A gift from heaven

Published: 14 December, 2006

Buying presents is not always the easist job in the world so if all you can think to buy Aunty Rose is handkerchiefs and Uncle Fred some socks, then you may get some inspiration from Hawkin's Bazaar.

The retailer, which sells a unique and extensive range of unusual toys, gifts, gadgets and curiosities, has something for every age, and is proud of being known as a supplier of 'things you thought had gone forever and things you never even knew existed'.

Having found a niche market, Hawkin's Bazaar is making a great addition to a number of town centres across the UK. Having started from an old pub - the Hawk Inn in Halesworth, hence the name, the company became a niche mail order business in 1973, followed by the opening of shops. The retailer currently has 30 permanent stores in the UK, predominatly in the South of England, and 75 per cent of these are in shopping centres. Another 15 temporary stores are also positioned within shopping centres.

This year the retailer doubled its store portfolio from 15 to 30 with the most recent opening being in Cambridge. And looking ahead, Hawkin's Bazaar is aiming to open 100-plus stores by 2011 - with 20 planned for 2007 alone. The company also has plans to expand the temporary shop programme for 2007. This is not surprising given that shop sales for the financial year ending June 2006 were £8.6m and are on course to nearly double to a forecast figure of £16m-plus by the end of this financial year.

Hawkin's Bazaar sells its products via three channels and each makes up a third of the business: wholesale, where it supplies in bulk to other retailers and mail order businesses; the mail order catalogue and sales via the website; and of course the stores themselves.

The company is always sourcing new ranges from around the world. Additionally, the it is aiming to be more consistent across all its sales channels. "We're trying to make the experience for customers as seamless as possible," explains marketing manager Sophie Williams. "If they buy from a shop, they can return goods by mail and vice versa."

With this kind of innovative thinking, Hawkin's Bazaar is definitely a name to watch out for.

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=== Statistics ===

hawkin's bazaar

Group turnover (year ending June 2006): £22.5m

Group pre-tax profit (year ending June 2006): £4.1m

Permanent stores: 30

Temporary stores: 15

Letting agents: Williams Gunter Hardwick

Average store size: 2,000 sq ft total

Registered address: St Margaret, Harleston, Norfolk, IP20 0HN

Telephone number: 0870 429 4000