Mark Callaby is planning to open a store in his home town
Ohh Deer is coming to Ipswich. Mark Callaby (left), Finley (the office pup) and Jamie Mitchell (right) - Ohh Deer's co-founders. This picture was taken outside the Loughborough store. - Credit: Archant
Quirky illustrated gifts company - Ohh Deer - is coming to Ipswich.
Back in 2011 graduates Mark Callaby and Jamie Mitchell set up their quirky illustrated gifts company - Ohh Deer.
Ohh Deer gives independent artists and designers the opportunity to sell their work to a large number of customers.
Initally internet-base,d the business has grown and now the partners are opening stores in their home towns.
The first, in Loughborough - Jamie’s home town - opened just over a month ago.
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Now plans are being finalised for an Ipswich store, which will be in the Thoroughfare in the heart of the town centre.
Ohh Deer offers, cards art and illustration and a range of individual gifts including sweatshirts and T-shirts.
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The partners met at Kingston University, where Jamie studied architecture and Mark for a degree in illustration.
And Mark initially worked for the student union while Jamie began producing cards and other products.
Then, in 2011, they started the online business - from Jamie’s grantparents’ attic in Loughborough.
It has proved an internet success, supplying individuals and companies across the country, and now has 30 staff.
There are almost 50 different artists represented including some well known illustrators like Gemma Correll, Sophie Corrigan and Christopher David Ryan.
Now has come the move into the retail sector.
Mark Callaby,31, is from Trimley and studied at Orwell High School before taking an art foundation course at Suffolk College, and then going on to university.
He said: “We initially started the business just to make a little bit of money for ourselves. But it has really taken off.
“We when started we found a gap in the greetings card market. It just went crazy from there.
“Now we employ more than 30 people and our first shop, in Loughborough has been really well received.
“We want to grow and we just missed out on a shop in Cambridge and Jamie spotted this one in Ipswich. It has got real character.
“There is some work to be done, including a new floor, but we hope to be open in a few weeks.”
