K Hulse Consulting

04/09/2026

Happy 25th birthday Touchwood Solihull!

I remember Solihull before Touchwood, when Mell Square had a big fountain in the middle and the big brands of the time - Woolworths, Boots, Smiths, HMV, Dorothy Perkins, plus the department store Beatties.

I remember Touchwood opening too, and how quickly it established itself as the go-to shopping destination, with John Lewis as the anchor. Plus, we finally got a cinema back in the town centre with Cineworld.

25 years on, it’s still a go-to-place for shopping the big brands. Still looking good, still working hard to create reasons to come - attracting great retail and hospitality names, hosting events, and the team led by Tony Elvin always looking for the next thing that will bring people back. That’s what retail should be – never standing still.

Happy birthday Touchwood, even if it does make me feel a little bit old.

And it was a double delight because yesterday bumped into Melissa Keskinkilinc , who told me she had a pop-up in Solihull, so I followed her in to have a nosy. And then where else did Touchwood hold their birthday celebrations but in her pop up - Studio Gallery Solihull. It’s a fabulous collective of local artisan makers, and quite the hidden gem. Melissa is looking for more local makers to join the collective so if you’re an artisan maker interested in being in a thriving shopping centre, do get in touch with her.

Who else remembers the early days of Touchwood?

03/09/2026

Great to see Indespoke open for business in Solihull today.

CJ’s vision started in Birmingham - curating a mix of independent makers under the Indespoke umbrella, not only giving local makers a space where customers can discover them (online and in store) but also offering a structured programme of support to small business owners.

And curate is the right word.

In the era of being spoilt for choice online carefully curating your retail offer isn’t about stocking shelves high with any product. It’s about carefully selecting products (and price points) that will appeal to your customers and that reflect your brand and values.

I look forward to catching up with CJ Lloyd Webley BCAe again soon.

Lovely to see Sarah Ashford from Visit Solihull there too along with Phil Webb.

Oh, and I bumped into another exciting pop up owner in Touchwood Solihull before I left Solihull, but that’s a post for tomorrow.

Image: I’m holding a bag just purchased from Indespoke for my mother-in-law. I’m standing with Sarah & CJ - poor Phil is there too but somehow got cropped out by my photographer).

21/08/2026

Today I was delighted to visit Solihull Radio to talk about being shortlisted for Solihull Chamber of Commerce Customer Service Award. With fellow shortlisted businesses, it was great to hear everyone’s examples of what customer service means to them, and the conclusion was clear - going above and beyond, building relationships, and crucially, the feeling people take away from them - whether that’s a great time at a celebration event, feeling well looked after and heard during a health consultation, or confidence in a strategy a consultant has worked with them on.

For me, this was a week of catching up with several clients.

• Moving projects along (a few exciting launches coming in the next few weeks).

• Reflecting on marketing performance and what assets are needed for the next 3-6 months.

• Bringing new a team member up to speed with a project so that we can go further, quicker.

• Pitching for an exciting opportunity, listening to the brief & turning it into a proposal at pace

Talking about good customer service was the perfect end to round off a busy week.

What does good customer service mean to you?

03/07/2026

Looking back at June and it was all about retail and bringing footfall to places.

1-4 Retail Strategy - a trip to Liverpool for a merchandising audit with Steph as part of the Retail champion team. Absolutely love the brand we worked with - a solid, customer focused business with ambition, and now, a prioritised strategy for moving forward. I haven’t been to Liverpool for a few years so I squeezed in a quick walk around the Albert Docks before heading home - it was very windy!

5. 750 Celebrations- much of June was focused on marketing Knowle’s 750th and what a day it was.

6. Place - An insightful West Midlands Tourism Forum looking at using insider tips and experiencing a place like a local , place identity, how your place is summarised by AI and accessibility. All points I’ll be taking back and integrating further into client work.

7. Flexible working - not working in the corporate world means it can be easier to take a few days for an unplanned trip to Cornwall, even if that means working odd hours occasionally. Thank you to Tony and Sarah for forgiving me for missing a meeting.

8 onwards. Rounded off the month decompressing at Knowle Party in the Park and dancing to RPJ Band was exactly what I needed. Ian Rogers did a brilliant job - great to see so many people having such a good time in little old Knowle park. I’ve already got my tickets for next year.

If you’re a retailer who wants a fresh pair of eyes on their retail space, product, price and merchandising strategy, let’s have a chat.

01/07/2026

Sometimes you just have to hitch up your sleeves and get stuck in - in this case, it was hitching up my dress.

