Retailer Profile

Feeling quirky

It’s all about quirky and the unusual for this independent retailer. Gifts Today had the pleasure to catch up with Paul Cheshire, co-owner of &Quirky to find out more.

What was the inspiration behind opening the doors to &Quirky?

&Quirky was set up to bring some eclectic and quirky products to our local High Street. Based on previous business experience we noticed the items which had big appeal were the unusual items which were not on every High Street but would make a home more unique and on trend.

Can you tell us a little about your floorspace – how do you manage this?

Our little shop has three floors, with six small rooms. This allows us to theme each room or create a different shopping experience. It also enables us to try alternative product ranges which will then help us with future buying.

What do you feel makes you stand out from competition within your area?

The different ranges of products which we source from the UK and Europe make us unique, as well as our customer service – to help source items which we do not hold in the shop.

We try to source unusual quirky items which make customers smile when they come in – and hopefully buy!

How do you find products that offer that something different as a gifting solution?

We visit both home and international trade events; we also visit supplier showrooms which enables us to see products before launched. The use of social media also enables us to find new smaller brands or identify a growing trend. We also have local makers who contact us to sell products in our shop which would complement our product ranges.

Do you feel that your customers have altered their spending behaviour when we look at the gifting arena?

At present it seems as if customers are very price sensitive – we try to offer competitive pricing, although with the increase costs of importing items, sadly prices will need to be put up. As we offer unusual items, as a special gift, the price points of these do not seem to prevent customers from purchasing.

Would you say that the products you stock reflect the shop name?

Yes, we try to source unusual quirky items which make customers smile when they come in – and hopefully buy!

Do you have a particular item or category that is currently performing well for you and why do you think this is?

We have a Press For Champagne bell which has been our best seller this Christmas period. Due to the novelty and quirky appeal, it is a great gift for any lover of Champagne. Also due to the increase in home bars this item would be the perfect accessory.

Have your experienced a particular challenge over the course of the last 12 months (apart from the Pandemic) and if so, how did you overcome this?

Due to the increase costs of importing we have had to try to cover the costs by importing more items from these suppliers. As we only have a small storage space in store we have had to take on additional storage to house this, which has also enabled us to have further products which are available on our website, but not in store, unless requested. This has helped us improve our website offering and so improve our sales.

And of course, what has been your highlight and largest achievement over the last 12 months?

Simply being able to stay open has been the biggest achievement! We worked hard during the lockdown on improving the store and product offering. This then was beneficial for our social media channels, as the styling brought more customers to the store. We also re-worked our top floor for Christmas to create a lovely Christmas grotto feel which again helped to bring more customers to the store.

What about your website. Do you stock the same items online as you do instore?

We try to list all the products available in store on our website, although some items would be store collect only due to the nature of the product. We also have additional items which are not featured in the store but are available on our website.

How important is your website to your business?

Our website is very important – this was even more apparent when we were in lockdown! We work hard on getting our products listed online as even local customers look online before coming instore to purchase. We have plans in the New Year to improve the look of our site, to try and increase sales as we feel this is an important investment to our business.

Do you operate across social media platforms and if so, how successful are these to you?

We have Facebook and Instagram accounts which we manage daily. Social media enables us to reach a customer base for free and helps to then generate sales and interest in our store.

When we look at social media, do you feel that influencers or bloggers assist in driving awareness and desire for certain products or specific categories?

We haven’t worked directly with any influencers or bloggers, although have worked with some interior designers which have helped to improve our followers. We have found that by regramming a customer image seems to improve our sales for certain products.

How do you keep abreast of current or upcoming trends?

By following certain suppliers, they seem to be ahead of the trends which you then see trickle down to other suppliers throughout the year. We try to capture a trend we feel would work for our customer base and offer a quirky style of product. Also, by seeing what is proving popular on social media accounts also help us in planning for future products.

Will you be visiting any specific trade events during 2022 – how important are these to your business and why?

We hope to be visiting Maison & Objet in Paris, as this is one of our favourite shows as it helps us find international suppliers and by seeing the designer stands helps see the up-and-coming trends. Spring / Autumn Fair helps us see UK based companies.

Do you feel you receive adequate support from your existing suppliers, or is there more you feel they could offer you?

Overall, most of the suppliers have been amazing over the past 12 months, although stock for UK based companies continue to be in short supply. It was inevitable that costs would be increasing and most suppliers have done this gradually and advised ahead of time although sadly, some imposed sharp increases on pre orders. The majority have also improved their own websites and introduced a virtual show room or being able to book a zoom call to view and order new ranges, which was very beneficial when trade shows were cancelled.

Finally, do you have any exciting news or expansion plans that you would like to share with Gifts Today readers?

We are hoping to improve our website in the New Year and we are looking forward to introducing the new quirky ranges of products into our store in 2022.