It's time to start our blog.

 Welcome to our first blog!

Here at Serenity Giftware, we are excited and a little nervous to start this blog but we think it will be a great way to review current and new products and to give tips and insights on how to use these products to get the best results. Over the coming weeks we will review, give tips & post demos on following topics:

• Using your Aroma Diffuser.
• Home incense burning.
• Getting the most from your candle.
• How to pick the right lamp.
• Making a floral arrangement.
• Essential oils and their uses.
• Do I need a new handbag? 

And of course there will be loads more. We will aim to write a blog each week so feel free to get in contact if you have any queries or questions on any product or if there is a particular product you would like to be reviewed. Here In our first blog we will give you a quick over view of the shop, where we are and how we operate.

So, we set up the shop almost 13 years ago now in River Street, Clara during the economic crash. It seemed a bit mad at the time to open a gift shop but we persevered with the project and the shop became a reality. It has grown steadily each year and during lockdown 2 we took the business online. You can visit the website here. The online shop took a lot of work to set up and to maintain but we are delighted we did now.

The shop itself opens 6 days a week and 7 days at Christmas time. There are 3 of us here full time with responsibility for different areas so we are all kept busy. And while we are a small retail shop in rural Ireland, we like to think we punch a little bit above our weight.

We sell an eclectic mix of products suitable for you, your home or to give as a gift. We stock a varied selection of Fragrance Products, Jewellery & Handbags, Artificial Flowers, Glassware, Lamps and Occasional Furniture all year round and add products like Wreaths and Garlands to suit the seasons. Our very popular Christmas Shop opens in early October. It is our favourite season in the shop and we try to add something new each year. Our Christmas Gift Baskets are a big hit every year with customers placing orders earlier each year. We are currently working away on this year's collection of baskets and hampers.

Customer service is to the fore with everything we do and we always enjoy giving advice on what makes a good gift for that someone special or indeed advice on something to enhance your home decor. We love chatting our regulars and meeting new customers and hearing their stories too. Our leave-by deposit system is also very popular, especially coming up to Christmas.

All that said I suppose we should firstly take a look at where we get our products from. It is probably the most often asked question in the shop and while we source stock from loads of places its mostly at Trade Shows that we get to physically see the latest collections and view the latest product launches. We attend various shows in Ireland & England but by far the largest one we attend is The Spring Fair at the NEC Center in Birmingham.

With over 2 million square feet of displays held across an impressive 20 different halls we always find loads to get our attention. We tend to spend 2 days wandering around the thousands of exhibitors sourcing stock for the shop, checking out the latest trends, meeting our suppliers and placing orders for the coming seasons. Even though it is held in early Spring it is here we place most of that years Christmas orders. And while it is great for the steps it is a tiring few days but ultimately an enjoyable trip.

We might skip the singing next time.  

The foremost aim when purchasing stock for the shop is to buy items we would like for our own home or to receive as a gift. Seasonality is a big factor too as the shop changes as each new season arrives therefore planning is always in the back of our minds too. Predicting when new stock should arrive and more importantly how much becomes one of the big decisions. We would spend loads of time debating the options with of course plenty of coffee at hand and for the most part it works out well.

Covid has affected everyone in different ways and while most of our suppliers have adapted well to continue to trade It has been difficult for them. Of course there are no quick fixes and determination to keep going and flexibility to operate in a changing environment become critical to survival for all businesses. Brexit has cause immense damage to the transport sector and restrictions at ports have slowed the importing of stock from and through England. It may take some time to get back to normal or for a new normal to evolve but hopefully we are heading out the other side of it now. 

For now, we try to order stock as early as possible to avoid delays and continue to work with our suppliers to make purchasing stock and receiving deliveries as stress free as possible. 

We will leave it there for this week and end our first blog. Next week we will begin reviewing some products. To start we will look at our collection of Aroma Diffusers and Diffuser Oils. Probably one of our best sellers this year so make sure to check out the blog if you are thinking of getting one or if you recently bought one to get tips on how to get the best from your diffuser. 

Don't forget to sign up to our newsletter to get the blog direct to your inbox and also receive the latest offers and promotions.

Ger.