INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLE
FROM THE HIGH STREET
PPS invites four indie retailers from the preschool sector - Julie Logan, owner, The Olive Branch Toy Shop; Susannah Irving, associate director, Bumpstart Baby Shop; Caroline Pizzey, owner of Little Poppets and Yas Ali, director of Babyland Fife – to discuss how 2022 is going so far, finding the balance between online and instore, what’s driving consumers’ purchasing decisions and their hopes for the remainder of the year.
Susannah Irving
Caroline Pizzey
Yas Ali
Susannah: “We’ve had a good first quarter, appointments are still popular at weekends but we are also taking walk-ins now which is really boosting sales.”
HOW HAS 2022 BEEN FOR YOU SO FAR? Yas: “2022 thus far has been a mixed bag. Different obviously compared to the last couple of years; we've seen a return to 'normality' and I'm not sure I like it.” Julie: “We are pleased to welcome in a more ‘normal’ spring in the shop with steady sales, returning to pre-pandemic levels. Online sales have been more patchy, but we remain optimistic that upgrades to our website over the spring months will put us in a great position for later in the year. It’s tough for small businesses at present and we are truly grateful to our loyal customers and those who actively seek out local, independent stores. We really do dance a happy dance at the end of a great day.” Below: The Olive Branch has seen a growing trend for multi sensory toys for preschool children.
Julie Logan
Caroline: “We have had a great 2022 so far. We have noticed that we haven’t had the same peaks and troughs like previous years but more of a steady constant flow which has been great.” ARE YOU FINDING THAT CONSUMERS ARE NOW RETURNING TO STORES, OR IS THE LOCKDOWN TREND FOR ONLINE SHOPPING CONTINUING? Caroline: “We have luckily not had any problems with customers ‘disappearing’ during the pandemic as our customers continued to support the store via virtual appointments and purchasing direct from the website. Since the store has re-opened completely we have continued to grow.” Susannah: “We’re definitely seeing people return to in-store shopping en masse. Internet sales continue to tick along, but the in-store experience wins for our customers on the whole.” Yas: “Again a mixed bag, people look online then come in-store; we are a large destination store so it’s always about getting feet through the door for us. People craved the in-store shopping
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06/05/2022 11:09
