THE BIG INTERVIEW Right: Peppa is loved by preschoolers and parents alike and fits with Character. com’s customer base well.
During a turbulent few years for all businesses, Character. com, like most others, has had to be reactive during the challenges bought about by the pandemic. But following a recent investment, there are big plans to grow the company from its already strong position as a key retailer in the licensed preschool space. PPS sits down with buying director Karen Hewitt, to find out more.
STRENGTH OF CHARACTER
W
hile being an online retailer may have stood Character. com in good stead in terms of the volume of sales during the Covid lockdowns and high street closures, the last year has been far from a straightforward period of business for the Swansea-based company. Karen Hewitt, buying director, recalls: “The most apt description would be a rollercoaster ride. The effects of Covid and Brexit have made running a business harder than ever before and it seems that every vertical, in every industry has been affected in one way or another. “That’s meant a year being more reactive that we’d have liked, where some plans were put on hold and
Left: Karen Hewitt, co-founder and buying director, Character.com.
others put to the top of the priority list.” Its lack of bricks and mortar stores meant that Character.com’s sales were strong during lockdown. Karen tells us: “As an online retailer we saw that huge spike of demand from the first lockdown onwards and that has really continued up until the last few months, where we are seeing a more expected increase in demand. The logistical challenges everyone has faced though has made it an extremely tough year to continue with our growth plans.” While the number of products being sold hit a high during lockdown, the trends in products was entirely
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