Its a big company but we are small here (UK)
Q: When you have customers in, how important is the pattern book in your selling point? How influential is it?
A: I would say it is mostly influential becauseee, erm, it shows when somebody asks to see a fabric. They can see that fabric and all the other colourways in the same range. But if it is shown hanging up, then in our showroom, not all the collections are together so you are not going to see similar type of fabrics next to each other whereas in the book you do. So yer, it is helpful. They are mostly used out on the road with sales reps they have their books with them and show them to clients.
Q: So would you say it is important that they know (sales reps?) what is in the books?
A: Obviously we sell here. We have four sales reps that are out on the road and are selling. They would be much better at that than I would! (People in shop know what they are looking for/when?)
Q: Do you think there are any disadvantages of the book?
A: I have no idea. I should ask some of the reps really. I guess it depends how they are put together because we've got say, some of the books contain just one fabric, in all the different colourways but in some of the other books they'll have one fabric and another fabric and loads of other fabrics, so you will see different ones together. Like a variation I guess. So I guess there are pros and cons of them both but I do not know what they are.
Q: So your sales reps take all of the books out?
A: Yes, lots of them.
Q: Heavy?
A: Yes. Really heavy. I used to work with an interior designer for a bit and the reps had sore backs as they would be carrying them everywhere. No all of them in their cars. When they go to see a client they do not necessarily take them all out but yer.
Q: Would the interior designer have the book?
A: Yer some of them. Yer if open an account with us you pretty much have to buy the books. Obligation.
Q: For the consumer, do you feel it is important that they know where the collections have come from?
A: Yer definitely.
Q: Give them a background?
A: Yer the reps do. We know it but we don't know it well enough- the reps are good at remembering all the details from all the influences. We do get told that. The designer comes over and talks to us at the beginning of a collection and shows them all to us.
Q: Are you selling to trade or public here?
A: Trade. The public can come in but they cannot buy from us.
Q: Trade obviously know about interiors. It is the public that necessarily don't.
A: Yer. Yer.
Q: Do you feel there is a future for pattern books?
A: Yer definitely.
Q: From both perspectives, from designer and retailer?
A: Yer definitely. Well if you are a designer you cannot have endless swatches (contrast to other responses!) sitting in your studio, you need to have a system/ books.
Q: What about an online presence?
A: We have everything online. But people want see samples. We cannot put it all of it online. It would be crazy- we would have like 30,000 pictures online. So we cannot have everything but we have a lot online.
The collections last for years and years. We discontinue depending on whether they sell or not.
Q: Do you change your showroom every six months?
A: Yer we put all the new things up. And then the new tags are put around the fabric hangings. And then the new books are put on the table.
Q: Pointing to fabric swatch moodboard....
A: Yer we do that ourselves when there is a new collection we put it up to give people pointers.
Q: When choosing fabrics, do they tend to be from one book or is there a cross over?
A: Completely depends. Probably a cross over. And sometimes a cross over of brands as well.
Q: That's everything. Thank you!
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