Lichfield's Kai McConomy opens Stay Tidy, a vintage clothing shop at 5 College Lane, Tamworth, on Saturday 3 October, with a Barcelona shirt draw on the day.

A 26-year-old from Lichfield who has sold thousands of second-hand clothes online is opening a shop of his own. Kai McConomy’s Stay Tidy opens at 5 College Lane, Tamworth, B79 7LP, on Saturday 3 October.

It sells branded vintage and preloved clothing: streetwear, sportswear, outdoor wear and 90s and 2000s pieces, with the rails restocked regularly so the stock is rarely the same twice. Kai will keep selling online alongside the shop.

“I want Stay Tidy to bring something different to Tamworth,” he said. “Vintage is about finding that one piece you love that you aren’t going to see everyone else wearing.

“I want the shop to have a really good vibe: affordable, welcoming and somewhere you can come in, go through the rails and never quite know what you’re going to find.”

A man in a pink Idaho hooded sweatshirt and camouflage cap standing between rails of vintage jackets and sweatshirts inside Stay Tidy, under a North Face box and a framed Nike poster
Inside Stay Tidy, between the rails of jackets and sweatshirts. Photo: supplied by Stay Tidy
The Stay Tidy shop window, painted with a cartoon of an angler reeling in a jacket above the words Stay Tidy Vintage Clothing Shop, with rails of clothes and a Barcelona football shirt visible inside and a letter board reading Stay Tidy opening 3rd October
The Stay Tidy window on College Lane, with the opening date on the letter board. Photo: supplied by Stay Tidy

From Depop to College Lane

Kai’s route into business started after his A-levels, when he completed a Level 2 Retailer apprenticeship. He set up his vintage clothing business in December 2020 and, by the shop’s account, has since sold thousands of individual pieces through platforms including Depop and eBay. On Depop it trades as staytidy.

He then took a retail space at Birmingham’s Custard Factory before deciding to open a permanent shop. College Lane puts him a short walk from Tamworth College, and students and young adults have always been a large part of his customer base.

“I really liked the location,” Kai said. “It’s right in the town centre, but College Lane also feels like a good spot for an independent shop like Stay Tidy. I wanted somewhere people could discover us, pop in regularly and have a proper look through the rails rather than somewhere that felt too corporate. Being close to the college is obviously a big plus because younger customers have always been an important part of the business.”

The window lists the brands the shop specialises in: Nike, Adidas, Dickies, Carhartt, Columbia, Levi’s, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and Quiksilver.

“A lot of people want clothes with a bit more individuality now,” Kai said. “You can find great brands and pieces without having to spend a fortune, and because most of what we sell is one-off, there’s that feeling of finding something that’s completely yours.”

Inside Stay Tidy: a rail of colourful vintage jackets under framed Nike and Carhartt posters, a chalkboard reading Vintage clothing this way, students get 15% off, and two wooden crates of folded clothes by the window
Inside the shop, with jackets on the rail and the student discount chalked on the board. Photo: supplied by Stay Tidy

Opening day and the offers

  • Prize draw: everyone who buys something on Saturday 3 October is entered automatically into a draw for a vintage Barcelona football shirt. The winner is announced the next day. Kai calls the shirt the best find in the opening stock: “It’s probably the piece I’d be most tempted to keep myself, but instead we’re giving it away as part of the opening.”
  • Coffee: buyers on opening day also get 10% off at Crave, a Tamworth coffee shop, in a joint launch offer between the two independents.
  • Students: 15% off, all the time.
  • Loyalty card: five stamps earn 50% off a purchase.

With the opening falling in the run-up to Christmas, Kai hopes the changing stock will suit people hunting for one-off presents, particularly for teenagers and young adults.

More than a shop

Kai’s plans go beyond the rails. He wants to run clothing swaps, community events and a Stay Tidy running club, and to work with young people in the area, passing on what he learned going from a retail apprenticeship to a business of his own.

No dates are set yet. Kai hopes the first clothing swap and running club will come “within the next few months”. “I want to get the shop open and established first, then start introducing things like clothing swaps and the running club once we’ve built up a bit of a local community around Stay Tidy,” he said. “I’d rather let it grow naturally and find out what people want to get involved with than rush into doing something straight away.”

A walk round the shop, from the front door past the rails to the counter. Video: supplied by Stay Tidy

What it means for you

  • Where: 5 College Lane, Tamworth, B79 7LP, near Tamworth College.
  • When: opens Saturday 3 October 2026.
  • Online: Instagram and TikTok @staytidy_, Depop staytidy.
  • Shop enquiries: Kai McConomy on 07743 770476.

Sponsored feature for Stay Tidy.