Craft Focus - Feb/Mar (Issue 71)

138 craft focus Graeme Wright, managing director of EQS, tells Craft Focus about the latest trends in quilting Tell us about EQS and its history. I started the company with my business partner Libby West in 1996. After 22 years we now employ 17 people, selling across the British Isles and several countries in Europe. EQS specialises in quilting supplies, from fabric and threads to waddings and notions. Who are your target customers? We only deal with bona fide trade accounts. We have studiously stuck to that principle even when it looks as though some manufacturers and wholesalers have started selling direct to the public. As well as retailers, we also have a selection of customers making garments and other items on a small scale to sell at shows and through online platforms such as Craftsy. Talk us through your key collections. As a specialist distributor we carry a wide range of brands including Sew Simple waddings, Michael Miller, Riley Blake, Studio E fabrics and Mettler threads. The jewel in our crown is Liberty of London. Do you have any business highlights? We have tried to develop a comprehensive range of products supported by what we are told is a market-leading service, and this gives us great satisfaction. We believe in working with our customers to help them sell products to the end consumer. Do you provide your trade customers with marketing support? For us, marketing is an integral part of our business model. We believe that we have a duty to help ‘pull’ the products through the distribution channels and it is with that in mind that we place advertising in magazines, provide free downloadable patterns for most of our fabrics and write articles that educate customers to make better choices. Do you exhibit at any trade shows? We always attend CHSI Stitches. We are great believers in the power that fairs have in getting new products launched but we think these events will need to continue developing to reflect the current ways of doing business. Shows cannot just be a simple shop window for new products; there needs to be a strong element of education, not to mention entertainment as well. What are the big quilting trends for 2019? While quilting has largely been driven by American tastes and practices, there is a clear trend towards European design and colouring. This in turn means the move towards bigger, brighter and bolder may well be coming to an end. It is always useful to push the boundaries, but it is important not to lose sight of where the craft came from. Do you think the industry has changed in recent years? Undoubtedly it has followed the same route as others, with more business done on the internet and people not travelling to shops as much as they used to. However, craft stores are more than just that, with one retailer telling me recently that they see themselves as a community centre. That is something that few other sectors can boast. How many people go to buy a washing machine based on having a laugh and a cuppa in store? What’s coming up next for EQS? More than ever we are having to change and adapt to the new realities. We continue to invest heavily in our website and social media. This has a dual objective: to offer a means for consumers to see what is available, and also to provide an avenue for customers to preview products, place orders and communicate with us at a time that suits them. We will also be putting a lot of effort into educational videos. Many of the products we sell require an explanation, so we will be recording a series of short films that do just that. Our policy is that if we are still doing in three years’ time what we are doing today, that is a bonus. under cover EQS +44 (0)116 271 0033 eqsuk.com