Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - Page number 103 - September/October 2021

103 RETAILER INTERVIEW they are now – getting the stock selection right, managing cash, employing the right people, and managing overheads. What is your customer base? In the main, our customers fall into two categories. First, residents in and around the towns where we trade. Second, visitors travelling to enjoy the delights of West Dorset – either for short breaks or longer holidays. Roughly 60 per cent of our business come from the former group and 40 per cent from the latter. Whats your USP? Our location and stock range. What are your current bestselling lines? Women’s fashion has been strong since we re-opened after the spring lock down – in part a function of customers’ catching up on their wardrobes and also a response to more opportunities for social events. St Eval – candles and diffusers – are perennially one of our top selling brands, as well as bakeware and cookware in general. Lockdowns have encouraged many people to bake at home, with the Great British Bake Off helping also, and our cookshops are seeing the benefit. There is not a household in West Dorset that hasn’t tried making their own sourdough during lockdown. Our café is thriving because we have a very attractive external courtyard, which is proving particularly popular to customers still concerned about spending too much time inside in enclosed spaces. Hot Tomato jewellery is again a perennially best-selling brand and in terms of greetings cards, Rosie Made a Thing, Darling Divas, Woodmnansterne and Sam Cannon, who is local, all sell well. Are you active on social media? We use Instagram and Facebook extensively and Twitter to a lesser extent. Our posts highlight both new stock ranges and promotions, and also the general lifestyle nature of our business. What brands do you stock and why? Simple really – the brands we stock are those that through the right combination of range, price and quality are attractive to our customers. We don’t always get it right, but that is the nature of the business. Amongst our top 20 brands, not in order, are White Stuff, Sea Salt, Kitchencraft, Dexam , St Eval , Hot Tomato , Life Charms , Ashleigh and Burwood , Heathcote and Ivory , LSA , La Rochere 