One of Kendal's most successful boutiques is set to keep its brick and mortar shop open due to popular demand. 

Maya Maya clothing store, located at Dockray Hall, was set to close its physical doors after 19 years and was to continue online with its MM membership only.

Owner Amanda Slattery, 59, had planned to semi-retire away from bricks and mortar retail whilst still pursuing other avenues such as sustainability and ethics in the industry. 

Educating herself on potential new legislation in the fashion industry as a whole, to make it more responsible, is still very much on the top of her agenda. However it seems her customer base won't let her leave the shop just yet. 

Amanda said: "The feedback we've received has been one of dismay from our customer base at losing the shop entirely.

"So much so that I've been working hard to find a compromise that will keep our customers happy whilst still allowing me to semi-retire.

"The result has been thus - we will move to online only in the middle of the year, keeping the shop for the immediate future as both a base to manage our online orders from, but also, for our members to pay a visit.

The Westmorland Gazette: Destination Maya Maya at Dockray Hall"We will go to 'online only' sometime in the middle of the year, but, the shop will still exist for our members who will be able to make an appointment to visit.

"This will mean we will reduce our opening hours and our offering will be one of 'less is more'.

"Any new products we source will have to be fulfil my ethical and sustainable interests.

"So, yes I am still semi-retiring. We've had great support from our customers and they have reacted very positively to us continuing -albeit in quite a different, more online, less '24/7 retail shop' way."

You can read about Maya Maya paid membership scheme on the website.