Keith Crowther, owner of La Cookshop, spoke to Housewares Magazine editor, Anjali Sooknanan about the business’ background, 2023 highlights and plans for the new year.
Please introduce yourself.
My name is Keith Crowther and I am the owner of La Cookshop. I started my career working in a hardware shop which was owned by my parent’s friends back in 1978. I then worked for E and F Turnbull, a wholesaler based in Newcastle, as a sales representative. Some time after, I moved to Probus Housewares as a sales representative and then a regional sales manager where I stayed until 1994.
La Cookshop was established in 1994, how have you maintained your business’ ethos/ brand identity since then?
The business started in Durham in 1994 and I always wanted strong brands with a brand leading identity. I am still dealing with some of those companies today such as Le Creuset, Meyer, Cole and Mason (DKB), T and G Woodware, Tala and Horwoods, to name a few. I have built strong relationships with these companies; I stay loyal and they do too. We used to stock products from companies specialising in tableware and ceramics, however they started selling direct and undercut us. As I mentioned previously, we value loyalty so we no longer stock tableware and ceramics. The business has now evolved to include separate sections of Cookshop and Gift.
What were the business’ 2023 highlights?
I am tempted, when you read the headlines, to say just still being here is a highlight. It is not, however, all doom and gloom as portrayed on TV news. There is more to retail than John Lewis! The problems they have are not necessarily applied across the whole retail sector. Throughout the year we were focused on developing new ways of getting our message across and in November, we exceeded expectations at Christmas market shows. The number of handbags and bars of soap we sell never ceases to amaze me, if only pans sold like bars of soap! Product launches were delayed considerably following COVID so it was also great to bring some new products into store last year.
La Cookshop has maintained a successful online presence, as well as a thriving retail space. What do you attribute your success to?
Keeping the shop looking interesting with new products all year around. The business is situated in a destination shopping village so we have to keep the offer looking fresh all the time. Our customers are always visiting the amazing Farmshop (which rears all of its own meat so few food miles) and Coffee shop (which makes the most amazing Lemon Meringue Pie). We are located in a 150-year-old stone barn which has no picture windows so we have to attract customers by making the entrance look interesting. This is often done by changing the tables in the doorway on a weekly basis.
How have your staff contributed to the success of your business?
The staff are the business full stop. Without great staff the business would lose so much of its appeal. My longest serving member of staff has worked with me for 22 years and the knowledge built over that time is something you cannot teach. Retaining staff is the key to success of any retail business, constantly changing staff means you never get across the basic knowledge threshold.
Tell us about your 2024 goals. How will you achieve them?
Next year is an exciting year for us as we will be celebrating our 30th anniversary. To commemorate the milestone, we’re launching promotions and advertising across both the Cookshop and Gifting sides of the business. This year we’re focused on growing the business more, keeping double digit growth going and increasing sales through our website platform. We are launching a brand-new website which looks clean and fresh with more cookshop products. I am a salesman so I am driven to always be better than last year and look forward not back.
With the current economic pressure on the retail sector, how do you plan to overcome this challenging period?
I often feel that the retail sector is good at talking itself down rather than up. The challenges of the high street will not go away by a change of colour in Whitehall. The challenges of big players in online shopping will also continue. Amazon will face strong challenges from online businesses in the Far East and it will be interesting to see how they react. There are, however, large groups of people who like good service, well displayed products and knowledgeable staff, and we need to maintain our growth in those areas.
Who is your target customer? How does your selection of products align with this?
An easy answer to this would be anyone that has money in their wallet or purse. Hopefully we can convert as many of the bricks and mortar sceptics as possible. We want to encourage them to see what we do and once they do, we can keep them for as long as possible. We have to accept that this is now a mixed retail offer and customers will use both online and bricks and mortar. However, our products are available to buy now, take home and use today, not in a few days when they are delivered and that is something we need to stress.
Where do you see La Cookshop in the next five years? How will the business evolve?
Still here as I have just had a new heating system installed with a 10-year warranty and I want my monies worth! Seriously though, still growing the bricks and mortar business as well as the online business would make me happy. I also want to continue enjoying my work, as long as I enjoy it why would I want to stop.
