After beginning this week in a flurry of excitement at seeing the Duchess of Cambridge in our Cabra Boots, I’m really not sure how I’ll be able to top such brilliant news in today’s blog post!
Tempting as it is to direct you all to the blog that announced the news (thank you “Duchess Kate”), I’m going to try to captivate your attention a few minutes more to offer you each the chance to discover extra credentials of Celtic Sheepskin, a brand that the Duchess plainly loves. I want you to judge for yourselves how good a purchase Catherine had made.
But rather than listening to more of my favourites or view points on the company I thought who better to give an insight into our brand than one of the faces of the company; Joanne Edwards, supervisor of our Factory Shop here in Newquay. It’s only a small factory shop and sadly it hasn’t been christened by the good Catherine Middleton in person, but it’s our favourite way to speak to our customers as we can have a really good natter with them rather than the swift, cold interface of internet shopping. I’m not knocking internet therapy; it’s my personal favourite way to shop, but when it comes to hearing what our customers want there is nothing better seeing the twinkle in your eyes as you enthuse about your favourite product and how we could make it even better!
OK, let the professional interview questioning commence…
Jo, when did you start working at Celtic Sheepskin?
I actually joined the company as an Inbound Telephonist, taking sales and customer service calls from our many customers who enjoy hearing the intricate detail of our products. That was back in August 2012. At the time I often helped out in the factory shop with days off so when a Shop Assistant position became available I jumped at the chance! A year later the supervisor’s role came up, and with previous shop management experience under my belt I was fortunate enough to be offered the role.
So what does a Shop Supervisor at Celtic Sheepskin involve?
The best bit is that we get to wear all Celtic Sheepskin products! That has really helped me to sell the clothes, boots and flip flops as they are all so comfy. There are so many tops to choose from at the moment, most of which can be worn in lots of different ways so I’m never bored of my wardrobe. Of course I have to do more than act as a mannequin for the company, and my day to day duties centre around serving customers, and this includes fetching stock from the warehouse, explaining the fit of the boots, processing resoles and repairs etc. As the supervisor it is also my responsibility to price up the samples and seconds that come over from the factory, and you can find some great bargains in the shop.
So what is it that you love most about doing the job you do?
I’d say the thing I love most about working in the shop is how I get to meet someone new every day. There’s always a mix of customers who are visiting during their Cornish holidays and also those who proudly live in this part of the country. I have different conversations with everyone and that is so uplifting and gives me a boost each time I hear a new story. And of course the fact that I get to wear all the lovely clothes we sell!
How long have you lived in Cornwall?
I’m a born and bred local girl so I have proudly lived on Cornish soil all my life, with little interludes travelling abroad and seeing the world whenever I can of course!
So what has kept you here your whole life then?
It’s a cliché but it’s all about being around my friends and family; people who I couldn’t bear to leave and also the beautiful scenery that decorates this county. Oh and the sea, I couldn’t move away from the sea. You don’t need to be an artist to enjoy the surroundings here, there’s plenty for everyone to fall in love with.
Coming back to Celtic Sheepskin then; If you could swap jobs with someone else in the company for the day who would it be and why?T
That’s difficult! Ummm….. I think I would like to swap jobs with Tracy, our Garment Technologist as I think her role is fascinating. For example she gets really involved with our various suppliers, scrutinising their objectives and keeping them in check with ours. Tracy also works really closely with the team designing new and current clothing ranges, making sure the fit of every item is perfect. Tracy recently took a trip out to Portugal to meet some key clients, and I would love to have the chance to network with even more people in Celtic Sheepskin’s supply chain. With the Easter holidays coming up, why should visitors to Cornwall pop in to the factory shop?
That’s easy, as the biggest attraction to the shop are all the one off sample pieces and slight seconds we have, and have plenty in for the Easter holidays. These seconds and samples can’t be purchased anywhere else apart from the shop, so pop up and bag yourself a bargain. Plus of course you’ll get to meet our friendly and welcoming shop staff; Gemma, Corinne and me!
Which item from our Spring collection draws the most attention in the shop?
There are a number of items that stand out from the spring collection, depending on what the customers are looking for –beach tops, sofa clothes, outdoor bits. The top three at the moment is the Smocked Cheesecloth Top, Collard Slouch and the Super Soft Slouch Dress.
Finally, do you have one phrase that you like to live by?
You only live once!
http://hrhduchesskate.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/duchess-kate-takes-playful-lupo-walking.html
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