The Toffee Shop case study
Since 1910, The Toffee Shop have been dedicated to producing the finest handmade fudge and toffee using their carefully guarded secret recipe from the Cumbria town of Penrith. Their renowned fudge and toffee products have been enjoyed by many locals over the years and are today sold far and wide.
We talked to Tommy Graves of The Toffee Shop about howonline connectivity supports what they do and how he would encourage other businesses in the area to look at the online services available to them.
“The Toffee Shop prides itself on its traditional ways and it is vital to us to preserve our traditional methods.
I think The Toffee Shop’s success has definitely been as a result of this, with our original recipe created over a hundred years ago remaining unchanged.
As when the business first started out, we still make and wrap all of our toffee and fudge by hand from our shop in Penrith where customers can call in to sample and purchase our products”.
“Our online presence allows us to reach customers from all over the country, and makes findingclients such as luxury retailers and hospitality venues easier than ever”
“We were hesitant to harness technology due to our long history of refraining from doing so. However, our customers are now online more than ever, so to survive, we must meet them where they are.”
Tommy went on “Being able to sell online has definitely been an important tool to our business and has really opened up our customer base. It enables us to be more accessible, eliminating distance and making our products available around the clock. We have a healthy intake of online orders andl ove that people go out of their way to shop with us in this way”.
“Social media is another tool which online connectivity brings to our business. Our Facebook and Instagram pages have strong followings and provide a free tool enabling us to publicise our business and products and engage with customers”
“Behind the scenes our online connectivity supports a range of tasks including the use of our portable payment machine when in the shop and out supporting local events, managing orders, finances, and many administrative tasks. Being able to carry out such tasks online has enabled efficiencies within the business”.
Tommy would encourage businesses across Cumbria to look into the connectivity options available to them “it is definitely possible to run a traditional business alongside the use of online tools which support the growth of your business. I would absolutely encourage others to make use of these services and showcase exactly what Cumbria has to offer”.
Visit the Toffee Shop at 7 Brunswick Road, Penrith, or visit their website