May In Store Inspo
May... a month blessed with two bank holidays and, better than that: sunshine!!
The warm rays enjoyed across the country this past month have been a welcome break from what's been one of the wettest springs on record.
Hopefully the weather and holidays will help indies catch-up on the slow start to this season's trading.
Stock loss
Independent shops also told us they are still having to adjust to the changing landscape of local high streets. With banks, post offices and major chains closing branches nationwide it means the footfall profile is ever evolving - with the most dramatic changes occurring mid-week.
Some North London based stores also told us that shoplifting has become a major concern. This anecdotal evidence backs up recent reports of an increase in crime rates - with incidences of theft up nationally by more than a third, compared to the previous year.
Speedy Deliveries
Meanwhile, we've had positive feedback from stores on how rapid the deliveries from Talking Tables are. We are currently holding excellent stock levels of most SKUs - making it easy and convenient for independents to place top-up orders.
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More is More
The maximalist trends continue with retailers, influencers and shoppers alike embracing dopamine colours, as seen above in Vinegar Hill in Cheltenham.
Here's what's been happening in your stores over the month...
Burford Garden Company in Oxfordshire told us our spring products were performing well for them - and placed a fabulous top-up order when we visited. Citrus and fruit themes are key trends for them this season and they said they had been well-received by shoppers.
Bright colours prevailed overall, and it was also interesting to see their visual display of glass candle holders - which experiments with height and groupings of colour.
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Burford Garden Company
They also ordered one of our new napkin spinners, which effortlessly display a large variety of napkins and help tidy up shop displays. If this is something you are interested in, please do get in touch with us.
Over at Snape Maltings in Suffolk, they presented a beautiful and innovative birthday display. We love the idea of merchandising birthday cards with number candles right next to them. Absolute genius!
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Snape Maltings
Candles of a different variety were very much front and centre elsewhere with shops like The Barn in Chichester and Jeremy's Home Store in Royal Tunbridge Wells using them to inject pops of colour to displays...
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The Barn in Chichester and Jeremy's Home Store in Royal Tunbridge Wells
Instagram also saw plenty of stores pushing dinner candles with bright and bold colours - including our new strawberry candles and vibrant orange metal candle holders.
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Hideout Interiors, Home By Julia Nairn and Zoey Bates Upholstery
Over with our European stockists Domino in Luxembourg was going big with birthday brights, and Voorlopig in the Netherlands made a bold and beautiful red display - which included our wine trivia game.
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Thanks again for featuring our products in your stores and online posts. We love featuring our independent retailers on social media and giving some well-earned recognition to our incredible stockists. Make sure to tag us on Instagram - and we may repost your image with a credit.
