17_19_GF.qxp_25/27 02/07/2021 12:14 Page 1
Inset: It’s been a Spring/summer of sunshine and showers.
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Come Rain, Come Shine After one of the wettest May’s on record, flaming June saw soaring temperatures. However, heavy rain was back mid month putting a bit of a damper on things. PG&H asked a selection of gift retailers how the weather’s highs and lows have been affecting business.
Café Culture “Our business, in all our shops, has been very encouraging since we re-opened in April, and we have long since given up trying to draw any correlation between the weather and the strength of our business,” says Richard Barker, owner of four Cilla and Camilla shops in Beaminster, Bridport and Sherborne. “There is clearly some impact on the sales mix, but no measurable impact on the absolute volume of sales. Whatever the weather, we find the biggest influences over sales to be the traditional retail criteria of stock range, price and location. The only part of our business which is affected by the weather is our Beaminster cafe, where the recent spell of warm weather contributed to record sales in the cafe as customers took advantage of our newly refurbished courtyard.” Above: Cilla and Camilla, Bridport.
Busy Regardless Bring Me Sunshine In Scotland, Janet Hartree, owner, Ewe and Me and Ewe Too in Grantown-on-Spey reports that since opening on April 26, the shops have been busy, with everyone happy to be able to be out and about and buying. “There was also a desire to support small local shops who had been closed since December 26,” says Janet. “Unfortunately, after the lovely weather in April, May turned colder and endlessly wet. As the month went on, sales dipped a little which affected the day visitors who chose to stay at home, but happily the caravan site and holiday homes were full so we were kept on our toes. Fortunately, June sunshine and good temperatures had a positive effect on the high street with plenty of footfall, so we have been really busy and grateful for that, with smiling faces all round.” Above: Ewe & Me in Grantown on Spey.
“We are a destination business with a cafe, so the weather has a big effect,” states Nic Stone, owner of The Bottle Kiln in West Hallam, which has gift and homewares shops as well as a café. “However, it has been different this year. In the past, a really sunny day out of the blue would be almost as bad as snow, as everyone stayed home to sit in their gardens or went to the park. With a long spell of sun, trade would eventually normalise. This year, because we can sit a lot of café customers outside, the good weather has made us busy, though we are busy even on the grey days. Sunny weather definitely affects our retail trade though - people just spend less here when the sun shines, and this hasn't changed.” Above: The Café at The Bottle Kiln, West Hallam.
PROGRESSIVE GIFTS & HOME WORLDWIDE
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