New Waterfront Gifts shop set to open in Southsea Library

Southsea Library is set to become home to a new shop, Waterfront Gifts, which will help to offset the running costs of the library and attract new visitors.

Created by Portsmouth City Council, Waterfront Gifts will offer a range of locally-branded products, and a wide range of waterfront-themed gifts and decorative accessories.

The move will help generate funds to support the services provided by the library, at a time when the organisation is having to make savings.

A Portsmouth City Council spokesperson said: “This is a great example of how the council is becoming more commercially-minded and generating money to support the valuable services we provide. Southsea Library has a fantastic location on Palmerston Road and we need to maximise that.

“The library will continue to offer everything it currently does but alongside it will have a lovely range of items for sale with everything from decorative signs and ornaments, to stationery, bunting, and mugs. Hopefully once word spreads it will attract people into the library and introduce our services to a bigger audience.”

Waterfront Gifts will be opening in May, and the range of products will be extended to feature in the existing shops within the council’s six museum sites, including Southsea Castle and Portsmouth Museum.