Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - Page number 145 - July/August 2021

145 RETAILER INTERVIEW independent jewellery designer/makers, of which I am one. There are so many talented small-scale jewellers who work in the UK, and we generally find their work so much more interesting (and better priced) than most brands. It is usually made with much more care for the environment too. How often do you change up your window dressings and displays? Before the pandemic, we used to do five window displays each year – one for each season and one for Christmas. We make a big feature of our window displays, making props and often painting backdrops and we are known for them! Since the pandemic, they have been a little less frequent but hopefully just as good. What are your plans to do develop your online presence? We are constantly working on and improving our website, adding products and content, but we would like to find the time to add more features. We are also planning to increase our social media presence in the near future. Do you undertake any charitable initiatives? If so, what? Usually these take the form of giving gift vouchers for charity raffles, but we have worked with a local homeless charity making small gifts to go to vulnerable women that they support. We will hopefully do this again in the near future. Do you attend any trade shows and if so, which ones and why? Not trade shows usually but we love to attend makers’ fairs – we’re on the lookout for our next new jeweller! Are you looking to open more stores across the UK? Not at the moment but never say never! What has been your standout moment since opening the store, and why? There isn’t one particular moment, but it’s always gratifying to see a business grow given the current challenging retail environment. How has coronavirus affected your store/in what ways are you positive about the future of independent retail? Obviously being shut for much of the year has been very difficult, although it has encouraged us to develop our online presence further. During the lockdowns, I do think there has been a trend towards people looking at what is happening in their local area, supporting local businesses and also thinking more about their purchases in terms of sustainability and impact on the environment. The jewellery we sell is not fast fashion based and is made to last. I am hopeful that people will realise how much nicer it is to shop in a small place with a more personal service, rather than the bigger stores selling the same things in every town. What advice would you give other retailers? For me, it has been very important to keep my overheads as low as possible but also to have a good online presence so people can find me and see exactly what we do. Good communication and customer service is essential. What are your plans for the future? We are making improvements to the workshops to facilitate the growing bespoke side of the business. We are also planning to start a programme of exhibitions showcasing new and innovative work by up- and-coming makers. BRASS MONKEYS JEWELLERY T: +44 (0)1273 725 170 E: info@brassmonkeysjewellery.co.uk www.brassmonkeysjewellery.co.uk