September 03, 2026

Case Study: The Trade Loft

Jamie Vine is the owner of The Trade Loft, a business that specialises in second-hand items and stopping usable items from going to waste. Here, we will look at The Trade Loft’s story and how Cinch Storage Chippenham has helped.

Trade loft case study. Image shows the owner of Trade Loft Jamie with the Cinch Self Storage Chippenham manager inside Trade Loft's storage unit.

During COVID, Jamie decided to take that leap and started experimenting with different businesses. Over time, he realised the biggest opportunity was in an industry that he already knew well – the second-hand market, working with house clearances, charities and surplus stock. The more he got involved in this industry, the more he realised just how much perfectly usable stock ends up going to waste. That became the driving force behind what he is building with The Trade Loft.

The Trade Loft is all about creating value from items that others no longer need while helping businesses, charities and individuals find the best route for their stock.

How The Trade Loft has Evolved

Like most businesses, The Trade Loft has evolved since its inception. Jamie explored a variety of different avenues – export business, shipping containers to Africa, online marketplaces, auctions and different business models.

Every stage taught something, but now the focus is on B2B and B2C, alongside the goal of always being ethical and thinking about how to prevent usable goods ending up going to waste.

How Cinch Storage Chippenham has Helped

When Jamie first got in touch with Cinch Storage Chippenham, he only saw it as temporary storage. He simply had too much stock and saw Cinch Storage as a very practical solution.

As time went on, the business changed, and Jamie found the business in need of a restructure. Our storage was able to help with this.

“I had an issue and needed temporary storage. That’s when I found Cinch Storage Chippenham and met Andrew (Chippenham Store Manager) and built a relationship with him. We were back and forth for two months and then I left Cinch Storage and tried other avenues. I’ll be honest, it became almost suffocating. It got to a point where I was constantly bottle-necking. I was trying to grow and I couldn’t find structure. And it was hard to separate the business and home life. I reached out to Andrew months later and we chatted about potential storage. I let him know my situation and it [the storage] gave me breathing room again.”

Creating an Operational Hub

Now no longer thinking of our storage as a temporary solution, Jamie began seeing Cinch Storage as an operational hub for this business. A place where he could organise collections, process stock, meet people and create a business that was flexible enough to adapt as new opportunities came along. He rented both storage and an office to create a space that really works for his business.

“They were kind enough to go the extra mile and show me different options. And then the office came up and the team went the extra mile again, telling me about the options. Now I do live auctions and sales from my office. It’s given me a bit more structure and I can scale my business.”

Affordable Storage in the Perfect Location

Like many of our business clients, the location was really important to Jamie. Our affordable storage has also proven to be a huge benefit to him.

“The location is great for me because it’s just down the dual carriageway from me. And I had always had it in my mind that Bumpers Way was a good location from a commercial standpoint. The biggest issue for me is affordability. So many businesses are struggling because they can’t afford the overheads so, to have an affordable overhead and have a perfect location and have a team that almost feels like part of my team – I cannot fault it.”

Cinch Storage Chippenham have been able to provide Jamie with the ideal space to stock some stock but he found so much more – a safe space to run his business, grow his business and feel supported along the way.

“I came looking for storage. I found the foundation for my next stage of business. As my business evolved, my storage evolved with it. The Trade Loft has changed several times but Cinch Storage Chippenham has given me the flexibility to change with it. I don’t just store stock there anymore, I build my business there.”