Faced with big name closures and ongoing media reports focusing on the the UK’s struggling retail market, PPS asks Andy Noon, ceo of Poppets in East Sussex, for his perspective on the future of preschool retail.
On Toys R Us
“While it is sad to lose another store, the Toys R Us closure should have a small positive effect in expanding our ‘local’ footfall as more people discover us for the first time. In fact we recently did a blog post regarding the closure as there were some products we both stocked that people will be looking for, such as Brio Hape and Lamaze and we would rather they knew we were here than go straight to Amazon.”
On Mothercare
“Meanwhile, Mothercare is competing along with all bricks and mortar stores in a marketplace that is now skewed in favour of online retail. The size and scale of Mothercare has meant it has gradually become impossible to compete in this new marketplace without making huge changes such as cutting overheads by closing stores and reducing staff – which it is now being forced into.”
On Staying Competitive
“To remain relevant we aim to make shopping here an experience which is enjoyable and fun for little ones and parents. We have various play stations and products to play with around the shop meaning children are engaged and happy while parents get a moment to shop. Also a mix of good product knowledge, first-hand experience of parenting and sense of humour are invaluable.”
On Online Retail
“I don’t think there is any point in fighting progress. We resisted for a while as it means a lot of change (read work!) but ultimately you have to adapt and embrace it. We now have an online store at www.poppets.biz which runs alongside our shop with an upgraded online POS system which tracks inventory and lets us see trends and flow of stock through the year.”
On The Independent Market
“The underlying problem is that until the playing field is levelled (which needs more intervention from the government tackling tax and business rate inequality) the Amazons and Googles of the world will keep the unfair advantage and we will sadly see more closures as bricks and mortar stores simply can’t compete.
If a fairer online and offline retail environment can be established then independents like us can continue to do what we do well and provide a good service product knowledge and a lovely space to welcome parents and children for generations to come. We can also embrace the online and technological advantages to reach our customers, understand their needs better and communicate with them.”
