into the shop, and cares most that you leave feeling like yourself in it.
