Gift Focus - Nov/Dec 2019 (Issue 116)

97 RETAILER INTERVIEW demographic is homeowners aged 35 onwards.  How has your product offering changed over the years? We’re ever changing here at Evans. From saucepans and chocolates to homeware, gifts and now more recently clothing and jewellery. You always have to be willing to move with the times and the demand of the customer.  How often do you update your displays? Every week. What are your current bestsellers? Clothing and scarves; and clocks, mirrors, and lamps.  Are you active on social media? How is this useful for the business? We’re active on Facebook and Instagram. We have recently invested in a social media company to help us here and it has made a difference. I find social media helps to bring younger people into the shop and it’s a great way to notify our tourists of what we sell. We’re often sending items to the far corners of the UK when they have seen things they like. We also use it as a database to notify people of the Christmas launch and our sale.  Do you visit any trade shows? If so, which ones and why? We try to go to as many as possible. It can be challenging with a young family but we always so go Top Drawer Spring and Autumn Fair and this year we went to Masion Objet which really helped inspire us.  When do you start to stock up for Christmas? Christmas gets bigger and bigger each year for us. We launch everything around the week the clocks go back. With two shops this year it will be a big job! How are you finding the current economic climate? As far as the economic climate is concerned, we’ve always had the same philosophy of just carrying on regardless of any negativity in the industry and it seems to work for us. We can’t say that Brexit hasn’t affected sales – as soon as the country voted out, the business plateaued for the first time in six years but opening a second business has given us a real boost in the summer months so I’m hopeful for a good Christmas. Overall, we’d say people are still spending well at the moment.  What have been your highlights of shop life? We love shop life; we have a lovely way of life and we wouldn’t change it. I wish more young people would realise that having a bricks and mortar retail business can be so fulfilling and profitable. Then maybe our high streets wouldn’t be in such a bad place. We manage to support ourselves and have a lovely way of life. It doesn’t come without its challenges and we have to work hard for it but let’s face it that’s part of the charm.  Do you have any tips for people looking to start their own retail venture? I would say location, location, location. Also, people buy from people and if you have passion in what you do it will shine through.  For further information, visit evansgiftsandinteriors.com Evans, Blythe House, Hall St, Long Melford, Sudbury Evans, 14a High Street, Halstead, Essex