Small Business Saturday Blog

Joco opened in April 2015, based in a tiny shop on the outskirts of Nuneaton in Warwickshire. After two years though, with a low footfall and an equally low turnover, owner Jo had to decide whether to close her doors altogether or take a leap of faith and move premises. She chose the latter, moving to the Abbeygate Shopping Centre in the heart of Nuneaton. Fortunately, the gamble paid off: her turnover multiplied five-fold and she soon had to take on her first member of staff, followed by an apprentice, who went on to win awards including local awards for Apprentice of the Year and STAR Student of the Year as the most improved student.

Within two years, Joco had outgrown the unit it was in, and relocated again, this time to the prestigious Ropewalk Shopping Centre in Nuneaton town centre. Jo now has a team of six part-time staff, and plans to increase the shop’s online business.

During the first coronavirus lockdown, all of Jo’s staff were furloughed, but after a couple of weeks she returned to the shop and began running Facebook live sales, which has increased their following, maintained sales during the lockdown period and created a new online community of customers. Jo says that without the live sales during the initial months of lockdown, Joco could very well have been another business lost to the restrictions. Now that restrictions have been eased, she has continued to offer live streaming of sales to increase footfall to the shop, together with a delivery service for customers who can’t or don’t wish to visit in person.

Joco offers local artists and crafters a valuable resource to sell what they make, alongside branded merchandise such as Harry Potter and Disney. Catering for all tastes and budgets, their ranges start from just 99p, and cover anything from gothic style skulls to Disney princesses.

Jo says, “Nuneaton is socially deprived and so we have to help our customers in any way we can.” Supporting the local community with fundraisers and attending charity events has made Joco a household name locally, and they also support three local charities as often as they can, with raffles, donating prizes for events and a collection tin for change.

Joco offers a savings club for those who would like to spread the cost of a big event such as a wedding or Christmas, a loyalty card scheme and payment plans for larger items. The small team is very friendly and will help with any customer query, even if it means directing them to another shop in the town.

Jo says “We have taken part in the shop small campaign and customers have been using their American Express cards to claim back their £5 when shopping with small independent businesses in the town. Our customers have been pleased to see that we accept the card and this often leads to them spending more than anticipated.”

Having previously won two national gift retailer awards, FSB Finalists and winner of the Telegraph Business Award, Jo tells us “The shop’s tagline is ‘The place to treat yourself and others’ – and it couldn’t be more appropriate.”