IN CONVERSATION WITH – THE GIFTED STATIONERY COMPANY
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
SM put Nigel Parr on the spot for some personal revelations… What are the most valuable business lesson you have learned? “Appreciate that cash is king; to always pay your bills and treat all customers as if they were the most important buyer in the world.” As a youngster, what did you want to be when you grew up? “A mechanic. And I still love tinkering with cars, motorbikes and boats.” What is your guilty pleasure? “My passion is flying. I have a pilot’s licence so if there’s a blue sky, I want to be up there.” Can you share an unknown claim to fame? “I was in a boy band 45 years ago, and can prove it with a YouTube video!” Do you have a quirky obsession? “Fridge magnets. I have a collection of over 250 of them and can’t stop myself buying more.” What trait in someone do you most dislike? “Those who are economical with the truth.” What trait do you most like? “Those who show random acts of kindness.” Which three people would you invite to a dinner party? “Winston Churchill, Robert de Niro and Margaret Thatcher.” A magic carpet awaits, where do you want to go? “Japan. I have never been, but would love to experience the very different culture/way of looking at things.”
business in Bath with Nigel in charge and he will be able to lean into the rest of the group where necessary,” he added. From Nigel’s perspective, he admits that he had been contemplating retirement for a while, but said: “A huge part of this process was finding the right home for Gifted, one that could take the business to the next level and beyond and have financial strength to do so.” Talking about ‘financial strength’ took Nigel back to Gifted’s tricky start. It had nothing to do with Nigel’s lack of experience, as he had worked for WHSmith’s wholesale side, had owned his own bookshops, headed up the export side of Parragon Publishing for several years
as well as his own book publishing business, before joining forces with a mate who had experience supplying mass retail to launch a stationery business that “offered well designed aggressively priced products”. Having spent a little bit of time trying to come up “with a clever name for the new business, in the end we decided to say what it was on the tin – a company that specialises in gift stationery,” recalled Nigel. Less straightforward however was foreseeing the global economy. “As soon as we had placed our first order for our first four ranges of products to be manufactured, we nearly went bust as the US dollar crashed from $1.97 down to $1.30,” admitted Nigel, reliving the horrors of the 2007-2008 global financial crisis. “The banks reined in borrowings and we had to run the business from hand to mouth. It was a real struggle those first couple of years. It taught me that cash really is king, but we got through it.” Buoyed by the retailer response to the inaugural collections, four ranges of notecards and greeting card organisers, the portfolio has grown exponentially in both width and depth. “We introduced calendars and diaries, then started supplying
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charities with products, and made the most of the jigsaws opportunity during Covid,” recalled Nigel. Then in 2023, expansion into the children’s market beckoned, under the new brand, Hey Hugo. “I knew the potential was there for a separate brand of children’s products that would appeal to our existing customers as well as enabling us to appeal to additional retailers, but I freely admit it has been a steep learning curve with the complex and rigorous product testing for children’s products, but life is for learning!” says Nigel. Learning to read both retailers’ and consumers’ expectations and needs is a given for Nigel. “While a range in Gifted’s early days would have comprised five items, nowadays each of the collections, and we launch five or six every season, will span up to 27 product formats.” A new area of learning will of course be adapting to a working life as part of a much larger group. “It will be an education for both David [Byk] and I. While we both have different skills to bring to the partnership, we have a similar way of thinking and share a commitment to ensure Gifted remains a special business.”
TOP LEFT: The launch of Hey Hugo has taken the company into children’s products, including backpacks, drinkware and storage items. TOP RIGHT: Foxy Tales is one of the 2025 Spring collections from Gifted. BOTTOM LEFT: Some of the new Kissing Hares collection. BOTTOM RIGHT: Gifted’s attractive premises in the centre of Bath.
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