We had a call in the week from a customer who had come across our website and it came out that they thought we were just an online shop. They were surprised that we had a "proper" shop in this current climate. So I thought I'd just remind people that we are a "proper" shop.
Our internet presence is a necessity in this day as most people shop via the internet, not how it was "back in the day". We always want to be seen as a proper retail shop, where customers can come in, see the products, pick our brains and enjoy a laugh or two, as we do like a laugh in the shop. Luckily what we sell is interesting and is aimed at a fun time. Banter is a prerequisite and makes our job so much more interesting and fun. I call it a job, but it never feels like that, it's like we get to see some friends once a year. I always say I'm not great with names, but faces, I do tend to remember them.
We've had bricks and mortar shop now since 2004, from a little place on Doncaster Road in Wakefield, that lasted us 6 years, before moving to our current site on Millennia Park. The Doncaster Road shop was the start of everything. We didn't know much at that point other than we loved fireworks and spent far too much money every year buying from Great Northern Fireworks in Leeds.
From there we got a few lines for our first year and we did ok. The following year we bought some more and so on each year, we even had a celebrity customer.
In 2005 we launched the website and that was a learning curve. Unfortunately, we didn't and still don't have an I.T. department, just 'lil ol' me. We did ok though but the heart of the business is the shop, hence we put so much time and effort into it.
So a move to larger premises in 2009, incorporating Fancy Dress was a huge move for us, and luckily the move was a great move, though the Fancy Dress was a lot harder than selling fireworks.
2020 saw us move again, same estate but across the road and this time we were only selling fireworks.
The refurb all happened during the lockdown, so ideal in a way as there was only me, I could socially distance and still get on with it. We battled through 2020 and lockdowns and 2021 with the crippling price increases and distribution issues.
Fast forward to 2022. More price increases and shortages again, but we've gone all-in with our purchases to ensure that we have the stock this year. Prices, we can't do much about them but we have, for the first time, cut our physical opening hours in the hope of reducing our operational costs out of season, thereby allowing us to keep our prices down.
So as you can see, our retail shop is the beating heart of The FIrework Store. We've seen kids coming in with their parents, now coming in with their kids. We feel as though we are part of the community and are fighting tooth and nail to compete with the supermarkets, the white van man and of course the internet.
The bottom line is we are still here, still enjoying what we do and looking forward to seeing our annual friends again this year, we hope that if you have read as far as this, we will see you too.
Thanks for taking the time.
Rob