Celebrating 25 years of retailing specialist cards and gifts for every occasion

Step inside and you will be greeted by friendly staff and an Aladdin’s cave, full of an amazing selection of greetings cards and beautiful gifts for every occasion.

It is a family business owned and run by two sisters, Tracey Cooper and Lynda Needham along with their mother, Kathleen Cooper. This year the Forget Me Not family business reaches a momentous milestone – it’s silver anniversary, celebrating 25 years in business.

It was a steep learning curve when the family took over the shop from Albert, the previous owner. But fast forward 25 years on and it’s a successful business, where the family work together as a team and support each other. They all have quite different but complementary skills from their previous roles, working in sectors including, retail, banking, and administration. This experience has all proved to be invaluable for running their own business.

The shop has always been called Forget Me Not and this sentiment has become even more relevant in a world where messages and texts are sent and often instantly forgotten! There is just something about buying and receiving a card. It’s personal and it shows a thoughtful, genuine connection between the sender and the receiver. There is nothing quite like the experience of looking for the perfect gift for a friend or family member and the satisfaction of choosing a present that will be cherished by the recipient.

Tracey will be the first to say that it’s well worth the journey to Skellow for a visit to the shop. They have a bit of everything, “If you don’t see what you are looking for, just ask!” She said with a smile. Tracey, Lynda and Kathleen are rightly proud of the products they buy to sell in the shop.

They go to the Harrogate Trade Fair each year so they can actually see the product and meet the suppliers before they buy. This way they are able to source quality gifts they know their customers will like and are able to sell at price points that represent excellent value for money. They have formed good relationships with their suppliers based around mutual respect and good business practice. Christmas is the busiest time of the year in the shop; it is the season where footfall and sales are at their highest.

The team work hard to rotate stock and keep bringing out new stock to give customers a new and exciting range of gifts and cards to choose from each time they visit. Special occasions, and other seasonal events are also well catered for in the ever-changing displays of cards and gifts you will find inside the shop. Exceptional customer service is always part of the experience when you come into the shop. It’s not just transactional, it’s more like a community service hub.

Generations of the same family have been buying their cards, gifts and stationery form Forget Me Not. The family is proud to serve the communities of Skellow and neighbouring Campsall, Burghwallis and Five Lane Ends as well as those further afield. It’s a mixed economy and the clientele of Forget Me Not range from retired people through to the younger generations, all looking for that perfect something to gift.

In terms of growth, the business has now reached an equilibrium that suits the family but that does not stop Tracey and Lynda looking to increase their on-line profile. Although word of mouth and recommendation are the most powerful ways of getting new customers into the shop, they are open to looking at how AI and content generation tools like Chat GPT, on-line selling and social media can be used to help the business be more efficient and accessible to more people.

The Business Support team at Business Doncaster have also been extremely helpful, including the services, workshops and networking opportunities provided by the LAUNCHPAD scheme. It was through LAUNCHPAD that the family secured a grant to make the shop more energy efficient with new loft insulation, thermostats and radiators. Forget Me Not Skellow is a long-standing member of the Federation of Small Businesses, and Tracey and Lynda have regularly turned to them for information and advice when needed. Their accountant also provided tremendous support when it came to deciding on how to structure and run the business from a financial point of view.

25 years in business is an amazing achievement, and the family are righty proud of just how far they have come in that time. They are also in a great position to offer advice to people looking to start that journey as a business owner. “Try and get some work experience beforehand. Recognise gaps in your skill set and work out how to meet them. Getting a mentor can be very helpful. Understand that it is going to be hard but also very rewarding. Build meaningful relationships with your customers, partners and suppliers. It’s a constant learning process and you won’t get everything right first time but learn from your mistakes and move on.” Tracey said on behalf of the family.

The future of Forget Me Not Skellow looks bright. The family plan to do more of the same after spending the past ten years refining their range of cards and gifts. They plan to increase their profile on-line with regular postings to engage with a wider audience. Acting on customer preference and feedback they have gradually removed the items that don’t sell well in favour of a fantastic range of high-quality products sourced from trusted suppliers. They have received lots of great customer feedback and the amount of footfall and repeat business they get is proof that they are doing the right thing for their customers and that they are truly a viable business in an ever-changing retail landscape.

For further information visit their Facebook page here