9 minute read
Retail Interview: Bailey’s
Award-winning trio
Greetings Today chats to Penny Bailey owner of Bailey’s, a series of three shops in Merseyside, which was named Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – North and Northern Ireland - at the Retas awards
Can you tell us a little about how you got into greeting card retail? For most of my life, I’ve been a nurse, mainly in the community as a District Nurse, then Community Matron and my final role was as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner.
My husband, Simon (whose family have been retailers for generations) and I, always liked the idea of having a card shop. In 2012, the card shop in the Ainsdale village (near Southport) where we live was closing. We saw the opportunity to fill a gap and achieve our ambition at the same time. I carried on in nursing and had support from my Mum and some great staff in the shop.
Four years later, Mum now fully retired, we had an opportunity to relocate. Still within our village but to a much better location, which doubled our turnover immediately and sparked a real enthusiasm in me.
After a year, with such a busy shop, plus a very responsible role in primary care, it became apparent I couldn’t continue to do both.
So, in 2017 Simon and I took the huge
What brands have been particularly popular with your customers?
Our biggest brands are Hallmark, Pigment and Woodmansterne. They provide a fantastic variety of ranges, with something for everyone. All are regularly refreshed to keep it interesting.
Paper Salad’s Hunky Dory, Berni Parker’s Ladies who Love Life, Rosie Made a Thing’s Gin & Frolics, Dandelion Stationery’s Words of Wisdom, IC&G’s Year You Were Born and Cherry Orchard’s Grace ranges are constantly re-ordered.
Newer brands for us, which have sold brilliantly, are Special Delivery, Ginger Betty and Lucilla Lavender.
decision for me to resign and start a whole new full-time job as a retailer! I feel very fortunate to have had two completely different, but both very rewarding, careers. And can you tell us a little about the shops? Ainsdale was our first shop. I like to think of it as small but mighty. It’s on a local village high street with great parking, nestled between a small Tesco Express and a busy pharmacy. Our customers have mainly been very loyal locals but as Ainsdale village has developed over the years, with more bars and coffee shops, we are getting customers from slightly further afield too.
After a comment from a friend about struggling to buy a gift for someone in Ainsdale, I really upped my game in that area, and it’s really paid off.
Ainsdale’s success gave me the confidence to open a second shop in Crosby in 2019. This is twice the size of the Ainsdale shop on a busy, pedestrianised shopping precinct. People were a little shocked when we opened in a new unit next door to a Card Factory, but it’s proven to be a great combination, as customers have fabulous choice between us both. With the extra space we were able to add a Thornton’s franchise, which helps drive footfall.
Before we’d opened the doors at Crosby, and with no intention at the time of opening a third shop, an opportunity came our way that we just couldn’t let pass. So, we took over the card shop in Maghull, giving it a refurb and opening the doors in February 2020. A similar size to Crosby and with an already established customer base, we’ve been able to grow from there. It’s in a busy shopping area that the locals rely on for all their everyday essentials, and I think we benefit from that. A complete change from the card and gift offering that was there before, plus the addition of Thornton’s has also helped drive footfall, I’m sure.
We are fortunate, and even more so since the pandemic, that all three shops serve local ‘villages’ with plenty of surrounding residential properties and free or cheap plentiful parking. The ‘stay local’ and ‘shop small and independent’ themes have benefited us.
Some customers tell me they rely on us as a destination for a great gift and just the right card. That’s quite a bit of pressure to keep it up, but very rewarding. Congrats on your Retas award - what do you think makes you stand out? We’re absolutely thrilled! This is our third Retas award so it’s nice to know we are doing something right and have our efforts rewarded. For people to take the time to nominate us feels very special and is much appreciated.
However, the most rewarding thing is having customers who keep returning. Obviously, without them, we’d have nothing. I think they keep coming back because they get friendly service. Customers often call in just for a chat and to share some news. All our team go out of their way to help the customer pick just the right card or gift and there is usually a fun, chatty vibe going on.
I try very hard to keep best sellers in stock but also to rotate ranges and bring in new stock. As many of our customers visit more than weekly, I would hate for them to get
bored of the same stuff year after year.
