72 MOLLY MAE Tel: +44 (0)1455 557 115 www.mollymae.co.uk and value their feedback on how we can improve our services. How are you finding the current climate in the UK? Is it affecting business? We have seen the surge in B2C sales that we saw during the pandemic drop back and have been replaced with B2B. A kind of seesaw effect so we are constantly reviewing our sales and have adapted our business to fit the buying patterns of our customers. We haven’t seen any effects on the business that we can directly relate to the cost of living crisis, however the Royal Mail industrial action is a concern. This year we’ve had more customers complaining that their orders haven’t arrived, only to receive it a week or two later! We really hope this action doesn’t deter people from sending greeting cards because the receiving of cards from friends and loved ones is hugely important to wellbeing, especially in times of crisis. How do you view the future of independent retail post-pandemic? Our independent retailers tell us that footfall is good and sales are comparable to pre-pandemic. That view is confirmed by our sales figures. We feel that people working from home, located in villages and market towns is having a positive impact on some of our stockists especially those who sell cards in their coffee shops and cafés where people choosing to meet with colleagues and their own customers. Are you active on social media? How is this important for the business? We are becoming more active on social media. The Molly Mae brand was established 13 years ago and we’ve quietly focused all our attention on creating the best products and delivering first class customer service. We want to be the card brand people talk about and enjoy giving and receiving and social media could certainly help us raise our profile in that way. Do you have any advice for new businesses starting out in the world of gifts? Do your research, Stacey had a card and gift shop when we launched Molly Mae, that really helped us understand our market. What can we expect in the future from the company? We’d love to move into other areas in the world of gift. Collaboration and licensing is something we’d like to investigate in the near future. We think Molly Mae would look amazing on all kinds of giftware, especially as our strengths lie in occasions. From mugs, to candles and cushions, that would be really exciting to us!
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