Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - November/December 2020

85 COMPANY PROFILE During maternity leave a friend asked Kate what she was up to that weekend, which led to an explanation as to why we were going to bingo (it was in an envelope) and the friend said what others had said before: I wish I had time/ideas to do this. We had the ideas, the skills, Kate being creative and John with an IT background and with a strong desire to start a business. It really was a lightbulb moment. What challenges have you overcome since the company’s launch? Kate went back to work part time initially and had just started a new job when we were accepted into a Not on the High Street campaign for Valentine’s Day. Being new to this, and used to a couple of orders a day, we ambitiously said we could fulfil 6-7 orders a day. We were soon receiving 75 orders a day and working all hours – with help from family – to stuff and seal the envelopes and keep on top of everything. We have had issues with suppliers running out of stock in the past. When we worked in our spare room it was hard to hold too much at one time. However, we now have our own office space so are able to order in bulk. It is still a logistical headache to know what we will need, and which box will sell most. Since then we are more prepared and although there are still challenges, we learn lessons each year and start preparing earlier! Valentine’s Day continues to be our busiest time of year. Tell us about your product offering. We started with a date box that replicated the original jar – 52 sealed coloured envelopes, with the option to have them colour coded to help plan around budgets, babysitters and schedules. As well as the pre-sealed envelopes, each box has five blank cards and envelopes for the couple to add their own, more personal, ideas. We then added our birthday range of ‘Things To Do When…’ boxes focussing on milestone birthday from 30-60, each with the relevant number of sealed envelopes in. Today we feature range of date boxes that offer different themes – for example movies, desserts and round the world. For those wanting fewer dates but can spend a bit more each month, our anniversary edition has monthly ideas that might need a bit more planning. We also offer new parent date boxes, a family box for weekend activities called A Year of Play, self-care boxes and journals to save the cards in along with photos, tickets or other mementos. What are your most popular products? The date boxes remain our most popular box. We can now personalise the lids using our unique printing process to create in a silver or gold foiled finish. We tend to print names and a short message or date which is a popular addition for wedding gifts and anniversaries. The date box is closely followed by our Fifty Things To Do When you are 50 box. Have any styles taken you by surprise with their popularity? The Fifty Things To Do When You Are 50 and 60 th version are very popular – we assume that at that age people have everything they need so an experience gift is well received. Sales of these boxes have constantly surprised us, and it really does seem that 50 is the new 40! We recently introduced a version called ‘Things To Do When You Retire’, this is 