Evolution Stores – Brighton Bond

A canopy of joss stick smoke, row upon row of Buddhist paraphernalia, mirrors, photo frames, cards, cushions, pretty bijoux presents… Evolution is a gift a shop with a hippy soul leaning toward the East. Candlesticks, Buddha statues. The colours in here are a bit bright and cheerful for my Hamlet tendencies but it’s a useful place to buy a quick present if you’ve completely forgotten and only have fifteen minutes to choose.

This is one of my favourite shops in Brighton. Anywhere that stocks Buddhist statues and handmade jewellery alongside 50s-​style plaques proclaiming Coffee! Do stupid things faster with more energy! and light-​up rubber duck key chains has gotta be good.
I didn’t realise Evolution was a chain until I looked it up online, which I take as a great sign. It has the feel of an independent store that epitomises the Brighton mentality all their stock is ethically traded, and all profits go the charity that owns the stores, The Windhorse Trust (
) .
The best thing about Evolution is that everything in here is a great price, as they aren’t looking to make a profit. Furthermore (not many people know this), they have a clearance store on Western Road, where anything that doesn’t sell in the main store gets sold on for even cheaper! You can bag some bargains in the Bond Street shop, but the gems you can find in here are unbelievable.
Both branches of Evolution are my last resort gift shops if I haven’t found what I’m looking for elsewhere, I can guarantee to get something (or many little things) for any of my girlfriends here.

This shop fills me with rage. I have nothing against shops selling useless items, per se, but when they are badly-​made and totally tasteless? Well, frankly, it makes me want to walk in and shout at every shopper, ‘Stop! Don’t do it! Everything in here is tacky and horrible and will inevitably end up broken or stuffed under your bed for all eternity!’. Now clearly I don’t have the guile for that, I’m British and I don’t like to cause a scene…
Every time I walk past this shop it’s packed. This is an absolute mystery to me. Who are you shoppers? How much are they paying you to pose as willing customers? I see you there queueing up with your cheap looking cushions and your novelty tea pots, but my brain won’t compute… what are you doing? Please tell me those items aren’t gifts!
It takes a lot for me to give one star, but there really is nothing redeeming about this shop. The merchandise is cheaply-​made and there is absolutely no overarching theme, unless you count ‘random chaotic tack’. The name also strikes me as a little audacious– perhaps they are being ironic (but something tells me not) — for there is nothing cutting edge or inspiring about Evolution– it looks more like they’ve raided a collection of little girl’s bedrooms and extracted all of the short-​lived fads they could find! Glitter balls, comedy chinaware, faux ethnic print bags etc. Don’t waste your time here folks– head in to the Lanes for a great selection of unique and interesting gift and homeware shops.

Who shops at Evolution?
How does it keep going month in, month out?
Everytime I walk past this store, I find myself asking the same questions. There’s rarely anyone in there buying anything and yet, it occupies one of the biggest shop spaces on Bond Street. One glance at the window displays tell you all you need to know: there’s Union Jack doormats and cushions strategically placed inbetween Acid House posters, cheap picture frames, lampshades, candles and hundreds of other naff gift items. They also do a range of ethnic jewellery and fairtrade craft paper but really, the whole aesthetic is just cheap as chips.

I think it would be fair to say that none of the items sold in Evolution could be considered in anyway ‘essential’. There certainly aren’t children round the world starving as a consequence of their inability to purchase large statues of hindu gods, smiley face bean bags, or clocks shaped like the sun. So don’t come into this crazy little store expecting to find anything of any actual use. The items sold within truely are superfluous. You’ll find millions of different bangels and chains, candles, piggy banks, clocks, photo stands, some bright and colourful cups, prints, laterns, wind chimes, bean bags and more. Some of these things are pretty cool, others just a little tacky, but either way, this is an ok store to visit if you want any of the aforementioned.

Evolution is a chain, so it won’t be hugely different from any other store in respect of what it actually sells. Atmosphere is all, however, and this store has a great atmosphere. Its big, big enough to show off some of the bigger items very well, and big enough not to be scared about knocking some of the smaller pieces into little tiny pieces on the floor. The staff are friendly except when busy (which this place really can be). They aren’t wildly knowledgeable, but then its very much a wizzywig sort of place — what you see is what you get.
Its probably a bit girly for some guys, but the stock is plentifully visible from the street, you’ll be able to tell if its your sort of place — cards, gifts, vaguely Buddhist type stuff, New Agey, that sort of thing.