7 minute read
Retail Interview
Hannah Rudder and Paul Mordecai
Greetings Today caught up with Hannah Rudder and Paul Mordecai as they were waiting to hear if Dee’s Cards had won a coveted RETAS retail award
Can you tell us a little about your background before you owned the shop?
Paul opened Dee’s cards in Leighton Buzzard, Beds in August 1992. His first taste of retail started with his dad on Essex Road, Islington in the early 1970s where they had a family- run newsagents. They were both quick to realise that cards sold really well, so a few years later they opened their first greeting card shop further down the road. He much preferred the card shop to the newsagents because of less punishing hours (no more 5am starts!). Hannah has been with Dee’s Cards for the past eight years but prior to that she had always been in retail. Tell us a little about the shop and its location.
Leighton Buzzard is a market town, and we are situated at the top end of the high street opposite the town’s Market Cross monument so we are in a very prominent position. The shop is 1,000sq ft and made up of 70% cards and 30% gifts and gift wrap. During lockdown our local council decided to pedestrianise the high street to help with social distancing. This means that buses and cars are not permitted on the main high street. Unfortunately this has negatively affected many small businesses’ footfall. However, during the past 12 months the town has lost an independent gift shop and an independent card shop so our footfall has actually increased. How do you source your products?
We source products from networking with other retailers to see what’s on trend. Also, we like going to trade shows and finding new brands that we wouldn’t normally come across. It’s good to socialise with people in the same industry as, you can compare what’s going well and what’s not.
What is your selection criteria?
We try to source the best products available on the market in terms of price and quality. We find customers will buy at a cheaper price point but the second card they buy tends to be a more luxury or hand-finished card, so you need the right balance of products. How is trading for you at the moment?
Trading is really good. Our trading months this year are up compared with 2019. We haven’t taken into account 2020 because we were shut for most of it!
During the last lockdown we changed the front of our store. We went back to our original trading name of Dee’s Cards and gave the front a new lick of paint. I think this has made a massive difference as
people’s spending habits have changed. They want to support a small business and they definitely want to shop local.
When speaking to customers when we returned, they thought we were a big chain as we had a well-known brand on our sign instead of our own, so they were put off coming in. Although we are more expensive than another wellknown chain, they want a nice shopping experience and they want decent service. Nothing is too much trouble in our store and I think that goes a long way. What’s your demographic?
Mainly the older generation. This is because they like to send a good-quality card. A lot are retired so they have the time to browse through our selection and also they tend to have more of a disposable income, so they are happy to spend money on a decent card. In addition they are from that generation
where you always send a card whether it’s a congratulations for a new job or a new baby - you always receive a card from your grandparents. Do you sell online?
No, we solely rely on people coming through the front door. Our feedback after the lockdowns about using online to buy greeting cards was really negative. As our customers are mainly older they do struggle with technology, so scrolling through pages and pages of cards was really frustrating. Customers like to come in and feel the quality. They want to read what’s inside. We know what a 5 x 7 card looks like but our customers don’t. We had a number say we sent a card that was A3 or A4 size so they had to buy a large letter stamp so it ended up being quite expensive. “During the last lockdown we changed the front of our store. We went back to our original trading name of Dee’s Cards and gave the front a new lick of paint. I think this has made a massive difference as people’s spending habits have changed’’
We would like to find more sustainably- sourced products in the future. Some of the companies we use now are already making that change and we’re here for it! What challenges have you faced over the past few months?
People are still afraid to come out and be in crowds so as we’re approaching our busiest months we have to have that balance of wanting to be really busy, and making our customers feel safe. While we were shut we were still posting on our social media so people wouldn’t forget about us and we assured them we would be back. Which cards would you choose to receive for a special occasion?
Hannah’s choice (I have two because I’m greedy): IC&G because I love a card with
sentimental words and a nice design on the front. And Buddy Fernandez because who doesn’t love a close-to-the-mark humour card?
Paul’s choice is a Paperlink card because he likes a modern, contemporary design.How do you get word out there about your business?
Paul has been in the town for a very long time so we have a very loyal customer base. Some even come weekly to get their cards. We go the extra mile for our customers. If there is something not in stock or something we tend to not carry, we will try our utmost to source it for them in time for when they need it. A lot of our card companies have a quick turnaround so they come the next day, which is fantastic! This means a lot to people, so they tell their friends about how helpful we are.
We post weekly on Facebook about what’s new in and our customers see it and then they come in the following week. We post videos and photos and just make it fun and enjoyable for people entering our store.
Our last attempt to get the word out there is through a company called Local Insights, which works with Google. If you search ‘card’, ‘gift’ or ‘gift wrap’ our store comes up as one of the first searches in the local area, which makes a huge difference. Compared with September 2020, September 2021 searches were up 200%.
Have you seen the average cost of your products go up?
We have. We have just absorbed it into our card prices and kept prices the same. However, our gift costs have gone up, so our retail prices there have marginally increased. Do customers ask for ecofriendly product?
We rarely get asked for eco-friendly products and we’re not sure why but most of our cards are unwrapped. Now some brands have biodegradable glitter. Wrendale Designs has a cornstarch plastic-free bag, which is brilliant! They are compostable so we are moving in the right direction. What brands have been particularly popular?
All our brands are very popular including: Paperlink, Paper Rose, Noel Tatt, Cherry Orchard, IC&G, Second Nature, Five Dollar Shake, Words ‘n’ Wishes, and Jonny Javelin.Local smaller brands such as Buddy Fernandez and Papershed are selling well too.
