73 COMPANY PROFILE places an order online and the shades they’ve ordered don’t quite add up to the lamp bases on the same order, we’ll get in touch with them to review. If we don’t have something in stock, we’ll always call to offer an alternative. Also, our eco-credentials. From the glass we buy, the way we ship and our packaging materials right through to the tea bags we buy and the cleaning products we use, we try our hardest to be as eco-friendly as we are able. How are you finding the current climate in the UK? Is it affecting business? Our customers are telling us that things are slowing down. We’re certainly seeing customers order more of our smaller items with lower price points. I think consumer impulse purchases are less than they were, especially for more expensive items. We’ve seen costs go up across the board for us – stock prices, shipping, electricity; but we want to try to hold off on any price rises to our customers as long as we can to support them at this difficult time. How do you view the future of independent retail post-pandemic? We hope that the some of the changes in consumer behaviour forged in the pandemic are here to stay; buy British, buy local, support local businesses. Are you active on social media? How is this important for the business? We use Instagram to connect with our customers. We like to see what they’re up to as much as we want to show them what’s happening our end. We love seeing our products “in the wild” as it were, and it’s also an insight into the daily lives of our customers which helps us to understand their position on things. For instance, some of our most liked posts recently have been in support of NoMow-May and World Bee Day. But we also use it to share new products and what’s happening behind the scenes here at Jarapa. Do you have any advice for new businesses starting out in the world of gifts? The future is green – climate change and pollution are no longer marginal but mainstream issues and consumers are much more aware of the impact their purchasing decisions make on the planet. What can we expect in the future from the company? We have a few totally new product lines in the pipeline. So, watch this space! JARAPA T: +44 (0)1963 33660 www.jarapa.co.uk
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