56 We also have re-introduced a smaller, mid-season launch for high summer which comes out around May. In all we showcase around 850 new lines a year – that keeps us pretty busy! What sets you apart from your competitors? I think our customers are best placed to answer this. I hope they would agree that the way we aim to inspire through our passion for display and presentation, the affordability of our designs and the customer service all conspire to help set us apart. How are you finding the current climate in the UK? Is it affecting business? My preferred phrase when asked this is: ‘we get our fair share.’ I’m not saying we’re bomb-proof but as a business we have continued to grow year on year. Our customer base is almost exclusively in the independent sector and we love that. I think as a small company ourselves, being able to adapt and react efficiently to changes and any ‘bumps in the road’ is a huge asset. We are always surprised by our own performance, the media in this country doesn’t help stimulate consumer confidence and do a great job of dampening any feel-good factor! That said, we are definitely holding our own, peddling hard, still growing and loving what we do! How do you view the future of independent retail? I think the space is continuously evolving. The independents are a talented bunch – they have to be, there is no room for anything less. We are all shoppers to a greater or lesser degree, and as long as the sector continues to offer an original experience through what they’ve curated and avoids becoming homogenised, then the future is bright. Are you active on social media? How is this important for the business? We are not active at all on social media. As a B2B I think it’s less vital – it really comes down to where you want to go with your business. For us, presenting in any meaningful way on social media would involve a lot of time and input and I am not sure the reward ratio would stack up for us at this time. Do you have any advice for new businesses starting out in the world of gifts? Give yourself some parameters to work within while remaining open-minded. Keep to budgets, research on-line and via the shows, understand who your competitors are and importantly what you can do to set yourself apart. Getting customers to discover you just once is an achievement, having them return and recommend your business – that builds longevity. What can we expect in the future from the company? Diversification. We have built a brand and identity and I would like to explore what that would look like in other areas / categories – watch this space! HOT TOMATO T: +44 (0)1225 422 188 www.hot-tom.com
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