Independent shops offer distinctive finds across UK, US

Wirral Bargains, a fast-growing discount retailer in Birkenhead, combines a new customer-facing shop with online sales and local delivery, offering more than 900 products aimed at helping shoppers save on everyday goods and unusual finds. In La Crosse, Drift Mercantile highlights local artists and vendors with gifts, home goods and outdoor-themed merchandise. Seattle’s Home Cake Decorating Supply Co. caters to home bakers with a densely stocked selection of decorating supplies and personalized help sourcing specialty items. The Bell and Raven in Simsbury offers a hands-on spell-jar bar where guides help visitors choose herbs, crystals, salts and charms to reflect a personal intention. A memoir by Lucinda Osmond preserves the history of her family’s former Dorchester sweet shop, recalling its customers, daily routines and the challenges of running an independent business.