89_91_London Stationery Show.qxp_Grid 22/05/2024 16:00 Page 1
Stationery Indies Panel
Staple ANSWERS Among the highlights of the recent London Stationery Show was a lively panel discussion among a bunch of indies about their industry loves, customer laughs and their stationery item alter egos. PG was in the front row as Sarah Laker, of Stationery Supplies in Marple and Wilmslow; Sandra Jervis from Creative Cove in Lampeter; Ray Williams of JPS in Chesham; Sally Stephenson of The Pencil Case in Cowbridge; and David Worsfold from Farrants in Cobham shared the thrills and spills of life as an independent stationery retailer. As an indie, what's your USP that the multiples and online can’t match? Sally: “My shop is very aimed at the school age market, particularly four to 11-year-olds, and anyone who's got children that age knows how many millions of birthday parties you go to on a weekly basis. So, we've curated a fabulous range of children's stationery that you can't really find in the nationals. When our customers come to us, they come asking for advice. “Oh, what can I buy for a seven-year-old girl?” So we recommend loads of brilliant things that we know will work. We gift wrap what they choose, the kids write their cards sat at the counter and then they're good to go. Often straight from our shop straight to the birthday party.” Sandra: “For me the USP is that we all bring our own personal self to our shops and expose ourselves to our customers – not like that! People buy into you. You don't buy into Sainsbury's, you don't buy into the big brands. But with the independent retailers, it is you they're buying, it's you they're coming back for. You create that narrative. And
that's what makes that connection.” David: “Everybody's gonna say the personal touch, one-to-one and all the rest of it. Quick anecdote, local cycle shop, chap goes in, wants to buy some very expensive cycling shoes, chap goes off into a corner with the price, looks on the internet comes back to the retailer and says “can you match the price?” So the retailer replied: “okay, I'll match it”. He takes the payment, puts the shoes on the counter, and as the customer goes to pick them up, the retailer takes them away, saying: “No, you can have them tomorrow, like if you had ordered them on the internet!”.”
Above: The indie panellists at the recent London Stationery Show holding up their fave stationery items. (Right-left) Chair of the panel, Sarah Laker; Sandra Jervis, Ray Williams, Sally Stephenson and David Worsfold Below left: A tidy display in JPS Stationers. Below middle: Sally Stephenson of The Pencil Case in Cowbridge is partial to her Perfect Planner diary. Below right: For Ray Williams of JPS Stationers in Chesham, his Pentel Wrens pencil is his fave item.
How is your shop part of the local community? Sarah: “During the first lockdown, we all came back to work and the world was mad. I had a little old man come in the shop who's shopped with me for many years. Never really says a lot to me. Just hello, goodbye, thank you, and off he goes. He came back in and, as he was leaving, there was a box of chocolates on the counter. And I said, “you’ve forgotten your chocolates”. And he said “no they’re for you, I've missed you so much”. He went out of the shop and I just burst into tears. It was such an emotional time anyway but, to think that that man who had never said a lot to me at all, felt that strongly about missing my shop just shows what a part of the community we are.” Sally: “Half of my business is actually school uniform for the 11 schools in my town, and the other half is stationery in that same market so we're plugged into literally everybody who's
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