Gift Focus - Sep/Oct 2019 (Issue 115)

40 For further information, visit vkfofworcester.co.uk or call one of the very kind folk at +44 (0)1527 864 530 our coaster sets. Our bee and French bulldog coasters, as well as a selection of our other coasters, have proved to be extremely popular, which we believe is down to the variety of designs and styles that we have on offer. Outside of these ranges, our wooden jewellery tree and decorative plaques have also surprised us as to how popular they are, as well as our geometric wall art and the wooden world map wall art. How do you keep your designs fresh and current? How often do you launch new lines? We think of new ideas every day, and Friday lunchtimes are our brainstorming sessions. When one person in our team has a great idea, we work hard to turn that idea into a reality, whether that finished product turns out to be a success or not and ends up on the website. New product ranges can also come directly from our customers; if there’s something they’d like but don’t see on our website, chances are we can somehow create that for them. From that, new product ranges grow. We’re consistently launching new and innovative lines on our website on an increasingly regular basis and review any ranges that aren’t selling as well as we’d like to see how we might be able to further improve them. What sets you apart from your competitors? One of the great things about our products is the fact that every single item is manufactured in the UK. From the product development side of things to the actual creation of each product, all of this is done onsite in our warehouse in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. Oh, and we also like to have a lot of fun. How are you finding the current economic climate in the UK? Is it affecting business? It’s a little up and down. We just have to get on with it and face all the economic challenges head on. Are you active on social media? How is this important for the business? We’re very active on social media. It’s integral now for businesses, especially in this industry, to have a very good social media presence. Being in the home décor and giftware sector, we have found Instagram, in particular, to be extremely useful in showcasing all of our newest products and latest offers in a visually appealing way. Facebook has also played a pivotal role and has proved a great tool for communicating directly with our customers, as well as Pinterest for helping to bring further traffic to the website. Do you visit trade shows? What are you hoping to achieve when you exhibit? We have visited a few trade shows, including the Spring Fair. This has been extremely useful for us, as we will be exhibiting at this year’s Autumn Fair for the very first time. We’re hoping Autumn Fair this year will be a good platform for us to showcase our products and build valuable relationships with potential new trade customers. Do you have any advice for new businesses starting out in the world of gift? Don’t be afraid to shake things up and do what you believe in. What can we expect in the future from VKF of Worcester? We can’t tell you that – it’s a secret, but only good things!