A SINGLE mum from Sale Moor who started a top trend handbag business at one of the lowest points in her life has won a Stretford Mall competition to open her own shop – free of charge.

Tracey Gibbons, 33, mum to Abbigail, 11, and Sophie, two, will open The Girl For Bags at the beginning of next month, after taking top slot in a Dragon’s Den style contest.

Her prize is the chance to move into a unit at the Stretford shopping hub free from rent, rates, insurance fees and service charge for six months.

Tracey presented her fledgling business to a panel of three judges.

The Girl For Bags stocks top name branded ladies’ handbags such as Alexander Black and LYDC.

Tracey said: “I am just so very thankful for this opportunity. The fact I will now have a proper, permanent base for my customers to come and visit me and see my bags will be a tremendous step forward for me.

“It’s still sinking in because I have really wanted to take this step and make it happen but it is so hard when you have all those start-up costs to turn it into a reality.”

Tracey started her business earlier this year after the relationship with her partner broke down.

“I was in a bad place at the time and felt very lost with no real clue of what to do next. But deep down I was still full of drive and ambition and I knew I had to get myself out of the situation somehow and back out there. I just wasn’t sure how,” she remembered.

It was Tracey’s dad, Frank, who came round one day with some on-trend satchel-style bags and persuaded her to give it a go at selling them.

Since then, she has built up The Girl For Bags mainly through establishing a loyal social media following and showcasing her stock at markets and boutiques.

Tracey added: “I am already picturing in my head how I want the shop to be and how I want to lay it out, so when customers come in they will be able to see and feel my stock properly, which isn’t possible online.

“That’s going to be the real beauty of having my own store, a base for customers to come to, and I can hardly believe it will soon be a reality.”

For more, see www.stretfordmall.com