7 minute read
Keeping it fresh
Can you tell us a little about your background before you owned the shop?
I studied art & design and photography before moving into the family business with my mum, who has owned the shops for 14 years.
I’ve always been interested in design, and I have full control over all aspects of presentation and marketing. We share responsibility for the buying and I think we make a really good team, as we have complementary skills.
And can you tell us a little about the shops. We have two medium-sized shops in Essex, both located on the busy high streets of the towns of Shenfield and Hornchurch. We are in areas that are rich in independent businesses, surrounded by schools - both of which generate good footfall.
I like to think we offer more than just cards and gifts: we pride ourselves on being known as a destination shop. Customer service is a big thing for us, and we always try to be as helpful as possible. I do a lot of bespoke gift wrapping for some customers at peak times such as Mother’s Day and especially Christmas.
What have been the best moments for you since you opened the shops?
One of the standout moments has to be when we won ‘Best Independent Greetings Card Retailer East Anglia’ back in 2019 [also just named as a 2023 finalist!]. We also feel a huge sense of achievement when we have record card sales for any season, which we did for Valentines and Mother’s Day this year.
And the worst?
Our worst moments were undoubtedly during the prolonged lockdowns. It was soul-destroying that we were unable to open for so many months, and I was extremely demoralised. However, I used the time wisely and created our website during the first lockdown, and was then able to offer postal and click-and-collect during the subsequent periods.
How do you source products?
I find a lot of inspiration on social media but, most importantly, from our customers. I listen to what customers want and then try to find products to best suit everyone’s needs. Mum and I really enjoy attending Spring Fair, as we find it’s the best way to source new products and see everything the industry has to offer under one roof.
What is your selection criteria?
When selecting cards, we tend to look for fresh new designs that our customers may not have seen before. We sell through cards very quickly, which allows us to keep the racks nice and fresh. Our customers are always looking for new designs when shopping with us. We have a very loyal client base in both shops and we understand what each shop needs to satisfy everybody.
Selecting gifts is very different to cards, as we try to offer something a bit different to most high street shops. Taking into account the area and surrounding shops, we curate gift displays based on a few key groups. These include gifts for kids, for her, and for him, plus homeware. Jellycat is a huge seller for us, along with Katie Loxton and Joma Jewellery. And Wrendale is a particular firm favourite in our Hornchurch shop.
How is trading for you at the moment?
This year, we’ve noticed a marked trend towards highend card product. Customers are happy to pay for quality and we are regularly selling out and restocking the top-end luxury cards.
What’s your demographic like?
Our demographic varies massively. We try to cater for everyone - from children popping in to buy cards for their parents or school friends, right up to the very elderly buying for all the generations below them.
We tend to have whole families shop with us, as most either live locally, or know what we have and love our selection.
How do you get word out there - do you use social media, local advertising, word of mouth?
I started to promote our business via social media properly a few years ago. In the beginning, it was very daunting but I soon found my stride. I find this to be one of the most effective ways to advertise as I’m able to upload lots of content, varying from cards to our gifting displays. I also post ‘behind-the-scenes’ content of my day and what I get up to when managing the shops. Being a creative person, I enjoy photographing our products and curating shop window displays.
We’re aware that a lot of customers spread the word about our shops, which draws people in from further afield. Customers often tell me they’ve seen me on social media, particularly Instagram, and that they were desperate to come and see what we have in person. I aim to be myself when posting stories; I chat to our followers as we have a lot of fun and I like to show that we offer a welcoming environment.
Do you sell both in the shop and online? If so, what is the split?
We sell both in the shops and online. I’m currently in the process of revamping our website. Now, three years on, I feel it’s time to update it and I’m making changes to add more products. Being completely self-taught, I’m very proud that I’ve been able to build and solely maintain our website.
As for selling cards online, of course we cannot mirror what we have in the stores as we stock hundreds of lines! Although, I will be adding a few select lines from certain companies including Five Dollar Shake, Belly Button Designs, UK Greetings and Ling Designs, to name a few.
Card sales have, and always will be, our bread-andbutter. Customers love coming in-store to browse and read our vast selection. I believe that unless a person is after something completely bespoke, they’re not looking for greetings cards online.
Have you seen the average cost of your products go up - and if so, how have you dealt with it?
The average cost has gone up gradually for some products, and more drastically for others. We’ve found that because customers want what we have, they are willing to pay the increased prices, as they are unable to easily find such products locally elsewhere.
For some items such as helium balloons, we have ceased sales, as the cost of helium has risen drastically. To make sales viable, we would have to increase our prices by a lot - and I know our customers wouldn’t be happy to pay it.
Do customers ask for eco-friendly product? Is this something you try to stock?
All our handbags and accessories are made from vegan leather, making them a great offering for our eco-friendly customers. For ladies, we offer a large selection of Katie Loxton bags as well as a variety by Alice Wheeler. We stock a range of male bags and accessories too - also made from vegan leather - by Paul Oliver.
When it comes to cards, we aim to have almost all of them unwrapped when delivered, as I feel it’s extremely important to cut down on plastic waste where possible. Some companies are now using recycled/recyclable coverings on their cards. I personally think the small stickers securing the envelope inside the card is enough, as it stays neat and does the job.
What brands have been particularly popular with your customers?
Without a doubt, one of our most popular brands is
Jellycat (for obvious reasons), closely followed by Katie Loxton, which is becoming more widely recognised in our window displays and on social media.
Peppermint Grove candles and diffusers have been extremely popular for us over the years and continue to be so as they release new fragrances. We have proudly converted a lot of our customers to these gorgeous home fragrance products from other higher-priced designer brands.
In terms of the most popular card companies, it really depends on who the recipient is. Quite often customers ask for help finding the perfect card, and we always ask a bit about the recipient to best advise which collections to look at.
For example, we find that extra special cards by UK Greetings are particularly popular for men to send to the women in their lives - whether their wife or mumspecifically the larger, more elaborate designs. Our male customers feel confident in buying the perfect card from us, as we stock such a range of stunning cards from a variety of companies.
Is there anything you haven’t been able to source that you would like to find?
I would love to find some unusual toys for kids, not just babies. When visiting the Spring Fair this year, I struggled to see anything that jumped out at me. Of course we have Jellycats and lots of lovely kids’ stationery by Rachel Ellen Designs, but I feel we could do really well with toys that aren’t necessarily available in mainstream shops. A lot of our customers buy for kids, and I’d like to add to our offering in this department.
Are there any plans for the near future?
Currently my plan is to grow our audience on social media by following the trends, and by showing and selling our products on TikTok. I can see this is the way to go, and I have lots planned contentwise, so watch this space! It will hopefully extend our reach and gain more online customers - and hopefully encourage people from further away to come and visit us. It may take a little while to get set up, as it’s just me who runs our social media and website, but I do really enjoy it.
If you could choose the cards people sent you - which would you choose to receive for Christmas or birthday or other special occasion?
I must say the people in my life know me very well, as the cards I receive are always spot on. In particular, my other half always chooses the perfect card for me. He usually chooses a Five Dollar Shake or Belly Button card for Christmas and, for my birthday, usually a UK Greetings card as they also have some really lovely words. My family and friends will always choose between Five Dollar Shake and Belly Button, as they are very much my style.
