Kenilworth's independent lingerie shop owner has announced her retirement for August 2027.

Having managed the digital fraud team at national shops like Topshop, Topman and Dorothy Perkins, Lisa Gough worked from 18-years old at a multinational retailing company, Arcadia Group, but she was made redundant after Covid-19.

When the pandemic completely closed the company she decided to work for the women of Kenilworth.

"Kenilworth itself is a lovely place to have a business," she told Nub News, "I needed something to keep me ticking over until my pension".

Undies Unlimited, the independent lingerie shop running in Kenilworth's Millar Court since 1988 underwent full renovations by Mrs Gough when it was taken over by her in October 2021.

"My sister-in-law used to own the coffee shop in the court and she knew the King family that owned the lingerie shop," Lisa added.

"She took over the underwear business when it needed new management as Josie was coming to think that [she] needed to wrap up."

Millar Court on Station Road, Kenilworth, began as a Victorian stable and coachworks before gaining its name after the Millar Brother car showroom in the 1970s.

After commercial redevelopment in the 1990s, the courtyard structure was built and it now serves as a hub for pedestrians. 

"Josie King is now in her 90s so she was in her 80s at that stage I took over," Lisa said, commuting from Leicestershire to run the shop for 24 hours each week.

She is keen to stress the joys of running an independent store which requires a different set of skills to working in for a corporate retail chain.

"Owning your own businesses is a challenge. You have days where you take little money and days where you take lots but it's a lovely environment with lovely customers," she said.

"I've always worked in retail my whole life but not lingerie. When working for a corporate business there is a lot of stress but the plus of that is you know how much money you are getting each month," Lisa added.

Now, she hopes to sell the shop.

"If I'd had taken it when I was 30 years old it would have been different," Lisa said, "I'm hopeful that I will be able to pass it on.

"You need good customer service skills. It needs a person who understands bra fitting and I appreciate retail is a very challenging thing."

Keen to call independent stores "important for the local environment," Lisa stressed how they "keep people coming into the towns and onto the high street".

Losing both her parents whilst running the store was "challenging" but what has kept her going has been the customers.

"The customers are the best story about the shop," she said, "and in lingerie, ladies buy only once every 12 to 18 months so I want to get the word out there for them to know I'm going."

Planning to leave at the end of next year, Lisa recommends customers come and get themselves sorted before she leaves.

For enquiries about taking over the business contact Sam Brooksbank from Starling Corporate at [email protected].