We also have a varied range of gifts that customers tell us are a little bit different; and our store design, particularly Crosby, is a step away from the norm of a traditional greeting card shop. How do you source products? Usually, I get my trainers on and do three days at Spring Fair. It’s always a good start to get a feel for themes and new products. I love Harrogate Home & Gift and PG Live too. I particularly enjoy the Springboard area where you can find fab, new talent. I’m always in awe of the artists and the efforts it takes to get to the point of publishing.
I’ve constantly got my antennae out for good product, while I’m shopping, travelling or surfing the internet; and most of our fabulous suppliers bring out new stuff to keep me interested. What is your selection criteria? That’s a tricky one. Over the years it has been trial and error. Sometimes it’s a gut instinct. If something doesn’t work, I try not to take it personally and move on to something else. I’ve got to know our customers’ tastes over the years, though it’s interesting now as all three shops have slightly different bestsellers, which is keeping me on my toes. Our visiting reps and agents are also very good at advising what is working best for them.
There is so much fabulous talent out there, but unless a publisher is offering something different from what we’ve already got, I tend not to buy from them.
I’m also looking for good-quality board and envelopes and ideally to be able to deliver within a few days. A lower carriage-paid order also makes it easier to try a small range from a new company. How is trading for you at the moment? It’s difficult to say, as since having three shops we’ve had the pandemic and a new Epos system, so year-on-year comparisons aren’t easy. However, we are generally meeting our targets and although it feels quieter in terms of footfall, the average spend is a little higher. What’s your demographic like? The majority of customers are in the middle to older age groups. How do you get word out there? We use Facebook and Instagram and occasionally local newspaper ads. It seems that Facebook works best for customers, and suppliers find us through Instagram. I could probably do a better job of it but I must admit it’s difficult to make it a priority with three shops to manage.
We try to support the local Civic Society, and give raffle prizes to local events and schools, which helps raise our profile. Do you sell both online and in store? We do have an online arm to our company but it is quite separate from the shops in its own warehouse and with a separate workforce. Have you seen the average cost of your products go up - and if so how have you dealt with it? Costs are inevitably rising. Some publishers have held back but now giving notice that their costs are to increase. Unfortunately, to keep our margin, our retail prices have gone up too. It tends only to be a few pence on our greeting cards and customers seem to take it as the norm and comment that “everything is going up’’.
I try to have a broad range of price points so there is something for most people. Do customers ask for eco-friendly product? I haven’t noticed a particular demand. A handful of customers are keen to know if something is UK-made. The majority of our greeting card brands are produced in the UK and I always opt for plastic-free if it’s an option. Is there anything you haven’t been able to source that you would like to find? It would be great if some of the smaller publishers would consider extending their ‘double-caption’ Christmas card offering to include things like to Niece and Family. Dare I say, the ones you can find currently are a bit run-of-the-mill.
What challenges have you faced over the past few months? I can’t avoid mentioning Covid causing staff sickness, though we’ve managed to stay
open with the fantastic support of our team working extra hours.
I’ve been frustrated by the media reminding everyone on a daily basis how little money they will have for treats. One report came from a flower market asking should you really be spending money on non-essentials like flowers. I thought ‘oh heck, don’t mention greeting cards!’. Our customers are quite capable of deciding where to spend their money without being made to feel guilty or anxious.
Although we are currently in the quietest trading period, our gift half-price sale and very loyal customers are keeping us buoyant. I may be naive but I’m really looking forward to the final quarter and feeling positive about it.
Long-term, I have to be positive. If I don’t stay enthusiastic, I will lose interest in finding exciting product for our customers, in moving with the times and staying current, and in making it a good place to work.
I am fortunate I can be encouraged by the way our business has grown, despite all the recent challenges.
Anything else you’d like to add? As I have got the opportunity, I would like to thank all my fantastic team for helping make Bailey’s what it is. Caroline and Rachel, my store managers, make my life much easier and are part of a team of very capable, fun and hard-working women. Big shout out to them all.
If you could choose the cards people sent you - which would you choose to receive for Christmas or birthday or other special occasion? I recently celebrated my 50th birthday and was overwhelmed by the number of cards I received.
I love to receive them and appreciate any card that has some thought behind it. When someone makes the effort to put pen to paper, and then walk round with it or put a stamp on and post it, it’s very special.
These are the little things that make life better and long may people continue to do so. That phrase ‘Send a card, deliver a smile’ is so true.
