talking shop Top 12 Best Sellers


1. Portmeirion Sophie Conran Colour Pop mugs £8.50 each Bright, summery colours and eye-catching on the shelf


2. Elite Tins Sara Miller mini tins £2.99 each Perfect pick-up line. Looks more expensive than it is (!)


3. Churchill Queens Couture Birds Crush mugs £6.99 each Works well as a collection; customers often by at least two at a time


L-R: Co-founders Andrew Clarke and Patricia Clarke with co-directors Ella Clarke and Jennifer Clarke


china (for many years our mainstay) has slipped a little, but remains a best seller. Our vast selection of coffee mugs, teapots and glassware continues to grow, driven by increasing customer demand for choice. But what hasn’t changed is our commitment


to remain a specialist tableware shop and website. I believe our longevity is largely due to us resisting the siren calls of the giftware and cookshop wings of our industry – we are very much a china shop. Fifty years ago, all our stock came from our brilliant Stoke-on-Trent wholesalers: cash and carry - nothing delivered! Many of our best sellers still come from Stoke: Portmeirion, Churchill and Roy Kirkham amongst others. But nowadays, fortunately, it is in palletised next day deliveries – no more hacking up and down the M6! KitchenCraft has also grown to be a major supplier and Rayware continues to offer fantastic brands and consistently good service. To celebrate our milestone birthday, we have already booked a lovely photoshoot by local


photographer Rebecca Campbell, and have planned plenty of in-store events with promotions during September and all the way up until Christmas. We are really trying to push this to our local customers as well. After all, 50 years as a high street shop is quite an achievement! So what’s on our agenda for the next few decades? Most importantly, to continue offering our high standard of service and keen pricing; a policy that has stood us in good stead over the last 50 years. I believe that a continued high street


presence remains essential, although volume growth will probably come from our regularly revised website. As for future technology, tableware is a little


heavy for drone delivery, so we will probably stick with our excellent courier network, even if the trucks do become driverless!


PHOTOS: Rebecca Campbell Photography: http://www.rlcampbell.co.uk/


AT A GLANCE


Louis Potts 43 Cliffe High Street Lewes


East Sussex BN7 2AN


01273 472240 shop@louispotts.com www.louispotts.com @Louis_Potts #louispottslewes


4. Portmeirion Botanic Garden tableware from £10 A tableware range for all seasons! Popular with new and old customers alike


5. Thomas Loft tableware from £5 A design classic


6. La Cafetiere Barcelona teapots from £19.99 each


The new shape with bold colours has really caught the eye of the consumer


7. Kilner Signature Collection from £4.99 Customers zoom in on this quality brand and the Signature jars are versatile for both storing and preserving


8. DPS Porcelite Seasons tableware from £2.99 Studio pottery look with a rustic edge in a choice of eight colours


9. Emma Bridgewater mugs £20 each The new Great British designs have flown off the shelves with both tourists and regulars


10. KitchenCraft Creative Kids bamboo dinner set £13.99 A great looking product and great price point


11. KitchenCraft Built Hydration bottles £13.99 each


A choice of colours that appeals to customers young and old. The competitive price point is a major selling point compared with other brands!


12. Enesco Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny bamboo range from £4.99 Various bamboo items for children. Fun, colourful and a very competitive price


July/August 2019 • HousewaresLive.net • twitter.com/Housewaresnews housewareslive.net | 35


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