38-39_Barkers.qxp_Grid 08/07/2025 16:59 Page 1
RETAILER IN PROFILE
Already very well respected for its greeting card selection, department store Barkers’ investment in a brand new gift department clinched the Northallerton store a winning trophy in the recent Greats retail awards. PG caught up with Barkers’ Sarah Lishman, who has built on her greeting card knowledge by taking on the gift buying for the awardwinning department store. For most shoppers, the first reaction to the new Gift Department at Barkers in Northallerton is ‘wow!”. A second ‘wow’ could be discovering that buyer/gift and card manager, Sarah Lishman, had just seven months to go from zero to hero. “Before we opened The Gift Department we didn’t have a standalone gift department as such. Gifts were linked to specific instore departments with each one responsible for buying their own giftware,” explains Sarah, who joined Barkers 28 years ago as a Saturday girl, coming back full time via a degree course in textiles and surface pattern. “It was actually the store’s director, Guy Barker, the fourth generation of the Barker family, who decided that the 143 year old department store, a landmark on Northallerton High Street, should have a dedicated gift department to complement its stronghold in greeting cards. The decision resulted in a major investment for the store with Sarah, who has been its card buyer for the last 15 years – tasked with becoming the sole gift buyer too, a huge responsibility by anyone’s standards. The success and importance of Barkers’ greeting card department is reflected in its prime position, right at the front of the store,
38 PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
BARKERS’ BiTE Above: Barkers’ greeting card department is on the left hand side as shoppers enter the Northallerton High Street store.
and with sales up 5% year on year, Sarah’s keen eye and customer knowledge continues to reap rewards. Sarah freely admits she is “a passionate cardie”, but also relished the opportunity to expand her buying touch to gifts. With purchasing decisions completely down to her – other than a request from Guy to source LEGO – for the new department she referenced the Best Sellers articles in PG’s Below left: (right-left) Barkers’ Sarah Lishman and Sharon Wake were presented with The Greats Best Department Store of Gifts Award 2025 by Alister Marchant, ceo of Carte Blanche, category sponsor, joined by compere George Zacharopoulos. Below: Some homewares from Caroline Gardner feature in The Gift Department in Barkers.
sister magazine, Progressive Gifts & Home and then headed to London’s Top Drawer. “It started me off and helped me when I went to Spring Fair the following month for two days. The show seemed overwhelming at first – plus, there was so much to cram into 48 hours, to include travelling - but it turned out to be a great success, with the majority of brands I placed orders with companies who are completely new to Barkers. My remit was to buy books, stationery, homewares, men’s shop, games and pet accessories, children’s toys and baby, so I practically shopped the show, keeping our customer profile in mind at all times, and aiming for retail prices of between £5-£50.” As Barkers’ long standing card buyer, Sarah had often looked longingly at the increasing amount of giftware that card companies such as Museums & Galleries, Caroline Gardner, Toasted Crumpet and Artebene were bringing out. “Now as the gift buyer too, I can also bring some of those excellent products into the new department,” she points outs. She admits that the first seven months were a steep learning curve. “In essence, I was bringing in gift, home and children’s products for the busiest and most important gifting period of the year, Christmas, so my biggest concern was how the products