Craft Focus - June/July 2020 (Issue 79)

65 PROFILE Macramé kit and a family craft pack which is great for those families self-isolating with children. What’s your bestselling line? At the moment we can’t keep flower presses on the shelf. They’re an educational and fun thing to do with the children. With everyone self-isolating, all things that a family can do together are selling really well. How often do you launch new products? We try to launch new products every two to three months. Often, we come up with ideas but get so busy with orders that we can’t find the time to develop projects. Julie, my wife, usually takes projects home and can be found working on them until midnight. How would you advise a retailer who is interested in stocking your products? Any retailer interested in stocking our products should apply for an account and then have a browse through the website. It’s easy to add things to the basket and they will sit there until the order is ready. If there are products that people are uncertain about, we encourage them to call us. We enjoy the personal touch. We’re always here to advise what products go together or give specific information. Often the end users are a source of information about what to stock, they often ask for unusual products which we may be able to source or make. What sets you apart from your competitors? Because we make products ourselves, we can be quick to respond to customer requests and trends. All our staff are very knowledgeable about different crafts so we can usually help with any queries. Do you visit any trade shows? We usually visit Stitches at the NEC and have a look for new ideas, trends, new products or new suppliers. However, we don’t exhibit. What’s your current status during the Covid 19 outbreak? We’re able to work safely because we have different departments which are located in separate areas of the building. Apart from working individually in the different areas the only other change that we’ve had to make is in the packing area. One person now checks the orders onto the table then moves out of the way whilst another person comes and packs. It does slow us down a bit but needs must. Our couriers are operating as normal so we can get orders delivered. What advice would you give to other businesses in similar situations? Adapt, adapt, adapt. Be open to new ideas and ways of selling. Is your website trade only or can consumers hop on and stock up on craft kits during isolation? Our website is trade only. We have stuck to our original policy of selling wholesale and not to our customer’s customer i.e. the end user. What can we expect from Peak Dale Products in the future? What goes around comes around in crafting circles and retro crafts are making a big comeback – think Macramé and rag rug making. Peak Dale Products +44 (0)1298 78447 www.peakdaleproducts.co.uk