5 Minutes With...
Jasnor
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Owners: The Thurlow Family
Company: Jasnor
Years exhibiting with Reed Gift Fairs: 15 Years
Your brand/business in one word: Evolving
Create
Where do you look for inspiration for your products?
International travel to trade show events really opens doors to new opportunities for our business. Whilst we carry a lot of evergreen best-sellers in our range, we certainly like to always have something fresh on offer. We always consider three things before sourcing a new item/range:
- Is there a need for this in the market? Does it offer a point of difference both within our own product offering and on the shelves at retail.
- Quality - is a product well made, within safety standards and built to last?
- Can it be offered at a competitive price? Definitely a challenge recently with the significant rise of production and shipping costs!
Any advice for getting over a creative block?
As a team, we always lean on each other for support and ideas and regularly have strategy and brainstorming sessions. In designing and developing our own products, we work with licensors within their style guides - but sometimes have to push the boundaries to make an item just that little bit more special. When it comes to materials, we collaborate with our factory experts to create the best quality product execution. Sometimes when we are stuck for ideas, we look back at what we have achieved in the past - you don't always need to reinvent the wheel if something worked well previously!
Work
What does a typical working day look like?
I don't think that there is such thing as a 'typical day' which is half the fun. Coffee! Emails! Zoom calls with business partners, internal strategy meetings, new product reviews, finance discussions, daily sales results review. The day could include any or all of the above.
Customers love your business because...
At Jasnor, there is literally something for every type of retail environment - whether you're a gift or toy store, clothing boutique, newsagent, department store, florist, pharmacy, supermarket or online specialist. On top of offering over 2000 unique products across 40 brands, we offer excellent customer service. From our on-the-road sales team, to our Customer Service super-stars, our team of marketing experts and our hardworking warehouse staff. We always try to make decisions with our primary customer base in mind - the retailer - to ensure we deliver the best results for them.
Wholesale
What feedback are your customers giving you right now about retail?
That everything is still challenging. With overall rising costs, labour shortages, government changes, health concerns and a pandemic that isn't going away. We've seen the benefits of the online retail boom over the last couple of years and have even adapted our business to now have a dedicated in-house digital team. That said, we know bricks and mortar retail stores are facing many additional challenges and are they are more cautious than ever with their buying decisions. We want our customers to know that they have our support and knowledge to assist in selecting the best ranging solutions for their individual needs.
What is the beauty of aligning your business with trade events like Reed Gift Fairs?
Visitors get to see a high calibre of premium suppliers from across the country all in one place. We just love meeting our customers face to face - this is an unparalleled way for retailers to experience our products. Not only do they get to touch and feel them to see the quality, they can pick up merchandising ideas and be exposed to new items and ranges that they haven't tried before. In addition, at trade fair time we also appreciate the opportunity to bond with our interstate sales team, share our challenges and ideas, and to see them in action, doing what they love to do!
Reflection
What's one piece of business advice you'd give to yourself 10 years ago?
Think big!
What do the next 12 months look like for you?
What do the next 12 months look like for you? We look forward to being back travelling to overseas trade fairs and licensing shows to seek out the latest trends and licenses, and to continue to collaborate with our enviable network of premium international supply partners across the globe.
July/August sees Jasnor exhibiting at our first gift fair since February 2020! Seeing Jasnor's product development and design capabilities continue to expand with the addition of iconic new brands Megan Hess' beloved children's book character, Claris the Chicest Mouse in Paris and to expand our owndevelopment ranges across local and international brands including Beatrix Potter, Disney Baby and The Wiggles.
Promotion
Tell us about your #1 bestselling product.
It varies throughout the year, however our iconic GUND Animated Flappy the Elephant is always a top-seller. A close second place is our Flip & Learn Phone from The Wiggles which we have designed and developed ourselves and is now a staple toy in the homes of Aussies with pre-school aged children. On the gift side of the business, our stunning Edge Sculpture Venus bust is an unmistakable favourite.
Which product/range are you most excited about right now/what can we see from you in Melbourne?
Our new home and garden décor collection from Jardinopia which has yet to be showcased at a Gift Fair event. Since our initial launch of 37 pot accessory items in July 2021, this ever-growing collection has already expanded four-fold with an additional three new collections joining the best-selling Pot Buddies for second half 2022. These include: Diffuser Décor, Garden Wear & Tools, Eco Pots and - the latter two ranges now include an exciting collection of Disney characters. We know these will be top-sellers in the lead up to Christmas!
We are also excited to celebrate Peter Rabbit's 120th Anniversary with the release of a numbered limited-edition premium Peter Rabbit plush. This collectable keepsake is limited to 2000 pieces worldwide and sealed with a gold embossed 120th Anniversary sticker and will be treasured for years to come.
Where Can We Find You