Isle of Wight Pearl, on the Military Road near Brighstone, was established in 1988. Their on-site designers create hand-made pearl jewellery, whilst customers can also enjoy the panoramic views from the Pearl Café. The team picked up trophies for Customer Service and Retail at the 2015 Business Awards For Excellence. Manager Lizzie Wade talks to the Chamber’s Tom Stroud.
Congratulations to you on your two Chamber Awards!
Thank you! Everyone has been buzzing. It’s hugely exciting. It’s recognition for us and I’ve been a manager here for just under a year, so for me personally, I’m immensely proud. I couldn’t have done it without our brilliant team. We have had a fantastic year, with great revenue and footfall, but there’s still lot more to come!
So 2015 really was a year to celebrate then?
Yes. We’ve had a very busy season and we’ve seen a lot of people coming through the door, even at the end of the year. We’re now focusing more on our design workshop and we’re putting together different experiences that will bring customers to the venue for one-to-one sessions with our designers. They can design their own bracelet, take it home and then hopefully they will become customers for life. This year we were able to forecast that we were going to have a busier winter. Unlike lots of other businesses we’re open all year round, only closing on Christmas Day and Easter Sunday. If the weather is good on Boxing Day then it can actually be one of our busiest days in the shop and the café. A lot of people may not realise or might have forgotten that we open all year round. Most of our staff are seasonal but I’m really proud that we’ve been able to keep people employed for longer, keeping our staff in work throughout December.
How do you describe the business? Are you retail or an attraction – or a bit of both?
We’re often asked that, and I see us as a retail destination. In the past we’ve been seen as an attraction, mainly because of the capacity that we can offer to coaches. That will continue, but with our new branding, we want to be seen as a retail destination.
So who comes to Isle Of Wight Pearl? Do you have a typical customer?
Probably around 70% of our business is tourism related but we have an amazing following of Island visitors, and residents do qualify for a 15% discount. Years ago there was an image of ‘twinset and pearls’ but that’s completely changed and our customer age varies from 20 upwards. Before I worked here I just thought that pearls were white and round, but there’s a massive array of different shapes, styles and colours. We have jewellery to suit every person and budget. Tastes do change and we’re always looking at new ideas and concepts. People express their feelings in what they wear and jewellery is the finishing touch. We get tourist visitors who will come here on a day trip just to visit us.
It’s a mixture of women and men. We get a lot of lone men at Christmastime who just want to buy and go, so we guide them as much as they can! We get a lot of couples who are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary too. Our masterclasses are popular with men and women, from teenage years upwards. Men are very interested in the process of pearl culturing. By providing an experience we can extend the season too.
How does being based on the Island affect your business? Would it be the same if you were based in Dorset or Devon?
The pearl is the world’s natural gem and being based by the sea is the perfect setting and it makes the connection. If we were on the mainland we’d need to diversify more. There’s no other business like ours on the Island. We’re very aware of that and we don’t want to become aloof or distant. We want to work with everybody.
You’re a retailer but you’re not a traditional High Street location. You’re also reliant on tourism but that sector is changing. How do you see the future?
I’m very positive about the Destination BID. The Isle of Wight is a fantastic place with a beautiful coastline and countryside. As businesses we have to give customers the same level of experience. I think the Island does need to pull its socks up a bit and be able to give that little bit extra. Isle of Wight Pearl is doing that. We are unique, as businesses, as well as our location, and the business community has a responsibility. Island businesses need to work together to make people want to come to the Island.
The West Wight is known as a seasonal part of the Island and we need to remind people that we are here throughout the year. Tapnell Farm is doing phenomenally well and we’ve got a cow up there which is really exciting! It’s all about businesses supporting each other in the quiet months and recommending each other. We all need to work together and help each other out. Isle of Wight Pearl are founder members of the Exhibition Partnership and we’re very vocal within that. There are quite a few West Wight businesses on-board. We’re all very consciously pushing the Island as much as possible, advertising the Isle of Wight as a place to visit, as well as inviting people to visit Isle of Wight Pearl.
You’ve been working here for nine years – how has the business changed in that time?
We’re a lot more focused on customer service and it was amazing to win the Chamber’s Customer Service Award. These days you can’t just assume that people will come to you. We’ve updated our product, with modern ‘on-trend’ collections. We want to make a visit here an experience rather than a quick sell. We don’t sell our products on-line and we focus on our customer service – you can’t get that on the internet.
What are the challenges for the future?
The main challenge is to re-educate people about jewellery and also the culturing process of pearls, which is fascinating. We grow the business by looking at changing fashions and new collections. We’re thinking about who we want to be wearing our jewelry, and also where we want to be as a business in five years from now. One of my ambitions is to be one of the best employers on the Island, with people knocking on our door and wanting to work here. We pride ourselves on our staff training. We also have our coffee shop, which is open all year round, and is changing from sandwiches and light bites to meals and party catering, with a gluten free menu. Our sales team are passionate and interested in the business so that means that customers keep coming back. We want to build loyal customers who will stay with us for life and make the effort to come out here.
“The Isle of Wight has a lot to be proud of, with a lot of “Island grown” businesses as well as family businesses. We’re a family business here, and the Taylor family who own Isle of Wight Pearl are very much involved on a daily basis. They’re forward thinking and have been in business for more than 30 years. We’re not waiting – we’re planning for the future – and our owners are very supportive.”
Lizzie Wade, Isle of Wight Pearl
First published in the January issue of Island Business magazine.
