7 minute read
Barking Mad
Pramland’s John Barker talks trade, expansion and is ready, booked and looking forward to Harrogate 2022!
Hello all, I’d like to start this month’s article by saying how pleased I was with the feedback I received last month. I received a few emails from you guys saying how you felt a little deflated due to the way trade has been. So, if you emailed me thanks for reaching out and I’m glad my words help.
After my article last month, I had hoped that the market would have seen a little stability. . . How wrong could I be? Like us you’ll no doubt have seen some pretty rubbish days trading, followed by some amazing days. The lack of consistency is really driving me (and I’m guessing you too) mad! The press constantly harping on about how little money people have is really starting to cause shoppers to think twice before placing orders. This is despite the fact that these customers know that in XYZ weeks they’ll have a baby and they will be needing the items they’ve not forked out for. Many of us offer payment plans but even these are not managing to tempt some people as it requires the customer to be confident enough that they’ll have the balance before baby arrives. It begs the question if the way forward is to offer a 0% finance package to customers in the store. As a trade off for the added administration they will at least release funds immediately to assist with cash flow but the question remains, is there
enough margin in our industry to absorb the cost of offering such a facility?
We’d all love to work on a flat margin of 30% but invariably this gets eroded to 23/24% after you’ve had to price match someone online happy to earn nothing. Can we afford to see this drop below 20% after we’ve paid for Mr & Mrs Pramshoppers fees that whichever finance company will charge? It’s a real catch 22 situation, you may lose sales if you don’t offer the facility, after all someone else might do well off it. On the flip side if you do offer it, you’ll be compromising your margins and adding to your administrative duties. It’s a true head scratcher and something I know many of you are struggling to get to grips with too.
Despite the stop / start trading of the past couple of months work has cracked on with the store expansion and we have finally got a space we can welcome customers in to. It’s not 100% finished yet but it’s tidy and a space we can trade from. Over the coming weeks the balance of the work will be completed and I can finally put my feet up (as if that’s going to happen!) just in time for my next project! It’s made a remarkable difference to the store and now all the furniture is no longer on the main shop floor the place feels HUGE! I have to admit I’m a little fed up of building furniture and the amount of polystyrene is crazy, worse still you can’t get rid of the stuff. I get home on a night and get changed. . . .with that hundreds of little white polystyrene balls float off around the room sticking to every surface.
I finally managed to get my shiny new meter fitted by British Gas. . . .the heating engineers installed the new (and offensively expensive) hot hair blower just in time for the cold snap last week. . . .only for the gas man to declare that the supply coming in to the property is insufficient to power the new meter! I can’t believe how hard it has been trying to get this sorted – it’s like trying to empty a paddling pool with a fork. It makes me chuckle when I the engineer tries to explain the problem to me, a layman and someone that has ZERO knowledge of how gas works. My entire life experience of gas is turning the central heating on at home, so when I am told about the difference between pressure and volume I just stop listening. At least the weather has turned again and the need for heating in the new show room has decreased, it gives me a few months to sort out If you are a brand reading this please get your stand booked for the show (Harrogate), we independents loved the show in 2021 and will all happily commit to attending and support the show and you if you guys attend too. To quote Kevin Costner “build it and they will come.“
the whole pressure / volume thing – Fingers crossed I’ll have it sorted this side of 2023. . . .but I’m not going to hold my breath.
Spring has seen a few price increases which where fully expected, the pertinent question must be are these the last for the year or will we see more at a later stage? It’s comical how customers are fully on board with the future of gas and petrol prices but when you tell people that prices may continue to rise they just assume it’s because we want another holiday or fancy a new car – nothing to do with the never ending price increases of manufacturing and shipping. I think the general public think that everything we buy costs us £3/£4 and we sell it for £1000 plus. To be fair given the race to bottom of online pricing you can see why they have this view.
In other news I am pleased to say that I have booked my hotel in preparation for Harrogate! Check me out! Captain Early! I thought about Cologne and ended up thinking, nah it’s Harrogate for me. I have to say that I’m looking forward to it and think that if the show can build on what it offered last year then it will be an amazing weekend. So, if you are a brand reading this please get your stand booked for the show, we independents loved the show in 2021 and will all happily commit to attending and support the show and you if you guys attend too. To quote Kevin Costner “build it and they will come”.
So, until next month stay safe and I sincerely hope that business picks up again for all of you.
Bedtime bliss
Sleeptime is an area that causes many anxieties for new parents. Fortunately manufacturers and suppliers keep this sector refreshed with continual innovation and advancements coming from Bedside Cribs.
Sleep is probably one of the most important things (aside from eating) that a baby does, however this is also an area that can create huge anxieties for many parents which is perhaps why we experience a great uptake on bedside cribs, which provide a sense of closeness, while keeping baby safe in their own sleep environment next to the bed of the parent.
Bedside cribs have seen a huge uptake in interest and is a continual growing category with many brands now embracing this as a staple within their product ranges. This is perhaps one of the largest innovation sectors seen over the years within sleeptime solutions and one that hasn’t stood still, with many great new product launches to satisfy the growing consumer demand.
Fully adjustable for perfect night’s sleep
The Silver Cross Voyager Co-sleeper offers the best in baby and parent comfort thanks to its practical and flexible design.
Adjustable to seven different height positions, Voyager fits to the side of the bed with a simple-to-use harness and a drop-down mesh side panel that is perfect for night-time feeding.
As baby grows, Voyager can be used as a stand-alone crib, with an optional incline setting to help aid congestion and reflux. It is easy to manoeuvre with four lockable swivel wheels, while a quick-and-easy compact fold and lightweight travel bag make it perfect for nights away from home.
www.silvercrossbaby.com
Perfect dreams
The Dreamer Bedside Crib is an update of an old popular model but with the addition of a drop side to allow safe bedside side sleeping.
Great to use when on holidays or travelling or visiting friends and family. Supplied with a newborn bassinette and is finished in soft fabrics for a comfy sleeptime. Mattress is included and extra storage provided under the bassinette and with handy pockets. Easy to fold and carry with the handy bag provided.
Winner of the MadeForMums Bronze Award 2022 Travel Cot.
