Where we shop.

According to a recent YouGov survey ‘Do Brits shop for gifts online or in store?’, the 25-49 age bracket were already shopping primarily online pre-Covid, so the increase in this group was only 5-10%. That’s to be expected. However, the 50-64 age bracket (by far the wealthiest according to the ONS) saw an interesting change.

Back at the start of the pandemic, this more mature group of shoppers were as likely to spend their plentiful disposable income in store as online.  The Covid lockdown saw an unsurprising dramatic shift in spending to online. But what is interesting though, is that this switch remains at almost 60%, from pre-pandemic levels of 43%.

What this means for your shop.

So, what does this new trend tell us and what does it mean for you if you’re a heritage gift retailer, or in the tourism sector? Most importantly, how can you ensure you are capitalising on the increased trend for online shopping? Especially at a time when the cost of living is impacting so many shoppers. Do people need to visit your shop, or is it just as easy for them to buy from your website?

The key is offering your customers the choice. Visitors to shops within tourist and heritage locations are highly likely to be purchasing in-store for gifts to take home. They’ll be thinking carefully about how to spend their money, on gifts that really matter to them.  After all, they want to take home a lovely reminder of their visit, to keep for years to come. It is vital that what you offer in store is tempting to them and tailored to their needs and spending power. They want gifts that make them feel good to buy!

Heritage sector shops.

For example, historic attractions need items that are relevant to the heritage of the site, easy to transport and that create a lasting memory for the visitor. Retailers love our surname history scrolls because they offer great quality and value yet are very profitable and relevant. Visitors leave with a fabulous memento that they can show off to friends or family and talk about for years to come. Equally, there’s a wide range of gifts available to add to your collection, which can be purchased online at a later date, once your visitor has returned home.

The visitor experience now and in the future

Customer interaction and great service make a huge difference, and the Hall of Names system is great on both these counts. Your staff member shows the visitor the amazing history of their name on-screen, along with its earliest coat of arms – always a talking point! You’ll find that other visitors often listen in, and the resulting sales usually far exceed those of other products in-store.  A dedicated staff member is not a necessity. Although in the experience of our retailers, it really does reap rewards in terms of customer interaction, engagement and ultimately sales.

But think of how you shop for yourself. How often have you bought something, only to wish later that you’d bought more of the same to give as gifts? Or when friends ask ‘where did you get that?’ only to discover that the shop is nowhere near and doesn’t have an online store? The ability to sell online should not be an afterthought, but a crucial part of every retailer’s offering. Otherwise, you’ll be missing out on important sales opportunities.

Don’t miss out on sales opportunities

If you are a tourist location or heritage sector retailer, have you considered how shoppers can be incentivised to spend more with you? You can of course consider discounts for bulk purchases. But you can also encourage them to return to your store online, long after they have visited in person.

We see evidence of others’ missed opportunities frequently on our own website. We ask our customers where they first heard about us and are often told that it is at one of our retailers. However, that sale could have gone direct to the retailer, if only they had an online shop section of their website. And it doesn’t need to be hard.

Is it easy to sell Hall of Names gifts online?

It is so simple! We offer a drop-shipping service, which means that we do the time consuming part for you, fulfilling and sending the orders direct to your customers. You just benefit from the sale. The only thing you need to do is send us the order. We can even create the artwork specific to your needs, providing all information to include. You’ve done the hard work in setting up a website, so it makes perfect sense to make the most of all those online sales opportunities. Plus, this also allows you to expand the range, offering other gifts with coats of arms. You’ll be diversifying your revenue streams and increasing profit. Read more about becoming a Hall of Names retailer here.

Looking to the new season…

Visit Britain is predicting that visits from overseas will almost be back up to pre-pandemic levels (35.1m against 40.9m in 2019). Retailers need to be prepared to meet the opportunities that this inbound tourism offers.

For example, many of those visitors will be from countries such as the United States, who are eager to discover the history of the UK and how it relates to their own heritage. Each of these visitors has a surname likely to be on our database of more than a million names. And you’ll be able to print its fascinating history for them to take home. Then they can come back to your online store to purchase more as gifts. Plus you can even offer a wide range of other gifts. It sounds simple, because it is simple!

How to set up with Hall of Names

We’d be delighted to help you move forward as a Hall of Names retailer, both in your physical shop and your online store. The system is quick and easy to set up, you’ll be meeting the huge trends for personalised gifts and family research. Plus, you’ll be providing visitors with an affordable yet meaningful souvenir to purchase from your shop when they visit, and from your online store long after they’ve returned home!

If you’d like to join the many other Hall of Names retailers across the UK, please contact jo@hallofnames.org.uk. If you have questions about how it all works, please visit our ‘Frequently asked Questions’ or call 01984 632120 for an informal chat. We are with you every step of the way to ensure your success, and promise you’ll never look back!

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Blenheim Palace is a truly stunning historic location and World Heritage Site in Oxfordshire. As the principal residence of the Dukes of Marlborough, it is the only non-royal country house in England to hold the title of palace. Notably, Blenheim Palace is famous as the birthplace and ancestral home of Sir Winston Churchill (read some of his famous quotes here).

It is an absolutely great day out for all the family! Hall of Names has a proud tradition of working with some of the most historically important attractions across the UK. Therefore, we were delighted to forge this perfect partnership, and look forward to many successful years ahead. More than 900,000 visitors flock to this beautiful location every year. We are pleased to offer those visitors a little bit of their own history to take home as a souvenir. In fact, our coat of arms and surname history prints have quickly become best-sellers!

Events at Blenheim Palace

Throughout the year, there are events to suit all interests. For example, until February 9th, you can take part in a restoration and conservation tour. This gives you the chance to see ‘behind the scenes’ at Blenheim Palace, as the team undertakes its annual deep-clean of the palace’s many treasures. A great chance to see the specialist team in action, plus you will learn how to meticulously clean those special items!

From 15th February to 13th April, there is a fascinating insight into 1920’s life at Blenheim Palace. ‘Let’s Misbehave’ will give you a glimpse into the heady world of the upper classes in a time of great social, artistic and political change. Expect costumed characters and entertainment, and vintage cars. Plus, take yourself back in time with a themed afternoon tea in the Orangery Restaurant, music, dancing and more.

For a full list of the events at Blenheim Place, click here. In order to stay abreast of what’s going on at Blenheim, follow them on Facebook here. Do you think you would like to attend events, plus visit at other times of year? Then it’s a really good idea to consider their annual pass – great value for money allowing year-round entry.

Find us at Blenheim Palace

If you are visiting Blenheim Place and would like to discover more about the history of your name, our team would love to meet you! Simply visit the gift shop, and you will be able to search for your surname on our database of more than a million names. Plus we also have clan histories and Irish histories available. You can even have two coats of arms printed side-by-side, all at the click of a button.

Our retailers

Hall of Names is proud to work with retailers at leading historic attractions all over the UK. These include Inveraray Castle, Leeds Castle, Castle Cornet on Guernsey, Balmoral – the Queen’s Highland home, Pembroke Castle, Ludlow Castle and many more. To view our retailers on a map, click here. If you would like to be considered as a retailer, please click here.

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