Ticketed evening shopping events at the end of November provided a boost to Christmas trade for Dinghams Cookshop in Salisbury and Winchester. Customers enjoyed drinks and nibbles, exclusive discounts, a raffle, goodie bags and demonstrations. “We’re thinking of holding summer evening events that will be more experiential than product focused,” says Becca Hardingham, managing director at Dinghams.
The retailer was “nearly at target for December,” and ended 2019 with ten months that were up on the previous year, including October and November. “Considering all the gloom and doom out there, we are very happy and positive,” says Becca. She recognises the benefits gained from refreshing the shop layouts to “open up the space, making it easier to shop and to inspire customers on how products will look in their homes.”
Becca reflects: “We’ve sourced a lot of different products and our staff are now more knowledgeable than a year ago.”
Top: A cosy lifestyle winter window display at Dinghams.
