Retailers can thrive while other High st stores collapse

Not since Woolworths collapsed has there been so much negative news about retailing

In the last couple of months Oddbins, Focus DIY, Homeform, Habitat, Jane Norman and TJ Hughes have all collapsed in to administration. In addition Mothercare and Thorntons have announced they are shutting significant numbers of stores and Clintons is looking at a management buy out

Analyists are lining up to signal the end of the High St quoting the internet and the british consumers' lack of money for reasons to be gloomy

But amidst all this bad news John Lewis have just announced a 20% increase in sales and Debenhams' sales have also increased.

Best Years are a knitted and crochet wholesaler and although we are a lot smaller than John Lewis (a lot, lot, smaller!) our sales are also over 30% up year on year

So it is possible to thrive whilst other companies struggle but how?

We wholesale well designed, affordable knitted and crochet toys. Our wholesale Pebble toys are different from the mass produced toys from the big toy wholesalers. We sell to independent retailers who are different from the mass produced retailers which crowd every high st

Consumers are struggling with disposable income. I would not like to be selling large ticket items however good my ranges were. They are also suspicious about large companies. Its large financial institutions who got us in to this mess and the suspicion about exactly what large companies get up to rubs off.

But however tight things are people still need and want gifts. They are just being a bit more picky about the ones they buy. Why buy a run of the mill, mass produced toy when for the same price you can buy a unique, hand made one? Why visit a bland multiple store when you can visit an inspirational independent instead?

We are very optimistic about sales over the next 6 months. The current economic climate obviously affects us but we completely believe that if we continue to offer well made and designed toys, especially if we can source them from fairtrade sources, then our sales will continue to rise. Sales of our wholesale Pebble toys for the Xmas period are already up year on year and thats before we get to the Autumn trade shows.

We hope to see you at Autumn Fair or Top Drawer so that we can show you our extended ranges of toys and hopefully together we will have a good Xmas. One things for sure, theres going to be less competition on the high st this Xmas!