Jerpoint Glass celebrates one year online and an increase in retail sales
Jerpoint Glass Studio in County Kilkenny has recorded a significant boost in sales from overseas customers since the establishment of the online business www.jerpointglass.com.
Jerpoint Glass has proven itself as one of Ireland’s top heritage craft companies with strong local and national connections, however in recent years, the proprietors, the Leadbetters could see that the family-run business was becoming a victim of the downturn and that it would be necessary to target a new audience.
With the help of a grant from Kilkenny County Enterprise Board, the website was born. The establishment of the website and online store along with an integrated digital presence incorporating social media was the obvious solution and has since opened up the company to new audiences from as far away as Hong Kong, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Canada.
With year one just behind them, the Leadbetters have already recorded some 18,500 visitors to the site adding an additional 50% increase in sales online year on year and with a 10% increase in overall retail sales.
The average spend online was €116.00 and Director of Marketing, Sally Leadbetter says that some of this increase in sales can be attributed to the ability to highlight particular products at specific times of the year and to their exclusive online special offers.
“Our website has become a platform for what we can offer on a seasonal basis along with what we have on offer all year round. For example on Valentine’s Day we can showcase a particular product that would make an appropriate Valentine’s gift such as a pair of wineglasses in red or pink colours. This spring we launched our new Forest shade which is all about greens, turquoises and yellows. Throughout the summer months we will feature special offers on popular wedding gifts, now all of these can be showcased to the world, without anyone having to travel to our studio in County Kilkenny or seek out a retail outlet that offers Jerpoint Glass. The website has become the perfect virtual shop-window for our business,” she says.
Jerpointglass.com has also led to an increase in enquiries about corporate gifts, personalised gifts and logo placement on a piece of Jerpoint Glass, including the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Small Firms Association and Coillte.
“Companies that have executives travelling overseas, want to offer an Irish gift to their host and Jerpoint Glass has proven very popular in this realm and it can all be done via our website and packaged and posted to its destination without any hassle. This is proving a popular option for corporate customers and invaluable to our new business offering,” says Sally.
“Overall, the addition of the online store has been hugely beneficial to Jerpoint Glass, not only in the capacity of increased sales and lead generation but also it has encouraged us to take a more holistic approach to the business, incorporating social media, blogging and other digital channels as we strive to keep our offering fresh online and in store,” concluded Sally.
