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Online retailer goes from clicks to bricks
Wheniwasakid.co.uk owner claims he will save money by opening on the High Street... by Lewis Tyler
AFTER FIVE years of trading exclusively online,
wheniwasakid.co.uk is set to move into a bricks and mortar site on Wellingborough High Street. The retailer had been using a local ‘pick and pack’ company to handle its online orders, paying a hefty levy of £2.50 on each one. Now, owner Paul Warner has decided to cut that cost by moving the online order packing into the back room of his new premises. By doing this, he believes he will get back £6,000 this year – and that’s after subtracting rent costs. The move effectively means the retailer is making a profit by opening a physical shop.
The decision came after the website enjoyed its best Christmas sales to date, which Warner said was the culmination of the past five years of hard work.
And he believes that by applying the lessons learned online, When I Was a Kid can be a success on the High Street: “We have worked hard to wow our customers and have won several awards, now we want to bring that magic into a real toy shop, one that encourages play, laughter and general merriment. After all, that’s what being a kid is all about.” Warner’s retail ethos is to engage with his customers rather than simply trying to sell to them. With this in mind, the new toy shop is: “Built from the child up, rather than the adult down,” he explained to ToyNews.
A significant portion of trade this
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We want to create an environment
where parents feel relaxed because the kids feel welcome.
year came to the retailer directly through social media sites. Warner has successfully tapped into the mummy blogger network and has enlisted Sarah Green (
www.deppinmummymatters.co.uk) and Rebecca McLuckie (
www.twobecomefour.com) as mummy retail consultants while developing the store. The pair were involved in chosing the choice of fittings, sizing and materials used. Warner said: “The idea is to involve mums with young children at the design and layout phase. We want to create an environment where the parents can feel relaxed because the kids feel welcome.” A key feature of the shop will be
small tills and shopping trolleys, so children can feel as if they are buying the toys rather than their parents. A comprehensive play area lets kids “touch, feel, bang, crash, drop and enjoy all the toys” while cartoons are shown on a big screen TV. Inspired by the film Mr Magorum’s Wonder Emporium, the store will also feature a train set suspended from its ceiling.
The doom and gloom surrounding UK retail clearly hasn’t deterred Warner: “A family run business that is genuinely passionate with great customer service at its core will succeed. People buy from people after all. The High Street isn’t dead, just a little misunderstood.”
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