81 RETAILER INTERVIEW our most popular online products are writing paper and fine writing instruments. What’s special about your location? We’re very lucky in the fact that we’re situated in the centre of Harrogate, a beautiful spa town with a rich and varied history. Our store is based on Oxford Street, one of the main shopping streets in the town. How has business been since the Covid restrictions lifted? Business has increased as time as has gone on since Covid and we’re very lucky to have a loyal customer base with many individuals and families that have shopped with us for years. We’re gradually observing an increase in visitors to the town which is lovely to see. Customers enjoy the fact that they can come into a brick and mortar store and talk to the long-established team at Jespers who have a wealth of knowledge and experience about all the fascinating and wonderful products that they have on display. Have you seen a boom in the craft industry recently/a new type of customer? Definitely. People took the opportunity to take up a new hobby or just try a craft that they’d been wanting to do for a long time. We’ve seen an increase in sales of the House of Crafts products, Apples to Pears gifts in a tin, Quay products and Timber kits. Tell us a bit about what you stock? We have a wide and varied selection of goods in store. On the lower ground floor we have an established arts and crafts department and are stockists for Daler Rowney, Derwent, Seawhite, Royal Talens, Pro Arte, Global, Southfields and Artstat to name a few. If we don’t have a product in stock then we can try and source it through our suppliers. Or if a customer just needs some advice on products, we’ll be happy to assist. What stationery/gifts do you currently stock? Are you looking for any new products or styles? The kits as above that we stock are from House of Crafts, Quay products, Timber kits and Apples to Pears. We wish to keep our ranges current so are always on the lookout for new and exciting products. One of the best ways that I have found is to listen to our customers as very often their requests are for products that are new to the market. Do you visit any trade shows? We visit the trade fairs where possible such as the Spring Fair at the NEC, London Stationery Show, Harrogate Home and Gift Fair and the Toy Fair. It’s important to see what’s coming onto the market and what is available in order to move forward. Are you active on social media? How is this useful for the business? We have Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts and have a lady who looks after our social media for us. It’s extremely important to our company to have these social media channels as it allows all customers whether local or further afield to hear about Jespers’ developments and new products that have come into the shop. Do you have any plans for the future of the store? Over the last four years, we’ve had an interesting time as the Jesper family retired in 2019, then Covid in 2020 and 2021, a 10-week refurbishment in 2021 and then finally a new till point built in 2022. So we’re now concentrating our efforts on ensuring the store is well stocked and as enticing as it can be. Do you have any tips for people looking to start their own retail venture? Retail is one of the most interesting sectors to work in and I’m a great believer in supporting independents as without them our town centres will no longer exist and everywhere will be the same. No one day is ever the same, it’s so satisfying to be able to meet a wide variety of customers from all different walks of life and discuss the passion that we have for stationery and arts and craft with others who share the same enthusiasm. Working in retail is hard work but it’s extremely rewarding especially when you make a sale or are able to assist a customer with a query or even just to see a smile on a customer’s face. Lastly, listen to your customers as you can learn a lot from them, especially with fine writing equipment or arts and craft products. What is the one product you couldn’t live without? Personally, I couldn’t live without my Filofax A5 Organiser. It’s my one piece of stationery-related items that has my daily working life in it and I’d be extremely lost if I didn’t have it! JESPERS OF HARROGATE Shop Address 14 Oxford Street, Harrogate, HG1 1PU www.jespersofharrogate.co.uk
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