Small Shop Summer
When we launched Small Shop Summer last year, we didn't have a 2500 participants research report to back us up. We had an idea. An observation. And a growing suspicion that customers valued independent businesses far more than many retailers realised. The campaign was built on a simple
High Streets
Famously, Britain was once described as “a nation of shopkeepers.” It’s one of those phrases that sounds slightly old-fashioned now, almost nostalgic. But I think there was something important inside it. Because Britain was not built on giant corporations or vast retail parks. It was built on market
greetings cards
Recently, I was invited onto BBC Radio Leicester to talk about something I care very deeply about: the future of greeting cards, changing customer behaviour, and the growing importance of trust in our postal system. As both a greeting card retailer and publisher, I see every day just how much
Retail Industry
Britain loves the idea of small shops. We love market towns. We love independent cafés, bakeries, florists, card shops and bookshops. We love Christmas shopping evenings and beautiful little shopping streets decorated with lights and bunting. We love discovering hidden gems on holiday. We love towns with “character.” At least,
Greeting Card Association
I was really pleased to take part in the GCA / PG Retailer Forum in August 2025, alongside other independent retailers, publishers and industry figures, with PG Buzz later covering the event and the conversations that came out of it. What I valued most about the forum was that it focused
Greeting Card Association
I was honoured to be invited to join the judging panel for the 2025 Henries Awards, widely regarded as the UK’s most prestigious celebration of greeting card design and publishing. As both a greeting card retailer and publisher, it was a real privilege to spend time reviewing such an
bbc
I joined Ben Jackson live in the BBC Radio Leicester studio to talk about the growing impact of retail theft and the reality of how it affects independent shops behind the scenes. Retail theft is often discussed purely in financial terms, but the reality for small shopkeepers is far more