None of us will ever forget this period and the upheaval it has caused to our personal and business lives, from our mental wellbeing to our financial situation. While ‘it’ is not over, with lockdown easing by the day, thoughts can turn to what the ‘new normal’ may look like.
With John Lewis’ online card/wrap and stationery sales doing well, and Waitrose’s sales increasing week-on-week (https://www.pgbuzz.net/john-lewis-and-waitrose-report-strong-cards-stationery-and-wrap-buying-habits-during-lockdown/), Sarah Moughtin (pictured top), card buyer for John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners revealed insights into her personal lockdown life that has been peppered by juggling card selection, jigsaws and scavenger hunts.
What has life in lockdown been like for you? “I think it’s fair to say lockdown life has left us juggling! On the business side of things I have been busier than ever, but I am impressed by the speed at which we managed to adapt to a new way of working in a relative short amount of time. The first few weeks were an intense mix of real successes and frustration as the inbox and phone were set to explode. Using IT conferencing suites to connect with the team and suppliers has been amazing, although we would all agree that our eyes have become a bit dizzy from staring at the screen all day… I never would have thought that I would miss that mad dash running to the next meeting room! The team and our suppliers have been super creative in their thinking to overcome challenges and trade day in day out, as well as planning for the future and bringing NPD to life across the virtual world we now live in…hence I think it is fair to say we are now all professional jugglers, fit for the circus!”
What has been the best thing about lockdown? “I absolutely love the general uplift in community spirit and kindness. The random acts of kindness and lovely stories that have come to light have kept me smiling. It makes me believe that anything is possible!
Despite the longer hours, the positives for me definitely involve not having a long rush hour commute, which means I have more evenings to enjoy unwinding, sampling the many flavours of gin, and enjoying the lovely weather.
We are also having a sunflower growing contest for our buying group… and so far, it’s looking good… I have managed to keep it alive!”
What has been the worst thing about it? “While there are many benefits to working from home the flip side to this in that I miss my team, the bouncing of ideas and general chit chat that just isn’t the same over conference calls. Another huge blow is not being surrounded by gorgeous products, that is after all the beauty of being a buyer.”
Do you have any new-found skills? “I love getting creative and have had time to sit still at the weekend, get out the pens, paint and sketchbook, grab the camera and unpack the sewing machine. There are no masterpieces being created but it’s nice to rediscover all those hobbies. I am also becoming skilled in being a ‘virtual’ Auntie, thinking of games, scavenger hunts and ways to connect with my five-year-old niece and two-year-old nephew has been the most fun, but also the most challenging.”
What have been your guilty pleasures? “Aside from gin, my biggest guilty pleasure has been puzzles… I don’t know whether to be pleased that everyone else is finding the joy or annoyed that I can’t get my hands on the ones I want! The best one I have ever completed is the A-Z of London.”
What role do you think greeting cards have played in this period? “Greeting cards have been essential to keeping people connected and giving people a chance to express themselves. Putting pen to paper and receiving that special bit of post is enough to brighten anyone’s day. I have sent and received a fair few. It’s a really lovely way of showing someone you care and with most people passing a post box on their daily walks, it can also give a sense of purpose and reason to leave the house.”
What do you think the new normal will be like in the coming months for our sector – the key challenges and opportunities? “I think the ‘new normal’ provides a real opportunity for greeting cards and giftwrap. With shops having been closed this has been a challenging time to navigate for both retailers and suppliers. Bringing product to life digitally is both the biggest challenge and opportunity for this sector, when quite often the beauty is in the touch and feel of the product as well as those small details you only see when looking at the product in the flesh. This time has hopefully allowed the creative juices to flow, to overcome hurdles in a different way and I look forward to a time when these ideas will become a reality.”
