Nicky Stephenson and Claire Jarvis own The Tutbury Present Company in Burton on Trent – a successful independent card and gift shop with a large and unique range of handmade cards and gifts to suit all occasions. So how was Valentine’s Day business for them?
Heart Throb: “Valentine’s Day was good for us this year. Our sales were slightly down on cards compared to last year, but we were still pleased. With Valentine’s Day falling on a Sunday last year it made it a hard target to beat! In terms of card designs we found the more simple and quirky designs sold the best, like one from Pigment’s Alice Scott range that simply said ‘Hello… I Love you… The End’.”
Loving It: “There are always so many new ranges to love at this time of year. We have just started stocking Rosie Made a Thing and they are going well; they’re something a bit different in terms of design and humour.
Our customers are loving the new Berni Parker designs that have just launched; fresh, fun and great to send to friends. We also love (and have just ordered) the new Belly Button Shangri-La range, which really stood out to us at Spring Fair.”
Big Love: “We have recently had an extension to our shopfloor so we are loving that we can fit more in! Having just returned from Spring Fair it’s that time of year when our heads are buzzing with new ideas. Obviously there is a lot of uncertainty facing retail as a whole but we are remaining positive that as long as we continue to bring in new and exciting product and that our customer service remains at the forefront, then it will be a good year ahead.”
