Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - Page number 38 - November/December 2021

into the wholesale market. Again, like our shops, order numbers are a little less but the value of the orders is higher. Some shops I would think might sadly not survive in the current climate but I’m sure, as has been the case in the past, strongly marketed and focused stores with a clear point of difference will survive and new ones which embrace relevant cultural and social changes will offer new opportunities. In the long run, I believe the new natural vegan sustainable brand such as Bath House will find its own new market made up of some of our existing accounts and new ones whose customers like the beauty and fragrance products we make and empathise with what we stand for. This Christmas we are focusing on creating gifts that are truly useful and don’t have unnecessary wasteful packaging. A gift that someone can enjoy using can be refilled and brings luxury into their daily lives has to be a better gift for Christmas than one that lasts only for the day. Do you use social media for the business? Yes, we do engage with social media. Our Facebook and Instagram accounts are really important to us. I always say to customers if you want to understand what Bath House is about you have to follow us on social media. We are very careful how we manage our posts, seeing both as very important visual and verbal ways to experience our products and importantly share our inspiration and vision with our customers. Newsletters are also invaluable when it comes to sharing up-to-date news about new launches and products. What can you expect from the future of the company? We want to carefully manage who we work with to make sure our products suit our wholesaler’s customer’s needs. At present, we only distribute a limited collection of our entire range. These products and fragrances represent our best sellers from our own shops and we may expand our range. In my experience offering too much is not always the best way forward keeping a concise and successful offer is better understood by customers. We would like to partner with some larger quality stores and in particular have more of a presence in London, where we know through our website that we have many customers who like our products and our ethos. Product-wise I think we will develop more specific products, created for skincare. I would like to make Bath House more of an immersive experience in some way incorporating evening instore experiences and talks and be able to open up our making rooms with tours and visits to see how we make our products. We will continue to focus on sustainability, improving how we do things and reducing the impact of our products on the environment. Do you have any advice to new start-up businesses? Yes, I believe it’s good to have a clear objective about what you are doing and who your customer is, and don’t try to scoop up everyone. It’s good to say no and turn business down so you can strengthen and focus on your target market. I would also say look at the culture and trends of the younger generation – they are your long-term future market. The young people of today have been brought up learning about climate change. They question where and how something has been made and they are more connected and accepting of different cultures. All this is part of their everyday lives and affects what they want to buy and use. BATH HOUSE T: +44 (0)1539 621 992 www.thebathhouseshop.com 38