Gift Focus - Nov/Dec 2019 (Issue 116)

90 GA news Jeremy Corner, chairman of the Giftware Association, looks at the importance of community At Autumn Fair this year I was lucky enough to meet Mary Portas who is adamant that local communities are the future of the high street. This caught my attention because I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about where the high street is heading and what can be done to support retailers who in turn support suppliers. It’s why the Giftware Association exists and we’re obsessed with how we can help our community to survive and thrive. It’s also the reason why we created Rising Retail, a masterclass for retailers, being held at the Shard on 1 st June, 2020. Bringing the community together to share best practice has a ripple effect that can create waves of change in the world. Something happens when people come together that creates transformations and discoveries in ways that don’t happen when we’re alone in our bubbles. It’s easy to feel lonely when we run our own business isn’t it? Especially when times are tough. It’s hard to talk about this with a lot of people, because those that aren’t in business don’t always understand. We might also be anxious about the potential danger of bad news spreading and causing our situation to worsen. Being on your own with nobody to talk and not being sure of which action to take next can feel difficult. That’s what our community is for. To be with one another, to learn and grow together and to limit suffering and pain. When I talk to people about why they should join the Giftware Association it’s not the extensive list of benefits that excites most, it’s because the GA is the heart of our community, nurturing and supporting it wherever it’s needed. If you’re finding things difficult, the GA can be there for you as a helping friend. If you’re thriving and prospering, the GA can facilitate your contribution to helping others. We’re always looking to understand where our members are finding things tricky and what support they need. We also create lots of events to bring people together and grow. Local high street communities have a great opportunity with social media to leverage the power of their groups and drive footfall to their stores by sharing their stories, values and businesses online. Most have not tapped into this fantastic resource and can learn how to do so at our social media training events. As physical footfall has fallen on the high street, digital footfall on the internet has soared and independent retailers have been slow to seize this opportunity to create new communities. Partly because they don’t understand the new ways of working in this space and perhaps partly because the learning curve appears too steep and difficult. I’m not talking about selling online. I’m talking about creating and engaging with communities and opening up new possibilities. Never has it been easier together to gauge interest in different options and make informed decisions about how best to develop high streets into vibrant places people want to spend their time and money in. The GA love supporting and engaging online, so do tag us when you post and share your stories, concerns and needs with us online. We also represent the community at the highest level through meetings with the government and the Bank of England. The GA is a voice of our community and it’s so important that we engage with and champion that voice. It’s our voice. FURTHER INFORMATION For The GA, log on to ga-uk.org or call us on +44 (0)121 237 1105 “That’s what our community is for. To be with one another, to learn and gr ow together and to limit suffering and pain”