6 minute read
Diary of a Gift Shop by Claire Leigh owner of Two Ducks in Woking
Diary of a gift shop
Claire Leigh, owner of Two Ducks in Woking, reveals tricks, tips and lessons learned on her buying journey
Iwould speculate that part of the reason any buyer becomes a buyer is because they already love buying things. The trick with buying (I’ve learned over the past 10 years), is not to buy for your own home/wardrobe/needs, but to use those influences and your taste to best guess your customers’ needs.
That’s definitely not how I started out buying! I started my own store from scratch, coming from a marketing background in tech. I was pretty confident in my ‘eye’ for spotting unique/beautiful
products, but I wasn’t quite so good at separating my ‘unique’ tastes from my customers’ broader needs or budgets. And in terms of quantity/ depth/range/story, I had no clue!
For instance, I once bought some handcrafted kitchen utensils: a range inspired by nature and around £20 a piece (at the time). Of course no one bought them (at full price at least). Just a handful of customers were willing to part with their hard-earned money. I was predominantly a ‘gift shop’ at the time, and these were far more ‘expensive self-purchase treat’ items. Everyone commented on them and admired them, but they didn’t buy them; like a beautiful painting you prefer to just gaze upon.
I learned my lesson quickly. But it’s taken years to hone in on what my customers truly love, and what prices they are willing to pay. It’s been a fascinating journey, and I’ve made some beautiful finds (alongside some whopping mistakes). But now I know my customers pretty well.
So I always find it slightly amusing when a company (hoping to be a stockist) approaches me and tells me what will work well for my customers, and how well their products will sit among my other brands - and assumes I have a gap on my shelves simply because I don’t have what they sell on my website.
Buying is an art. Selling is an art too. One that not many get spot-on, in my humble opinion. The worst example has to be those who simply ‘turn up’ at your door with a bag of handmade items and expect not only to be seen pretty instantly, but to be given half an hour of your time (with no prior appointment) to go through their wares.
Generally they’ve done no research into wholesale pricing so, if you do spend time with them, you’re also giving them a lesson in retail. Sometimes, when I explain that ‘I can’t see you now and it’s best to follow our process under the ’suppliers’
section of our website’, they look really rather put out, especially considering they have made a special trip to see me.
But in what other business environment would you simply rock up to the front desk and say ‘hey, I’m just coming in on the off-chance that the owner is here and has 30 minutes to spare to look at my products, for which I have no definitive pricing’?
Just because my job involves being on the shop floor doesn’t mean I’m free. I’m there to serve customers (and do a million other small jobs). I know it’s probably naivety on their part but, at the simplest level, it’s just plain bad manners. And at a more advanced level, it’s bad business practice. (This doesn’t apply to reps who know you and pop in with a new brochure; I see that as a different thing.)
Then there are those who email you with an opening line of, for example: ‘I want to introduce our fabulous skincare range: I think it will sit perfectly among your other brands and will be the ideal product for your customer.’ Oh, I think, you do, do you? And how would you know that? Have you been to my store? I suspect not, and to be fair, this is not always realistic. They may have visited our website but that’s just a shop
window. There can be any number of reasons we don’t have a skincare brand on our shelves. In fact we don’t stock a skincare brand, and the reason? Because people are quite loyal to their skincare brands - they don’t swap products that often, so it’s not an easy sell. Not only that, but it takes a lot of training, knowledge and time to ensure staff understand and can best sell skincare. And in a small independent shop, we don’t always have enough time to dedicate to a customer exploring all their skincare needs. Therefore, are we really the right store for you anyhow?
In the same vein, there are those who ring me. I appreciate that it’s not easy to get hold of a buyer or store owner for a conversation. I desperately try to leave the phone line clear for customer queries though, not countless sales calls.
For me, email is far better. Then I can look at things in my own time, not theirs. That doesn’t mean their email goes to the top of my priority list, sadly. As a small business owner I’m juggling 101 tasks, and often already have a plan of who I will buy from for Spring or Christmas. And please don’t email me on Monday and then chase me on Wednesday for my view. I can 100% guarantee I won’t have had a chance to look at it. Give me a week, at least, if not two.
Then there are those who nail it (in my opinion). Those who email me and start by focusing on my world. They have looked up my brand story, researched how and why the store started, our principles, and our values when buying. They have checked out our Instagram account and see how we operate, and where our sense of humour sits, and they appeal to it.
These people I just want to say yes to and if it’s the right product, you can bet your bottom dollar they’re in the door! Even if they don’t have a suitable product, I’m sad to say no. But then they’re on my radar, even if they are a no, and I will recommend them to other shop owners/buyers that I’m friends with. Win-win.
Not all stores will appreciate the same approach as me, but if you’ve been banging the same drum for years, it’s probably worth a try to see how things change. Ask yourself: which category do I sit in and am I in the best place to create a win-win?
Email: hello@two-ducks.co.uk Visit: two-ducks.co.uk FB: twoduckslifestyle Instagram: twoduckslifestyle
PHOTOS: Eddie Judd Photography
