Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - January/February 2022

37 COMPANY PROFILE long-term commitment and are proud of the relationships we have forged with our stockists over these past 20 years. How are you finding the current climate in the UK? Is it affecting business? Challenging in the extreme! This is not really the place to air our political views, but we have to hope that the Government is somehow persuaded to understand the harm being done to SMEs by the increased administrative burden of the current climate. That said, we will not be beaten and will continue to develop our business in partnership with our fantastic suppliers and customers. How do you view the future of independent retail post-pandemic? We see it as a huge opportunity; inevitably people have got used to shopping online during the pandemic, which many independent retailers without a strong on-line presence feared. However, the experience of receiving goods that fell short of expectations is well reported. At the same time many now value the benefits of human contact and interaction from a wellbeing viewpoint. When you combine the two, there is a strong case for a personal and friendly in-store offering, where the retailer can carefully curate their collections to suit the needs of their customers. Successful retailers will recognise their role as part of their community, going that extra mile to become the ‘go-to’ place for customers. Providing local government also recognises this and supports high streets, this could well be a turning point. Are you active on social media? How is this important for the business? We have always regarded the trade shows as our main point of contact with our customers. Clearly life is changing and our social media presence is something that we will be reviewing. Do you have any advice for new businesses starting out in the world of gifts? Whatever your business, you must be passionate about it, whilst at the same time being realistic about the finances. Don’t assume that it will be an easier life than the one you currently have – the lows are far lower, but the highs are much higher. Provided you have the support of those closest to you, then go for it! What can we expect in the future from the company? More exciting new designs and, in our 20th year, some developments into new product areas. D&J Glassware T: +44 (0)1953 450 280 www.dandjglassware.co.uk

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