Have you ever wondered how businesses choose which products go on their shelves? How they find such gorgeous goodies or even how they decide that one isn't right? Well, this blog post is for the curious. We are indeed biased but we're quite chuffed with the treasures that we've chosen to stock our shelves with. But it's not always easy; some things flop, others fly (we've never looked back after deciding to sell Jellycat). This is a look into how we choose what to fill our shelves with.

Introducing the boss: Emma

You may already be aware of our owner of Daisy Park, Emma. She's responsible for all of the behind-the-scenes stuff of the business, from the fun stuff like getting to go to exclusive Jellycat stockists events, right down to keeping us topped up on sellotape and paper. She is a wearer of many hats, including the businesses 'head buyer', which is why we're passing the blog baton over to her for this weeks post. She's going to tell us how she chooses which products to fill our displays with.

Starting point - an idea, or an upcoming event

So it all starts with an idea usually. I've always been drawn to bright, colourful products that feel like more than just the product. For example, I've always loved Emma Bridgewater because it is more than just, say, a mug. There is a story behind it's making and the story continues when someone buys it as a gift for a loved one. Their designs are also often quite fun and timeless too, which is what makes the brand so treasured by many. I started stocking Emma Bridgewater back in 2010/2011 after collecting it myself since 1993 and felt it would be a perfect fit for the shop. Or, more recently, I felt that we needed to start selling a good range of bags, so in the end I found ROKA.

Time to start looking...

Once I've had the idea or have been inspired, that's when the hunt begins. Sticking with my recent urge to sell bags again, I did some research and eventually found ROKA through Faire. Of course I go to trade shows when I can too, which I've found useful for when I don't have a set idea and just need some inspiration, or at the start of the year when I'm looking to refresh our range of products and get us set up for the year ahead.

Now choosing which products are for us

There are so many fabulous products available these days. Choosing which ones to come into the shop can be difficult with so much choice but it usually comes down to how much space we have, money, and if the product is the right fit for Daisy Park. Asking the girls for their opinions is also important to me, it's always handy to get different views. 

Then fun bit - receiving the products

Then it's time for the best bit of all - receiving that delivery and opening a box of pure joy. We all love this bit because it's like opening a present every time, and sometimes we feel like kids at Christmas: opening endless boxes and shrieking with joy at the gems inside, holding each item up to each other in excitement. And then the cycle is almost complete, all we do after that is put the products away in our stock room, price up those that are going onto the shop floor, and make room on our displays for some newness.

We love the challenge of finding a special sport for new products. Once we've made it look pretty, it's time for a #shelfie!

Like we mentioned at the start, choosing products to sell is not always as straightforward as it sounds. Sometimes things don't go to plan and products don't sell as well, but sometimes they go even better than expected. Take Jellycat, for example, we're so grateful to sell those wonderful cuddly toys. Other brands that are quietly reliable are those such as East of India, whose trinkets we have sold for years and we sell nearly every day. Then there are our many cards of course. We have sold Woodmansterne for years and always will, but we love to mix up our card options regularly to keep a variety of humour, sentimental, subtle, and so much more. We hope this gave you an insight into Daisy Park and how things get done around here! Do pop back for more in the future!