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Feedback: Retailer Round Table
Look Who’s
Talking
Inset: PG&H’s editor Sue Marks (centre, front) with this year’s retail round tablers. Bottom: Mike Webber, co-owner of Jo Amor, Tiverton.
In a year that’s seen Brexit dominate the In alphabetical order, this year’s round tablers were: headlines and retail CVAs becoming l Carol and Doug Bairstow, co-owners, Pure Inspiration, Ramsey l Aga Gabrysiak, co-owner, Highworth Emporium, Highworth commonplace, how have independent gift l Tabi Marsh, co-owner, Papilio at Heritage, Thornbury retailers fared? Which product sectors are on l Anna and Katrina Raill, co-owners, Etcetera, Hitchin the up, what are the current bugbears and l Rachel and Paul Roberts, co-owners, MOOCH, Northamptonshire how are gift shops approaching Christmas? l Jo and Mike Webber, co-owners, Jo Amor, Tiverton (Chairing the round table was Sue Marks, editor of Progressive Gifts & These were just a few of the myriad of Home and GiftsandHome.net). questions put to a cross-section of independent Greats 2019 winners at PG&H’s Also finding June a disappointing month annual retailer round table held at Home & Gift in Harrogate in was Tabi Marsh at Papilio at Heritage, Thornbury. “For us, the year started well, but July, resulting in some honest answers. June was a washout, making it the first time But first, how has the year been so far? In terms of footfall and sales, overall, 2019 seems to have typically been a mixed bag. At Etcetera in Hitchin, Anna Rail commented: “So far it’s been a very up and down year. June in particular was a bad month because of the weather. 2007 was a tough year, but 2019 has been unprecedented. We’ve had a few decent months where we have been up but others where we have been down. Business is hard to predict nowadays.”
in 15 months that we did fewer transactions than the previous year.” However, it was a much brighter story In Tiverton, Devon. Jo Amor’s Mike Webber confirmed that the gift side of the business has been thriving this year. “Ultimately, it’s down to us to persuade people to make a purchase,” he pointed out. Also bucking the trend has been MOOCH in Northamptonshire, where the business has continued to expand. “We’ve had a very exciting year so far, opening a Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide
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