The two The Alphabet Gift Shops are located in the historic towns of, Burton-On-Trent and Mickleover, in the Midlands. Jodie Hatton, general manager of these two large gift, card and coffee shop shares what products are going down well with the stores’ customer base.
Everyday: Burst My Bubble from Stop The Clock Design
“We had this range for a couple of years now and whenever we get them in, they fly back out. They brighten up our card racks and our customers (and staff!). Love the animal doodles and puns combined with the bright colours and patterns of the balloons.”
Cute: A Touch Of Sparkle from Mill Lane Cards
“The staff at Mill Lane always kindly hand deliver our orders as we’re so local to them! They’re nice and simple cards, with adorable images and cover all occasions, which is always a bonus!”
Humour: Across The Board from Rosie Made A Thing
“A firm favourite for our customers. We have a spinner full of Rosie Made A Thing cards in both our shops and often find customers chuckling away while browsing them. I think that people love them because they’re so funny and relatable!”
Art: Across The Board from Arthouse Unlimited
“We love Arthouse Unlimited and everything the company is about. The cards are designed by adults with both physical and learning difficulties so have something extra special about them.”
Contemporary: Rocky from Lola Design
“At Autumn Fair this year we bought most of the Rocky male range. It has a strong colour theme of bright red, blue and gold and we loved the imagery on them. Lola Design also gives you the option of going plastic-free when ordering, which we loved – something we’re trying to be more conscious of.”
Children’s: Words Of Wisdom from Dandelion Stationery
“We have the range across most occasions, but particularly love them for children’s age birthdays. They cover from young ages to teenagers, which we find is rare when looking at children’s collections. The artwork is fun and age appropriate too!”
Handmade/Hand-Finished: Pencil Shavings Range from Ruth Jackson
“The cards themselves are simple, but the pencil shavings aspect of them is so effective and customers are often commenting how clever they are!”
Giftwrap: General from Deva Designs
“We order the majority of our giftwrap from Deva Designs. There’s such a variety of patterns that cover all bases for us, and its partnerships with suppliers, such as Stop The Clock, mean we can group together cards, gift bags and flat wrap.”
Ancillary: Mugs and coasters from Rosie Made A Thing
“As with the cards, they bring joy to our customers and just make you laugh! They’re a really good gift, especially as they can be grouped together!”
Above: The Alphabet Gift Shop is a gift, card and coffee shop all in one.
