55 PROFILE SIENNA GLASS Tel: +44 (0)7786 321 443 www.siennaglass.com occasion balls and hearts. Have any styles taken you by surprise with their popularity? Having started with generic products we’ve found that items which are for a specific life event are very popular and we’re constantly adding to our range of milestone and sentiment products. This year we launched a new Christmas range, which included a glass Christmas tree with miniature handmade including a cute reindeer, candy canes and other Christmas items. These were a big hit, selling out very quickly. We’ll be expanding the Christmas offering this year. How do you keep your designs fresh and current? Do you follow trends? We constantly brainstorm new ideas with just about anyone who will talk to us about it. We keep up to date with colour trends in home décor as many of our products make great additions to home colour schemes. Any suggestions, drop us an email! What sets you apart from your competitors? Having started out in retail I was aware of some of the challenges of selling glassware. The aim was to provide retail outlets with an easy and safe selling solution for this type of product. As such, we designed packaging that was not only attractive but also protective. The products are easy to display, and the packaging adds a protective layer to keep the products safe during transportation. We have a low minimum order and all items can be purchased individually, allowing retailers to test new product lines and restock fast moving lines. Storage space and cash flow are challenges many small business face and the little and often approach, coupled with fast delivery enables our customers to maximise their sales. How are you finding the current climate in the UK? Is it affecting business? The UK business climate, like the UK weather, changes constantly. The important thing is to embrace the change and be prepared to adapt quickly. How do you view the future of independent retail? Again, all businesses need to be ready to adapt to the ever-changing landscape, keep customers happy with great products and excellent service and the future will be bright. Are you active on social media? How is this important for the business? Yes! It’s absolutely crucial. Do you have any advice for new businesses starting out in the world of gifts? Know your customer, find your customer, look after your customer, manage your cash flow. What can we expect in the future from the company? We aim to continue to offer an everchanging array of high-quality glass giftware offering an exciting opportunity to maximise sales and profit.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=