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Indie Retailing Spotlight
Racing post: “The result has been a great new area that’s ideal for customers to browse our card selection. Our customers have reacted really positively, they love seeing how we are expanding and it always opens up conversations in the shop. We are always moving the shop around to enrich the customer experience and to ensure they always spot something new. Next year, we are looking at further renovations like a new floor, changing some of the furniture in store and we are also looking into the possibly of a new pop-up location. With traditional retail getting more challenging it’s important that we look at different opportunities to expand our brand going forward.”
‘Tack’-ling the storage room Nigel Hamilton-Evans, partner of Boroughbridge Post Office, Boroughbridge: Saddling up: “We trialled our ‘Personal Christmas Card Shopper Experience’ in 2018, with two ‘Card Gurus’ that can help complete your card list. It's a bit like going to a high-end shop and getting that personal special touch, but for cards. A map of where to find your special cards is available if the Gurus are not available.” Fetlock first: “We also developed our ‘Giggle Room’ last year, of humour cards, which used to be just a storage room. That room has resulted in a 19%-27% increase on sales each month. The room also now has specialist boxed cards, individual cards, luxury giftwrapping, tags and high-end tissue. It has given me the space to keep a very good selection of general birthday cards, which would normally be in drawers and boxed out the back. I really wish I had seen the potential of a room that was used for storage 17 years ago!” Racing post: “Since winning a Retas Award last July, our customers have been spreading the news. The retail trend, for many years, has moved to online shopping, but also to ‘experience shopping’ where the buying is part of the enjoyment. Entertain, enthuse and show both product knowledge and a passion for your product and you will gain customer confidence and loyalty.” Above right: Nigel in the shop’s Giggle Room, which was once a storeroom. Above left: Full of fabulous cards, Boroughbridge Post Office’s transformed storeroom has resulted in a big increase in sales. Below: Boroughbridge Post Office.
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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
Left: The Tutbury Present Company storeroom has been transformed into an extra space for giftwrap and more cards! Below: Gold Crownie Laura Houlston (right) with Hallmark’s area sales manager Sue Strong at The Retas last July. Below left: Paper Kisses in Prestatyn is a brand new Gold Crown store. Bottom right: Laura’s West Kirby Cards shop was in the finals for The Retas 2019 in the Newcomer - North category.
Laura’s new jewel in the crown Laura Houlston had a good job in a office, but felt she “needed a new challenge” so, in May 2017, she bought West Kirby Cards, an existing Gold Crown store and set about putting her stamp on it, reaching the finals of The Retas 2019 in the Best Newcomer - North category as testament to her success. She now has the ‘card bug’ and has recently opened her second Gold Crown store, in Prestatyn in North Wales. “Retail has always been in my family as my parents, grandparents and auntie and uncle have all owned a post office previously,” explains Laura. She deemed the location of West Kirby Cards was far enough from family in North Wales, but close enough to be able to travel back to and, added to that, gave her a new area to explore. With an urge to expand, the beginning of last year Laura started looking for another shop, this time in her home area of North Wales. “I started looking at empty properties and came across one in Prestatyn which seemed too good an opportunity to miss, especially as the competition was only one big chain. The shop had been empty for around two years, but the fixtures and fittings were still in good condition. The feedback I had about the shop was positive as all I kept hearing was that Prestatyn needed a decent card shop again,” explains Laura. So, with the support of Hallmark it now has, with Paper Kisses opening its doors last July, contributing to clinching Laura a prestigious Outstanding New Gold Crown Retailer Award in September. “The feedback for the new store has all been very encouraging and it’s definitely proving worthwhile!” shares Laura.