RETAIL OPPORTUNITIES Some of the smaller artefacts are made in short production runs. The life-sized copper dragonflies, butterflies and bees are produced in this way.
They are primarily sold directly to the public by the maker at garden shows and other specialist events and by mail order. A limited number are retailed in the UK through a restricted number of retail outlets each with geographical exclusivity. They are also marketed through a single catalogue and via two suppliers on the Internet. It is not intended to significantly increase production numbers, but there is sufficient slack in the schedule to marginally increase the number of quality retail outlets through which these very popular products can be retailed. OTHER SHORT PRODUCTION RUNS. A number of smaller artefacts have been commissioned as one-off pieces over the years and whilst a wide variety of interpretations, finishes and other details have made them each unique, many share a common basis or structure for which basic design and technical problems have long been resolved. A number of these designs lend themselves to re-interpretation as short production runs, which means they can be produced at a considerably lower cost than their one-off originals, which would bring them within the price ranges of quality retail outlets. |
