Seas the Day! Aloft looks and feels as though it belongs by the sea. With shops in Padstow and Salcombe, plus Aloft at Home at Avon Mill Garden Centre near Kingsbridge, this independent retailer has built its identity around relaxed coastal living. Colourful knits sit alongside beach-ready clothes, caps, jewellery, gifts and home accessories, with the occasional lobster, octopus and OUT OF OFFICE slogan adding a bit of fun. It is cheerful, informal and very easy to like.
So what’s behind Aloft, and is it worth a look if Cornwall or Devon isn’t quite within popping-in distance?
Who is The Aloft Shop?
Aloft began in Padstow and has grown into a small family of coastal shops, including Salcombe and the homeware-focused Aloft at Home. The business describes its aim rather simply: to bring customers a little bit of sunshine. That is actually a pretty good summary of what it does.
Read more about Aloft and the team behind it.
What’s the Aloft look?
The look is relaxed, colourful and coastal without requiring you to decorate yourself as a lighthouse. Women’s and men’s clothing, knitwear, beachwear, accessories, jewellery, gifts and homeware are mixed with established names and smaller or emerging designers. Swedish brand Holebrook is particularly prominent, and its knitted windproof clothing makes a lot of sense beside the British coast. Padstow may look glorious in the photographs, but a windproof jumper is rarely a foolish purchase in Britain.
It isn’t all other people’s brands
Aloft’s own collection brings more of the brand’s personality into the mix. Casual clothing, knits, T-shirts, shirts and accessories have an easy holiday feel without straying into fancy dress. Caps carry slogans such as BOAT DAYS, CIAO and OUT OF OFFICE, while marine motifs and beach-inspired designs crop up throughout the range. Most of it would feel equally at home on a weekend away or back home afterwards.
You can browse Aloft’s current collection online.
The coastal connection is genuine
The word coastal has become so fashionable that we’re approximately three cushions away from somebody launching Coastal Tax Accountancy. Aloft has rather more claim to it. The team talks about swimming in local coves, paddleboarding the estuary and walking dogs along the coastal paths, while its main shops sit in two of Britain’s best-known seaside destinations. That local connection comes through in the buying, which feels rooted in the places where the business actually operates rather than simply following a seaside trend.
What do customers think?
Customer reviews are one area where a little caution is sensible. Aloft doesn’t currently have the kind of large independent review profile that would justify drawing broad conclusions from a customer score. The company does publish feedback on its own website, and while retailer-selected testimonials aren’t the same as independently collected reviews, the comments do give a flavour of the service customers say they have received.
Customers featured on the Aloft website talk about help choosing outfits, discovering and loving the Salcombe store, and the attention given to online orders. One shopper even says the team telephoned to check that her parcel had arrived and everything fitted. Remember telephone calls? Apparently some shops still make them.
Personal shopping – with added fizz
Aloft also encourages customers to get in touch if they need help choosing an outfit, putting together a holiday wardrobe or simply want a second opinion. Actual people helping you choose things feels surprisingly refreshing when so much online shopping now involves an algorithm insisting you may also like seventeen almost identical jumpers. If you’re planning a visit and would like some help, contact the relevant store beforehand to see what can be arranged.
Rather good for presents
From a gifting point of view, Aloft has plenty going for it. Clothing, accessories, jewellery, beachwares and homeware provide a much wider choice than the usual seaside souvenir. If inspiration is proving elusive, customers can contact the team for help, including enquiries about products spotted in store that may not be showing online. Handy if you saw the perfect present on holiday and only remembered it three weeks later.
For gift enquiries, contact The Aloft Shop directly.
What about online shopping?
The website makes Aloft accessible even when your nearest coastline requires considerably more than a stroll. Clothing, accessories, gifts and homeware can all be browsed online, although delivery charges, returns terms, sale conditions and international shipping arrangements can change. For that reason, we’d check the latest information on the Aloft website before ordering rather than rely on an old delivery price or returns window.
Start at The Aloft Shop’s official website and check the current terms before completing your purchase.
Where does Aloft fall down?
Our main reservation is the relatively small amount of independently verified customer-review data. Aloft’s own testimonials are encouraging, although more verified post-purchase feedback on sizing, product quality, delivery and returns would be useful for customers discovering the business online. International ordering can also involve an extra step compared with a large global retailer, which is worth bearing in mind if you’re buying from overseas.
Our verdict
4.6/5
Aloft has much of what we enjoy about a good independent shop: a collection with personality, a clear sense of place and the feeling that somebody has actually made choices about what goes on the shelves. Established brands sit comfortably with emerging designers and Aloft’s own pieces, while the emphasis on service and gift advice gives the business a personal edge.
We’d still like to see more independent customer-review data, particularly for people buying online for the first time, but as a proposition Aloft is enormously likeable. If you happen to be passing the Padstow or Salcombe shop, go in. Just accept that there’s a reasonable chance you’ll emerge looking considerably more nautical than when you entered.
At a glance
Best for
Relaxed coastal fashion and gifts
Our standout
The curated mix of established and emerging brands
Great for
Holiday wardrobes, accessories and unusual presents
We particularly like
The personal, independent-shop approach
Biggest consideration
Limited independent review data
Our rating: 4.6/5
How to shop The Aloft Shop
Aloft’s clothing, accessories, gifts and homeware can be ordered online or bought from its physical stores.
Padstow
5-7 Duke Street, Padstow, Cornwall, PL28 8EU
Store details
Salcombe
64 Fore Street, Salcombe, Devon, TQ8 8ET
Find Aloft’s locations
Aloft at Home
Avon Mill Garden Centre, Loddiswell, near Kingsbridge
Contact and store information
Online: thealoftshop.com
Prices, offers, delivery charges, opening hours and returns terms can change, so check the latest information directly with Aloft before ordering or making a special journey
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