New partner opens Imp-ressive shop in Lincoln
The legend of the Lincoln Imp has been brought to life in a new first-of-its-kind experiential shop on Steep Hill.
The Destination Lincolnshire team attended the exclusive preview event on Wednesday evening (October 30) at The Lincoln Imporium which is one of Destination Lincolnshire’s newest of over 250 partners.
The Lincoln Imporium is more than just the traditional shopping experience with customers able to enjoy added intrigue whilst visiting and browsing.
Long-time friends Thomas Atkins, 28, and Marcus Askam-Yates, 33, came up with the concept for the shop which opened to the public at 36 Steep Hill in Lincoln on Thursday, October 31, 2024.
The shop sells just one product, uniquely designed imp figures that are hand-crafted in Lincoln and are made from a mixture of gypsum and resin. The imps are available in small (6cm), and large (9cm) sizes and customers can select the ones that connect with them the most.
Imps in folklore generally live in forests, and a tree was transported to the shop via a low-bed truck, and Marcus added branches and effects to make it a unique part of the store. There are also interactive paintings with buttons that light up with imps representing their own stories.
The imps will be hand-crafted in the shop by Marcus, a property developer and former co-founder of Student Housing, Lincoln’s largest independent student lettings agency.
On Thursday’s opening day the shop had already welcomed over 40 customers in by early afternoon and a delighted Marcus said: “We hope it becomes a destination for people visiting the city with such a rich history and this ties in really well with that."
“People have been so positive. The local community have been popping their heads in and asking questions, which is really good. We feel very supported by the local community and businesses.
“It’s the first experiential retail offering for Lincoln. Come into the store where you are not just buying a product, but transported back in time and enjoying the vibe.”
Thomas Atkins, co-founder and Imp Keeper at The Lincoln Imporium, is also the Managing Director at the award-winning Identity Agency in Lincoln which helps companies across of range of sectors grow their business through design and content.
He said: “It’s a way to draw visitors to Lincoln. It’s an investment in Lincoln tourism and the visitor economy and it’s also hopefully a way to get the local community to buy into the legend of the imp. Experience a place that is completely unique in Lincoln and Lincolnshire.”
The Lincoln Imporium is a Destination Lincolnshire silver partner and they praised our promo competition on social media which gained a lot of traction and gave the business a big boost ahead of opening day, with close to 600 people reacting to the post.
Marcus added: “We became a silver partner as what Destination Lincolnshire do is amazing for the city and we are a destination shop.
“The brand Visit Lincoln brings more people to the city and county so it’s important to work together to help put Lincoln on the map. We need to give people a reason to stop and explore the city so it’s important for us to support each other.”
The business hopes to capitalise on Lincoln’s tourism success, welcoming tourists who visit the city to shop and explore its history.
Destination Lincolnshire’s CEO Charlotte Goy said: “The Lincoln Imp helps us tell the story of the city – visitors are so curious about him. The blog we wrote on Visit Lincoln is one of the most popular on our Destination Lincolnshire website.
“The opening of the new shop extends the experience that people and visitors can have with our legendary Imp.
“As well as visiting Lincoln Cathedral to see him in situ, people can now extend their stay by also doing the Imporium experience with Marcus and Thomas too.
“It would be wonderful to see our other partners helping their visitors find the Imporium by spreading the news of the opening – and if you haven’t been yet pop in and see them.”
The shop is open daily between 10.30am and 4.30pm, except on Wednesdays when it is closed.
As a partner of Destination Lincolnshire, local businesses will be the first to benefit from the opportunity to collaborate with us on national and international destination marketing. Partnership benefits include website listings, visitor market campaigns and event promotion. You can also email our Relationship team at enquiries@destinationlincolnshire.co.uk.
For more information on the legend of the imp and the shopping experience visit The Lincoln Imporium website and follow @thelincolnimporium on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.