Craft Focus - Feb/Mar (Issue 71)

Are trade shows an important way of doing business for you? Yes. We have been exhibiting at CHSI Stitches for over 20 years now and this will also be our third year of attending H+H Cologne. Shows are a great way of meeting new and existing customers. With more business conducted online, these events are particularly important because retailers can see our products and discuss future plans. Are there any upcoming launches you’re able to tell us about? In September 2018 we released the first seven designs from the Bebunni collection. We love working with this super-cute character and have developed a further 10 images to be released at CHSI Stitches in February. There will also be new Wrendale products, including four tapestry kits, and we will be introducing two new artists to the Bothy. How can retailers get to see your kits? We keep our website up-to-date with all the latest releases. Retailers can register for a trade account via our online portal and, once approved, they can view our products at wholesale price, as well as downloading images and data. We also post regularly on our Facebook and Instagram pages. What’s coming up for you in 2019? We will be moving to our new custom-built premises early in the year. Since we merged with Derwentwater Designs at the end of 2017, we now have 12 members in the team and we are all getting tangled in each other’s threads. The unit will have lots of space for our existing products and much more for new ones too. My daughter Iona will be joining us later in the year and will be developing her design skills with the aim of bringing out even more kits. We will also have a media space where we will be able to shoot instructional videos and lifestyle shots. We aim to keep our customers in stitches for many years to come! Bothy Threads +44 (0)1900 828 844 bothythreads.com craft focus 95 profile