In 2016 Crumble & Core began its life when three friends Jilly, Lucy and Lou came together with a cuppa around the kitchen table looking at Jilly's beautiful artwork. We wanted to find a way that we could use her incredible art to create a beautiful range of Cards and Gifts.
What were your backgrounds/skillsets that you brought Crumble and Core?
We all had very different skillsets. Jilly obviously brought her incredible portfolio of artwork. She was taught to paint by her dad at the age of 10 and that ignited a longlife passion for watercolours. She went on to train at art college in textiles and illustration and was a published freelance artist for many years.
Lucy had run a successful card, gift and homestyle shop, The Banana Tree in Eastbourne, for over 26 years which gave her a wealth of knowledge in the gift trade industry. Lou had a career in the city, bringing invaluable sales, marketing and computer/system skills to the business. Collectively all those skills put together with a sprinkle of passion, drive and a sense of humour made us lucky enough to land the best job in the world – working together!
Tell us about your product offering.
We are a British company that create beautiful ranges of products that cherish and celebrate both the everyday and special days. Our products are all sourced in the UK, not mass produced - British designed, British made. We make greetings cards, boxed silver jewellery cards, boxed scented candles with matching greeting cards, boxed notecards sets, gift wrap and mounted prints.
Our adorable Boxed Silver Jewellery Cards, which we have been finalists for both the Gift of The Year Awards 2021, 2022, 2023 and Henries Awards 2019, 2021, 2022.
Have any styles taken you by surprise with their popularity?
This year we launched a floral collection, Bright Blooms, in which we used different compositions and colour palettes. The range of foiled cards, candles and cards, and jewellery have exceeded expectations.
How do you keep your designs fresh and current? Do you follow trends?
We are constantly creating, that is the fun part! We look at trending colours, styles, analyse sales and update our collection regularly.
What sets you apart from your competitors?
The charm of Jilly's nostalgic artwork is a real draw. We hand finish our products in a unique way by incorporating the gemstones and jewellery into the artwork adding to the magic of the image.
How are you finding the current climate in the UK? Is it affecting business?
The high cost of living has hit everyone this year, but the price point of our products and creating new collections has kept things positive.
How do you view the future of independent retail?
People are shopping more online, but there will always be a place for indies. Especially the kind that are proactive in their buying and keep things fresh with their displays and stock. The internet can't always substitute a bricks and mortar
shop as there is nothing like a good bit of retail therapy!
Absolutely it's a window to your company and it's a great way to collaborate with our customers.
What challenges have you overcome since the company's launch?
Sense of humour is crucial to us at Crumble and Core. As we grew, we needed to employ staff, but we didn't want the atmosphere to change or become too corporate. We overcame this by only employing our family and friends and makes for a lovely fun place to work.
Do you have any advice for new businesses starting out in the world of gifts?
Do your research, listen to advise, know your product and competitors, and be prepared to get your hands dirty. Apart from that believe in yourself and your product.
What can we expect in the future from the company?
We have begun licensing our artwork in order to expand our product offering so watch this space for exciting developments! We also have some gorgeous new collections coming soon: adorable animals range, men's range and new additions to our Bright Bloom and Everyday collections. We've sourced some magnificent jewellery and so much more, so we are all really excited to share.
CRUMBLE AND CORE
T: +44 (0)1825 841 412 | crumbleandcore.com
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