Digital retailing is not only working its magic for a Lincoln company, it spells an exciting expansion move.
Today Lincoln-based chartered surveyor Banks Long & Co revealed it has leased prestigious city centre premises at the Firth Road Business Centre to Fairy Glam Ltd – better known to many as Lucy Locket.
And it’s no fantasy to say that this homegrown company, which sells a dazzling array of children’s partywear, magic wands, masks and other “must have” accessories, is confident that this is a dream move which will put it on course for further success.
Lucy Locket is relocating – from Wavell Drive on the city’s Allenby Road Industrial Estate – just weeks after an ONS (Office for National Statistics) report stated that online retail sales grew to an estimated £727.5 million a week in May – up 15 per cent on the same time last year.
June saw a slight falloff due to the hot weather – however Lucy Locket bucked the trend by attracting more online orders than ever.
Lucy Locket chief executive Paul Edwick and his wife, creative director Sarah Edwick – who started the firm 20 years ago and whose daughter Sally also works in the business – are in positive mood as the business forges ahead to recover its pre-Recession turnover.
“We have been closely watching retailing trends. The growth in internet sales encouraged us to seriously consider pushing the online side of our business two years ago. Today more than 50 per cent of sales are internet-related,” said Paul.
“However, we will remain both a “clicks and bricks” business – as a traditional supplier to prestigious customers such as Harrods, Hamleys, Waitrose and LegoLand. That side remains very important to us.
“Our new premises are much bigger, open plan and also include a meeting room. They will allow our nine-strong team much more space in which to handle both online and offline sales and do their creative thinking. The Firth Road site is also central and secure.”
Exports to the EU, including Germany and France, account for more than 50 per cent of sales and Lucy Locket is keen to make inroads into Italy and Spain.
“With our expansion, we are hoping to take on one new person every six months. We already employ someone who can speak German, French and Spanish, but we need more help in this area so, more immediately, we are keen to hear from languages students who would like to get some experience under their belts,” added Paul.
Digital marketing and PR Officer Bryony Soord is the firm’s newest recruit and she is enthusiastic about the key role she is playing in spreading the word about Lucy Locket.
“We have a huge range of products. All have been hand-finished and we have safe-fastening outfits for the under-threes, as well as the luxury dressing-up outfits for children up to the age of eight,” said Bryony.
“I’ve got lots of ideas for promoting the company digitally. At the moment, I am busy building up our blog and our social media presence and making connections with other bloggers and the wider online community.
“One of the things I am concentrating on is creating a safe online network, where parents, teachers and other people involving in dealing with children can share their thoughts on all sorts of issues,” added Bryony.
Lucy Locket aims to be trading from its new premises by the end of August, but there’s plenty lots of work to do first – including running a sale at its Wavell Drive premises on August 5 and 6 (10am to 4pm) – to streamline stock levels before it relocates.
Banks Long & Co Surveyor Jag Landa said: “We are delighted to have leased substantial premises at the Firth Road Business Centre to the Fairy Glam team.
“This popular site lies just a few minutes walk from the shopping heart of Lincoln and it offers fast access to the wider East Midlands and beyond. Occupiers enjoy the benefits of being based on a secure site, which offers very generous parking facilities. We wish the business every success.”
Banks Long & Co is acting jointly with Leeds-based property consultant WSB in marketing this business park.
