82 Creative Cove Sandra Jervis, Owner of Creative Cove, invites us into her creative world and what it’s like inside the Lampeter based store Tell us a bit about Creative Cove, when did it open and by who? Creative Cove opened in 2006 by a close friend of mine and I took over on 1st January 2018 – the best new year ever! It’s predominantly a stationery and greetings shop, though we do lots of arts, crafts, gift and children’s toys as well. I run it with the help from my staff members Catherine, Sue, Cristal and Jen. And not forgetting my husband who is now retired and my employed handyman and deliverer! Tell us a bit about your location! We’re in the heart of rural Wales, a lovely little town called Lampeter. Surrounded by beautiful hills, 20 minutes from the sea, it’s truly the most wonderful place. I came here as an 18-year-old to study at the town’s university and fell in love so much that I never left! The local community is really close knit, they support us wholeheartedly and absolutely love the vibrancy that my shop brings. Do you also run your business online as an e-commerce set-up? Or is this a plan for the future? No I don’t have the business set up online. My customer base is so local and really keeps me going so I haven’t taken the plunge into that area. How has business been over the past 12 months? I can’t complain at all to be honest. I was worried that the last year was going to be my first slump (we’ve grown every single year that I have been trading, including the years where I had to close due to Covid!), what with the cost of living crisis and people feeling the pinch. However, despite this, business is booming and people keep coming back for more of what I have! Have you seen a boom in the craft industry recently/ a new type of customer? I’ve seen a huge change in the craft industry, mostly brought about by Covid. During lockdowns, I was supplying bundles of crafts for people, mostly parents trying to occupy children at home. This was a shift from the traditional craft stuff that I sold, mostly card making products at the time. People seem to be after ready-made kits, something that can be gifted easily or is a small starter kit for someone wanting to try something new themselves. I think people have clung onto the wellbeing factor of crafts from the Covid days, and as we delve into a different darkness and uncertainty, craft kits offer an escape and comfort that they remember was there in 2020-2021. Tell us a bit about what you stock? I’ve stock lots of different things: paints, card and papers, kids crafts, felting kits, knitting kits, lino and block printing. So many things that I can’t think where to begin the list! What brands do you currently stock? Are you looking for any new products or styles? West Design, The Crafty Kit Co., The Knitty Critters Collection. I absolutely am looking for new products at the moment. I like to keep it modern and I want the kit to have everything you need to get started. I struggle on the price point, particularly if it’s being given as a gift – people want to spend about £15 on something, which can be a tall ask for a craft kit. What’s selling particularly well at present? Felting kits and cross stitch kits. Little ones, modern and cheery. I’ve done well with West Design on some of their Simply Make kits. Decopatch kits from Exacompta are always a winner here, everyone can do it and you can make it as basic or as fancy
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