I talk a lot here about the need for newsagents to take ownership of their future. For more than a year I have been working on a new retail concept to complement my newsagency investment, a concept which affords me more control. Last Friday, we opened Sophie Randall Cards and Gifts at Forest Hill Chase in Victoria.
Even though I own this first store, the Sophie Randall concept has been developed by the same people behind newsXpress. We have created it to provide newsagents with a complimentary retail strategy – enabling a second store in a centre without creating just another newsagency.
Startups are challenging and Sophie Randall is no exception. It has been an intensive year negotiating with the landlord, developing the unique design, choosing product and building a concept which can be easily replicated. Most important has been the work developing who Sophie Randall is and what she stands for.
We opened Friday afternoon and trading for the last three days has been most promising – even though we have plenty of work to do before we are satisfied. It has been a wonderful experience creating a retail concept from scratch and without supplier rules – challenging too because of a lack of supplier rules. This is why we will take some time to finesse the offering before we have a noisy opening celebration. We have not promoted the store whatsoever at this point.
Landlords have been watching our model develop and we already have three offers from centres keen to get access this new concept. We’ve told them that we need time to settle this first store in before we contemplate our next moves. Our preference is to work with newsagents who are keen to develop their own retail portfolio.
Many of our products are unique. We have sought to provide our customers with a broad selection covering all key gift and card giving occasions. Our range includes Italian master craftsman boxes, Italian glass, American stationery sets, monogrammed paperweights, journals, candles, photo frames and soap which look like cupcakes.
We’re creating a website which will tell more about the Sophie Randall story. It should be live next week sometime.
I am very interested in your store. I have a paper craft shop and not a newsagency. Is it a possibility for my type of store to be part of this concept?
Maddy Magee
Paper Carousel
I like the shop fit and lay out in your
store . I have a very big Newsagent
but lay out is not the best , and lots of waisted space . I do not have any competition and yet I am
surrounded by Resort and coffee
shops, restaurants . We use Tower
System in our Newsagent. I’m starting to get in to gifts now , and I must say that it is selling everyday. after reading Marks
comments regarding gift ideas .
My only regrets is that I wish I
started gifts 22 years ago, but never too late . Thank you Mark
giving us tips re gifts ideas.
Nancy,
Thanks for the comments. Be sure to go to the gift fairs next year – you will see many new products which work in newsagencies.
It is important to carry gifts which fit with the occasions for which your customers most often buy cards. These are the easy gift sales.
mark