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2010: One Retailer’s Story
Listed under: One Voice
Published: Thursday, April 08, 2010
With the Easter period well and truly over and the summer season fast-approaching, we caught up with one of our favourite retailers, Julia Hopson of the popular Knit Wits Wool Shop in Cornwall, for all the latest on how her business is doing.
“Although we decided to close the business on Good Friday and the Bank Holiday, Saturday and Tuesday were very busy indeed and we generally had a really good Easter, which we hope is a sign that things are beginning to pick up.
In an area like Cornwall, poor weather conditions are like magic dust to any retailer, as the cold and rainy climate inevitably drives consumers away from the seaside and onto the local high street. Fortunately, the weather has been appalling so far this year and, while I'm sure it has disappointed many of the tourists visiting the area, it's been absolutely fantastic for business!
Generally speaking, I'd say 2010 has been much better than last year, and the toughest time for us as a business was two years ago, when the recession first became a talking point. Amazingly, we're actually up on 2009 and things seem to be going really well at the moment, so we're certainly not complaining.
Of course, it hasn't always been easy and we've worked very hard to ensure we keep our sales up. One thing that has really helped the business this year has been our website, which we launched last February. Featuring all our products and a personal blog, which I update as frequently as possible, it's been a huge success and seen our turnover go up by around ten to 12%. The site doesn't only expose our products to a much wider customer base, but promotes the business to people who might not have previously heard about the store as well, ensuring anyone looking for a local knitting shop in Cornwall knows where we are and how to find us.
We've also done a lot more advertising and marketing in magazines and made a concerted effort to ensure we consistently offer our customers new and innovative lines.
At the moment, natural fibres seem to be very much in favour and we're generally seeing a lot more customers ask us for locally-sourced goods – something I assume relates to the growing interest in environmental matters.
As a business, I believe success is ultimately in the hands of the owner and the companies that really go the extra mile this year, and fight for their survival, will ultimately be the ones who reap the rewards.”
In an area like Cornwall, poor weather conditions are like magic dust to any retailer, as the cold and rainy climate inevitably drives consumers away from the seaside and onto the local high street. Fortunately, the weather has been appalling so far this year and, while I'm sure it has disappointed many of the tourists visiting the area, it's been absolutely fantastic for business!
Generally speaking, I'd say 2010 has been much better than last year, and the toughest time for us as a business was two years ago, when the recession first became a talking point. Amazingly, we're actually up on 2009 and things seem to be going really well at the moment, so we're certainly not complaining.
Of course, it hasn't always been easy and we've worked very hard to ensure we keep our sales up. One thing that has really helped the business this year has been our website, which we launched last February. Featuring all our products and a personal blog, which I update as frequently as possible, it's been a huge success and seen our turnover go up by around ten to 12%. The site doesn't only expose our products to a much wider customer base, but promotes the business to people who might not have previously heard about the store as well, ensuring anyone looking for a local knitting shop in Cornwall knows where we are and how to find us.
We've also done a lot more advertising and marketing in magazines and made a concerted effort to ensure we consistently offer our customers new and innovative lines.
At the moment, natural fibres seem to be very much in favour and we're generally seeing a lot more customers ask us for locally-sourced goods – something I assume relates to the growing interest in environmental matters.
As a business, I believe success is ultimately in the hands of the owner and the companies that really go the extra mile this year, and fight for their survival, will ultimately be the ones who reap the rewards.”
