“Christmas trade at Harts, both instore and online, was very robust,” reports David Conduit, director at Harts of Stur, based in Sturminster Newton and winner of the Excellence in Online Retailing at the Excellence in Housewares Awards 2021.
David reflects: “While there is still a certain level of caution regarding Covid, with almost universal acceptance of mask wearing for example, we’ve not seen much evidence of it affecting our customers shopping habits to any great degree, certainly instore. We live in a rural area, so the fears around crowded public transport do not much affect us, and our store has been exceptionally busy in the build-up to Christmas, and the sale period immediately afterwards. Online, sales are about the same as last year, which is testament to the effort all our team have put in maintaining the gains we made over the full covid-affected year.”
Looking ahead to the challenges of 2022, David comments: “The only fly in the ointment is the continuing cost and margin pressures that have been building for the last 18 months or so. Shipping costs are affecting everyone, and add that to the existing stock shortages, and the cost of raw materials, and some eye-watering price rises have been put through. The market has yet to feel the full impact of this, but it will have a negative impact on shoppers’ confidence, and as the tax rises and interest rates rise bite, this will double-down on the overall effect.”
Top: Dualit hosted a product demonstration in the busy run-up to Christmas at Harts of Stur.