Visit Knowle recently hosted the 750th anniversary celebrations for Knowle - months of planning, lots of social media, PR, and print and then finally, the day itself. I was so pleased we got coverage with BBC online and ITV Central included Knowle’s 750th on the evening news.

The day was brilliant. I spent most of it behind my phone, capturing as much of the spirit of the day as I could - photos, video, the lot. That included a climb up Knowle church tower for some shots from above, dress tied up so I didn’t trip on the steps. All in a day’s work. Funnily enough, I met dammodammo planning exactly the same!

The events team delivered in spades - Jenna Porch, MSc, Sue, Dave Pinwell, Mary Liszewski, Marc Cijfer and Natalka Hunka, who worked so hard to deliver it. I think it’s fair to say this was Visit Knowle’s biggest and best celebration yet with more people on the High Street than we’ve ever seen.

Proud doesn’t quite cover it.

29/06/2026

Not long left to apply!

What could being one of the Nation's Favourite Businesses do for your business?

For Kim, it meant new opportunities, increased visibility and becoming part of a thriving community of entrepreneurs.

Every year, Small Business Saturday shines a spotlight on incredible small businesses across the UK and we’d love to celebrate yours too!

Get involved and apply to be one of this year’s Nation’s Favourite Businesses at: https://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com/nations-favourite-businesses

Applications close at midnight tomorrow (Tuesday 30th June 2026)!

Image description: Testimonial from Kim Hulse from K Hulse Consulting with an image of Kim smiling on the House of Lords terrace by the River Thames with the London Eye in the background. The text outlines how Small Business Saturday gave her opportunities to visit the House of Lords, meet other entrepreneurs, increase her profile, and be a part of a community of hard-working small businesses. At the bottom are Nation's Favourite Businesses and Small Business Saturday UK logos.

19/06/2026

I’m delighted to share that I’ve been shortlisted for Solihull Customer Commitment Award 2026 with Solihull Chambers of Commerce.

Getting started as a small business, you’re always thinking about if you’re doing enough for your clients, and what else you could do. that mindset is still the case today for all my clients - some new and some who I’ve known for a while.

Wishing everyone the best of luck for the award ceremony in September, I’ll be sitting alongside some brilliant local businesses.

10/06/2026

A few years ago I never imagined I’d be invited to speak on a Public Policy Exchange looking at the future of UK’s High Streets as part of The Retail Champion team.

High Streets matter to people. There are still more sales made in person than online. High Streets have always been more than retail - beauty, hospitality, entertainment, events, culture and heritage and healthcare are all reasons to visit.

Having delivered business support to High street businesses north and south for the last few years, I can also say that businesses need policies that support them - from quicker processing of planning applications for signage, to providing information and support that supports business owners with the particular challenges of their business. And at national level, that also means a whole raft of policies that support businesses to flourish rather than constrain growth.

The High Streets has always and will continue to evolve. We just need to policy makers to keep listening to what High Street businesses are telling them. And take it on board. And we need to keep sharing positive stories, because there are plenty out there.

What are your views on the future of the UK’s High Streets?

Images: Steph and myself hunkered down in a hotel room in Liverpool participating in the webinar after a two-day client visit on behalf of The Retail Champion.

02/06/2026

Public Policy Exchange - the future of the UK High Street.

Public Policy Exchange, in partnership with The Retail Champion, will be hosting this year’s online conference on the future of the UK high street to address key challenges in the sector as well as to formulate effective strategies to help tap into potential growth opportunities for the future this Thursday, 4th June at 9.30

I’m delighted to be part of the panel, sharing my views on what what’s happening on the High street and what retailers are looking for from place managers, local councils and government based on conversations with hundreds of High Street businesses.

Book your place to listen to key speakers Clare Bailey FISP, FIPM, MCIPS , Dr. Steven Norris, Sean Prigmore, Stephanie Briggs MCIM, Graeme Sharp and myself.

https://www.publicpolicyexchange.co.uk/event.php?eventUID=QC26-PPE

Image: Birmingham City centre last Saturday afternoon

15/05/2026

How much do you belong to a business community?

Last night I was lucky to be part of a community of 1000 people all gathering to celebrate business success with Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce.

I was representing Visit Knowle for the evening as we were nominated for two awards - Business Ambassador 2026 and Influencer Award 2026.

We didn’t expect to win and it was good enough just to be shortlisted & be in the room. Congratulations to all the winners!

But mostly, it was good to be part of the Chamber community - where we lift each other up, support each other and applaud each other’s successes.

If you want to know more about what the Chambers does, then ask away - it’s much more than Awards.