Nottingham student selling trainers for up to £4000 in business which opened during pandemic

A student from Nottingham speaks of his success after opening a limited edition trainers shop while studying full time.

Lashon James started his trainers business during the height of the pandemic in 2020, while he was studying economics at university.

He says the secret to his success lies in the principles of his degree, where he understood how a combination of low supply and high demand can result in a higher selling price.

The entrepreneur has been selling limited edition trainers from prices ranging from £200 to £4000.

He says: "So far it's been a good outcome."

Lashon knows his market audience and says the "success is down to knowing what you need to buy and knowing what to sell for more".

And it's not only the students of Nottingham that he's selling to.

"We have people coming from all over the Midlands coming specifically to our store."

A report found that Nottingham was the worst affected city in the East Midlands during the pandemic. Credit: PA

The student's new business is giving hope to others in the city after a report by Cities Outlook, which looks at the impact of covid 19 on the High Street, has found Nottingham was the worst affected city in the East Midlands in terms of sales.

The report found that Nottingham lost 40 weeks of sales between the first lockdown and since the onset the Omicron variant

It also revealed that businesses in Derby suffered 32 weeks of lost sales during the pandemic, while Leicester, which faced more restrictions than any other city, it was 36 weeks. 

Meanwhile Northampton lost three months of sales during the same period.

It warns that many less prosperous places in the East Midlands could face a wave of business closures this year.

> The UK retailers which disappeared from our high streets in 2020

Despite the bravery of opening a new business while many were closing during the pandemic, Lashon says it was still a scary journey.

“When I first started looking for a building and seeing all these bills, it gets you scared thinking can I pay for this?

"But then you realise that you earn every day."

He's also had to juggle his time between studying and running a business, where he says he takes long breaks in-between lectures and does most of his work at night.

Lashon has also had the help of his close friends and family who support him with deliveries and managing the store.

The young businessman says he feels optimistic about the future.