New curtains? I'll fly them out (From Gazette & Herald)

New curtains? I'll fly them out

THE owners of a soft furnishing store in Malton have come up with a novel plan to increase business - by offering to hop on a plane to help customers abroad.

"Many of our clients here in Ryedale have second homes in France, Spain and Portugal," said Carl Pilmer, who runs Stitches of Malton in the Market Place with his wife Lucie.

"They say to us, and we have seen for ourselves, that it is difficult to get the quality you want in some holiday destinations, so we think there's a market there."

Via their website, they will launch an online shop next week, through which overseas customers can order goods to be shipped out to them. Alternatively, they can get the personal touch.

"With low-cost airlines so cheap now, it would be possible for Lucie to fly out to meet a client, talk to them about what they want, measure up their property and return to fit what they have chosen," said Carl, who is flying out to Marbella at the end of this month to launch the new service.

The couple took over the shop last year with the help of a start up loan from the Department of Trade and Industry.

They share a wealth of experience - Lucie having worked in soft furnishings for some time and Carl running his own business development consultancy. However, they are the first to admit they have found their first year in business tough.

"When we bought the business, the previous owner had died, and in many ways his customer base went with him," said Carl. "We put a lot of investment into redesigning the shop, making it one big space, and adding new lines."

This may, he said, give people the impression the shop is more expensive now, which is simply not the case.

"Starting any new business is hard," said Carl.

"The negative factors for us are the competition we get from Clifton Moor near York, and the price of car parking in Malton."

He has concerns about the future of Malton's economy, and would like to see shop owners get together to discuss ways of making the town more appealing.

"My real fear is that Malton will become a dormitory town, where people just come to live and sleep," he said.

"We need to celebrate the unique independent businesses that are here in Malton.

''I think you could get pretty much everything you needed in Malton in all honesty, and you get that personal service to."

Stitches employs seven staff, some based in the shop and some in its workshop at the Showfield Lane Industrial Estate. "We want to grow the business and take on more staff eventually," said Carl.

And with a difficult year behind them, it's easy to forget how far they've come.

"When we took over we computerised the ordering system, now we're launching an on-line shop for overseas customers, I suppose that's a big leap when you think about it," said Carl. For more information on Stitches of Malton, visit www.qualitysoftfurnishings.co.uk.

Updated: 15:38 Wednesday, January 18, 2006