From Cafe to Wholesale: The Journey of Glosters Pottery

In this episode of Let’s talk Shop, I had the pleasure of talking to Myfanwy Gloster from Glosters Pottery. Mev and her husband Tom founded Glosters Pottery, with Tom being the potter and Mev handling the day-to-day operations. They started with a café and gradually transitioned into a craft pottery shop, which has now become a thriving wholesale business.

During the conversation, Mev shares their journey of starting small, how the business grew throughout the pandemic, and how they this year decided to start to wholesale. She discusses their decision to exhibit at their first trade show, and the incredible response they received from buyers. In fact, they went from having only ten stockists to over seventy within a short period of time. Mev also talks about the challenges and learnings from the trade show experience, as well as their plans for expanding their workshop space and adding new products.

If you're a product business owner looking to grow through wholesale or are curious about the world of trade shows, this episode is a must-listen. Learn from Mev's firsthand experience and gain valuable insights into building a successful brand.

[00:00:00] Podcast for product businesses, retail buyers, brand owners. Joined by Mev from GlosterPottery, discussing their wholesale and business expansion.

[00:05:36] Stockists and growth; Kew Gardens reordered.

[00:07:23] Trade shows are hard work, underestimated busyness.

[00:11:25] Creating an easy and efficient wholesale process.

[00:13:33] Planning Autumn, ordering complementary items, Christmas preparations.

[00:17:41] Summary: Relocation, more space, shop visibility, mug painting.

[00:19:48] Challenging journey, but great team and experience.

[00:25:49] Thanks for listening to the podcast!

About Glosters

Glosters Pottery was founded by Myfanwy Gloster and her husband Tom Gloster. Tom is the potter, and Myfanwy runs the day to day of their busy Porthmadog based pottery workshop and shop.

Glosters designer ceramics are made from stoneware clay and they use a range of glazes inspired by their local surroundings and the changing seasons in North Wales.

https://www.glosters.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/glosterspottery

My links

https://www.smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/small_business_collaborative/