According to the latest report from the CBI, early festive shopping revealed an upward swing in retail sales this month (November). Concerns about stock issues have prompted people to do their Christmas shopping earlier, with retailers optimistic that sales will continue to perform well in December. So how is Christmas shaping up for independent gift retailers?
Helen Crawford, co-owner of the Old School Beauly in Scotland, reports that the store had a particularly strong October, with many customers buying Christmas gifts earlier than usual. “That meant a significant increase in sales for us by comparison with October 2020,” highlights Helen. “November is also on track to be our best ever. We’re in the middle of a TV advertising campaign and we’re throwing everything we have into our social media presence, keeping our message local, friendly and full of positive vibes.”
Helen confirms that the shop has seen good sales across the board from jewellery, clothing, home decor and fragrance to men’s and kids gifting. “One particular growth area has been in our own label ranges, be that home fragrance or Scottish knitted accessories. Customers increasingly want something extra special, They are concerned about quality and provenance and like to shop locally, with a sense of pride in their local village high street.”
Nevertheless, stock shortages remain an issue. “Most of our suppliers have struggled with supply,” she points out. “However, what impressed me is that the majority took care to communicate with us early on so that we were able to source new suppliers to plug those gaps and work around existing supplier deliveries as best we could. If anything, this has strengthened our relationships with existing suppliers. After all, independent retailers rely on suppliers and vice versa, so it’s important that we are all strong and come through this together.”
In the South East of England, there’s more festive cheer from Maybugs, which has gift stores in Hailsham and Eastbourne. “Christmas has well and truly begun here at Maybugs,” enthuses co-owner Greg Rose. “Customers seem to be out in force, with the average spend significantly up on previous years. More than ever this year we’re hearing people looking for ‘something different or unique’ and they are willing to spend a bit more to get that something special.”
He continues: “Wrendale Designs’ ever increasing range continues to be a massive hit with our customers, and it’s no surprise that scarves are a hot trending item at the moment, especially the new range from Park Lane.”
However, Greg concurs that stock deliveries continue to be a massive issue. “We are still waiting for some Christmas-specific items and have had to cancel some others. Luckily, we tried to get ahead of ourselves and took a risk by significantly stocking up back in September on key gift items, with the assumption that they might not be available in December.”
In Kettering, Davina ‘Bean’ Parkhouse, owner of The Bean Hive and The Bean Hive By The Sea in Falmouth, says that the tills have been ringing from “the time the shop opens until it closes in Kettering, although the end of November was a bit quieter, possibly because people had been out doing their Christmas shopping earlier. We’ve sold a lot of Mad Beauty Disney make up kits and Star Wars face masks for men, with people buying them as stocking fillers as they’re something different. Christmas candles from Lolly Rocket, that are vegan and locally made, have done really well, while our quality vegan food products have been massively successful. We’ve also sold more Christmas cards than ever this year from publishers such as Roger La Board, Rifle Paper and Noi cards.”
Commenting on supply shortages, Davina confirmed that she had bought earlier than usual. “We therefore have stock stuffed everywhere so that our customers won’t be disappointed in December. We have more locally made and small suppliers this year, as they are generally more reliable at the moment. Like everyone else we just have to keep on adapting.”
Top: Independent gift retailers are reporting a strong November, as people shop earlier for Christmas this year.
