A Durham owner of an independent furniture store has expanded her business after experiencing huge demand from customers.

Owner of Simply Furnishing, Sharon Dunn, made the decision to expand after having set up the business less than a year after first opening through the centre’s startup Microshops scheme.

The proud business owner will now move into a two-thousand square foot space in Thornaby’s Pavilion Shopping Centre to cope with demand.

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Speaking about her journey, Sharon has admitted she is “thrilled” to start the next step of her business.

She said:  “Having been in furniture retail for many years I decided to relocate from a village store to the Pavilion, starting up in a small way to test the water.

“It was a positive start, but not liking to stand still for long, I decided to expand to three pods. Business was ticking along nicely and wanting to progress further, I decided to open a full store to myself.

“I am thrilled to be opening and it promises to be exciting times ahead. Microshops was a great opportunity to start what has become a thriving business.”

Simply Furnishing will not be the only new addition, as award-winning tanning salon Indigo Sun is also set to open within the next few weeks.

Martin Wade, asset manager for the 270,000 square foot Pavilion centre has praised Sharon’s success.

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“This is exactly the kind of success we love to see at Microshops. The smaller format market concept works to provide retailers with a great opportunity to offer their services to a larger audience being based within the Pavilion Shopping centre seven days a week.

“We’re thrilled to see how Sharon’s business has thrived at the Pavilion in the past ten months, both us and the tenant believe this is the right time to progress into an inline unit within the shopping centre.”

Sharon’s business will not be the only new addition, as award-winning tanning salon Indigo Sun is also set to open within the next few weeks.