A retail start-up with sparkle

Fresh out of Manchester Metropolitan University Business School with a retail marketing degree under her belt, Emma Freudenberg was in the lucky position of securing a graduate job with Woolworths. After only six months in her new role, an unexpected family illness caused Emma to re-evaluate her priorities and time commitment at work.  She bravely took the decision to quit to spend more time caring for her relative. Unknown to Emma at the time, this choice paved the way for a life-changing career opportunity.

 

One of Emma's necklaces 

With time on her hands and a dwindling bank balance, Emma started to rekindle her childhood hobby in designing and making jewellery. Initially she sold a few pieces to her friends and family and then started selling them on eBay and at students' unions and local art and craft fairs. The response from people was really positive and it occurred to her that perhaps this could be successful enough to become a full-time business.

Emma knew that she couldn’t afford to go down the traditional retail route of opening a shop on the high-street. After a lot of research she opted for a low-cost online business model. Emma contacted the Prince’s Trust to apply for a grant which would be used to build a website to showcase and sell her pieces. With this money she was able to take the first real step towards creating Kitsch-tique. Three years later and her online business has gone from strength to strength, now with over a hundred hand-made and vintage necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets all designed by Emma and over 150 website hits every day.

’I take my inspiration from everyday objects around me such as food (see the cupcake earrings) and animals (bambi button ring),’ says Emma. ‘I love colour and I try to use it wherever possible in the designs. I don’t tend to follow high-street fashion trends and work quite organically based on my own intuition. As a result, the collection is somewhat quirky and that’s where I find my niche in the highly saturated jewellery market. Feedback from my customers shows that they take pleasure in the fact that the pieces are usually one of a kind and that other  people will not  be wearing the same thing.’

Being my own boss

Although Emma loves working for herself, she recognises that it is not the choice for everyone.’I enjoy the responsibility, yet with that responsibility there is the pressure and burden to make the right decisions. For me, the flexibility I get by being self-employed is amazing and it’s really rewarding to see something I’ve developed become a success. But I know that many of my course friends are just as happy working as buyers, merchandisers and managers in retail companies all over the UK.'

If you do want to set up on your own, youth should not be a barrier. ’I always tell people that being young and relatively inexperienced shouldn’t stop you from following your passion and becoming an entrepreneur,' says Emma. 'The fact that I’m only 26 means that I don’t yet have any massive responsibilities or life commitments, and can afford to take a gamble on starting up this business. And the lessons you learn along the way are a great source of experience which I can take with me wherever my career takes me.’

Trading in a recession

Emma is conscious that the retail sector has taken a heavy hit in the current economic downturn. ‘A recent survey by the CBI for example, found that 48% of traders reported a decline in year-on-year sales in June. But some parts of the retail sector are doing better than others. The same report also shows that while  hardware, DIY and furniture stores are having a tough time, grocery stores and shoe shops have reported positive growth.

‘I know that jewellery sales can suffer in these trading conditions simply because unlike food, it is not a necessity. However, my jewellery is relatively inexpensive so people can buy for presents or for themselves as a treat! In retail you have to work in cycles - so even though it’s the height of summer I’m already thinking about my Christmas stock, and am in the processes of designing a new range for that.

’I’ve found that success in this highly competitive market is all down to competitive pricing and making sure you have a clear brand and idea of what your customers want. I have clearly defined my target market as the female ”generation Y” age group. They typically comprise those under 25, who have grown up with the internet and are comfortable with online spending. However, this demographic category seems to have been hardest hit by the recession, with unemployment rises that outstrip any other age group, so I am keeping a close eye on my sales. Luckily so far I haven’t been hit too hard by the recession. 

’Having an online retail business is also good in this downturn too, because it is a low-cost business model. I don’t have the same overheads as high street shop owners, such as staff, rent, or heating bills.’

The future

As Kitsch-tique has grown Emma has also secured the opportunity to sell her pieces at boutique shops in the UK, USA and Europe. She has also started to make use of other online outlets such as ETSY, a marketplace dedicated to handmade items, and social networking sites including Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

’By the end of the year we’re also hoping to have launched a new online shop to house our ever growing collection,’ continues Emma. ‘This will also have interactive tools for our customers to review and discuss the products and a log in area for wholesale customers. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to have my own signature high-street shop too.’

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