THE MILFORD COLLECTION T: +44 (0)1686 629 919 E: sales@milfordcollection.com www.milfordcollection.com since the company launch? Celebrating over 40 years in business is a milestone we’re incredibly proud of. More recently, acquiring and successfully developing the Coppercraft and Lila Jewellery brands has opened up an exciting new chapter for the company. Watching Milford evolve from supplying traditional giftware into becoming a much broader home, garden and jewellery supplier has been hugely rewarding. How are you finding the current climate in the UK? Is it affecting business? It’s undoubtedly a challenging trading environment. Retailers are managing rising costs while consumers are becoming more selective with their spending. However, gifts remain an affordable luxury, and people still enjoy celebrating life’s occasions. We also have a larger forward order book for Christmas orders than ever before showing how important Christmas is in the UK gift market. We believe offering good quality products at sensible price points is more important than ever, and we’ve worked hard to help our customers remain competitive. How do you view the future of independent retail? We’re optimistic. Independent retailers offer something that online shopping simply can’t replicate – knowledgeable staff, unique product ranges and a personal shopping experience. Those retailers who continue to evolve, offer something different and create enjoyable shopping environments will continue to thrive. Are you active on social media? How is this important for the business? Yes, social media has become an increasingly important way of showcasing new products, sharing merchandising ideas and keeping in touch with retailers. It’s another way for customers to see what’s new and helps us communicate much more quickly than ever before. We see it as an important part of supporting our stockists rather than simply promoting products. This is an area we need to develop and improve on so we don’t get left behind. Do you have any advice for new businesses starting out in the world of gifts? Listen to your customers, don’t try to do everything at once and always deliver what you promise. Building strong relationships takes time, and reputation is everything in this industry. It’s also important to keep innovating because retail never stands still. Above all, be prepared to work hard and be patient — successful businesses aren’t built overnight. What can we expect in the future from the company? We’ll continue investing in exciting new product development across our home, garden and jewellery collections, whilst looking for opportunities to strengthen our portfolio through carefully selected brands that complement what we already do. We are also actively looking for more export opportunities through overseas distributors. Sustainability will remain an important focus, and we’ll continue supporting independent retailers with fresh ideas, reliable service and products that help them stand out. After more than 40 years in business, we’re as enthusiastic about the future as we’ve ever been. 50
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