Whatever you might think of 2017, there is no doubt that it was a challenging year and the last 12 months certainly kept the retail industry on its toes. PWW spoke to Susie Patten, owner of Fancy Dress Hut in Ipswich, to find out how the last year has shaped up for the party supplier…
A Year Of Growth
“The last year has been interesting, as a retail shop we have seen a 10% growth overall. May and September were our worst months, with September especially considerably down on last year. I think due mainly to political uncertainty and the elections. We had a good Halloween and surprisingly bumper Christmas and New Year with the whole range of Santa costumes selling very well. For New Year’s Eve our strong sellers were mainly 20s, 70s and 80s costumes and accessories.”
Top-Selling Lines
“In 2017 we definitely saw a significant increase in sales of Oktoberfest costumes and accessories and for us Mexican Day of the Dead Lines were our bestsellers for Halloween. For World Book Day I sold out of Harry Potter kits very early on and we were unable to replenish, otherwise we could have sold ten times what we did. Lesson learned for this year! ”
No More Fakes
“Another positive for us was the new contract with Rubie’s which has prevented some less desirable retailers from being able to stock and sell Rubie’s products. Their anti-counterfeit team appear to be doing a great job in stopping the market being saturated with fakes.”
The Amazon Threat
“For 2018 I believe that Halloween will continue to grow and that Amazon continues to be our biggest threat. Household finances are tight but people do still want to party, shop in real life and receive great customer service. As long as we continue to offer great value and a good a wide range of products I think we will be ok for 2018.”
