SMALL DOG GROWS BIGGER

 

Second concession shop opens for Zuma the Dog

Brand creator of Zuma the Dog and company director Samantha Bertish made an exciting visit to their second concession store at Pop Up Leatherhead in Surrey last week. Working closely with Mole Valley District Council, the Pop-up Leatherhead initiative is the second in a series of shops oraganised by The Pop-Up Shop Agents that aims to bring small brands into the high street who wouldn’t necessarily have the opportunity. With a bright, modern interior, the shop creators bring a luxury feel to their customers shopping experience and, by bringing in exciting new brands it aims to increase footfall to rejuvenate high streets after what has been a devastating blow to many established high street brands over the past years.  

After the success of the Horsham store at the end of 2021 Zuma the Dog will be appearing in the new Leatherhead shop for the next three months, bringing his usual bright and happy products with him. Samantha Bertish spent the day in store to meet the shop managers, check on products and make sure everything in their concession conformed to all company branding. The shopping experience remains the same as Zuma the Dog combines conventional shopping with tech demands and with an exciting new website set to launch in the next month, the brand expects to grow with new licensed on demand products via its online and bricks and mortar shopping experiences.

“This store looks amazing, bright and modern.” Said Bertish. “The High Street location brings a lot of footfall and I can already see people’s interests are peaked by the store front and window display. It was lovely to spend the day with the store managers and other concession licensees, getting to know them and other products in store with Zuma. I’m also proud to be able to be a part of this initiative for a second time. I’m so grateful to The Pop-Up Shop Agents for all their hard work in bringing this project to life. Can’t wait to get stuck in with the next Pop-Up Shop project , wherever that may be.” 

The New Pop-Up Leatherhead shop opened in The Swan Center on the 18^th March, and Zuma the Dog will be available to visit in store over the next 3 months.

For licensees who want to collaborate with Zuma the Dog on new products for the shop and new website, please contact Brand Manager Sarah Ann Camp at sarah@contagiousmediagroup.com

 

Little Dogs Adventure at Big Spring Fair 2022

Tuesday, 8 February saw my human head up to Birmingham’s NEC with The Pop up Shop Agents founder Charley Crocker and two former pop up shop sellers to take to the stage as a guest speaker at Spring Fair.

Spring Fair is a highlight in the annual retail calendar as a vibrant marketplace for wholesale homes, gifts and fashion. As the definitive “shop for shops”, Spring Fair is held across four days, designed around three key buying destinations – Home, Gift and Moda Fashion.

Little me at Spring Fair 

Talking with Karina

Charley, who was invited to attend to speak about The Power of Pop-Ups, took three pop up shop sellers from the Pop Up Horsham store which included Karina Berry Creator of Plane Jane, Kim Billings, Founder of KimmyB@ and my human, author and brand creator Samantha Morgan-Bertish.

The Pop Up Shop Agents provide a wide range of opportunities for small businesses to promote their products and services and Spring Fair, which focuses on inspiration and trends is a great platform for small businesses to meet and showcase their businesses to larger retailers.

Products look lovely on display

It was such a fun day and my human told me, dispite feel very nervous, she enjoyed chatting about her experience running our Zuma the Dog shop remotely from Switerzerland and the success of the customer shopping experience using QR codes to check out directly via our website. This exciting new way of shopping is something we are going to explore more going forward with new similar projects for the high street. Seeing stock selling in real time means we can replenish quickly, see what our best sellers are, gauge trends with customers and work with the season when ordering new stock. 

Getting ready to go onstage.

The interest from retailers was high and the auditorium was packed with people wanting to know more about our experience and my human was surprised with the amount of questions and interest after the event. 

Certainly an experience not easy to forget and my human would definitely do it again if the opportunity arises 

You can catch the full talk on YouTube here.

Much Love

Zuma XX

Small dog helps to rejuvenate the high street

 Ok! So, can anyone tell me what happened to the summer? It like, whooshed by and poof, we landed in autumn and now there's pumpkins outside blocking my path and Christmas adverts on the telly. How is it possible that each year zooms by so fast? Do they have the zoomies, just like I get when Mummy returns home after a big trip out into the world? (actually she tells me she's only been gone for five minutes, but pretty sure she' fibbing coz it feels like forevaaaaaa).

I know it's been a while since my last post. A lot of nothing has been going on while the world has been recovering from the pandemic, but now, lots of plans are being made and I'm excited to announce our latest project. The launch of our new concession shop in collaboration with Pop-Up Horsham. Working closely with Horsham District Council, the Pop-up Horsham initiative brings small brands into the high street who wouldn’t necessarily have the opportunity. With a bright, modern interior, the shop creators will bring a luxury feel to their customers shopping experience and, by introducing exciting new brands it aims to increase footfall to rejuvenate our high streets after what has been a devastating blow to many established high street brands over the past years.

Zuma the Dog will be piloting a new way of shopping by incorporating products and tech. To lower the risk of buying large amount of stock it will provide products through a “make on demand” service. Customers can see, feel, and try on products in store and using QR codes provided in store, purchase their products online. These will be manufactured and shipped direct to their door within 48 hours. Zuma the Dog works closely with sustainable British licensees to ensure products are made to its exacting high stands, incorporating all the Zuma the Dog branding its customers love.

Zuma the Dog logo in store window

“We feel passionate about piloting a new style of shopping in the UK marketplace.” Mummy told me. “By looking to the future and enhancing technology we can work in a more sustainable way. Sourcing manufacturers within Britain, cutting our carbon footprint with shorter delivery distances and cutting out the need to invest in costly amounts of stock, warehouse storage costs and reducing waste. I believe this is the way forward for shopping, to combine bricks and mortar with the online experience. And it would be great to see Pop-up initiatives like this roll out across all major high streets in the UK.”

We're,...... I mean. I am very excited to see Mummy's focus of attention has been brought back to me. This opportunity  allows Zuma the Dog to gain its place on the high street and move forward with the demands of its customers. 

Shop front in Horsham

The New Pop-Up Horsham shop opens at West Street on November 2^nd 2021, Zuma the Dog will be available to visit in store for 6 months and we look forward to welcoming you all there.

Much Love

Zuma XX

P.S. Do you like my Halloween costume?

For licensees who want to collaborate with Zuma the Dog on new products for the shop, please contact Brand Manager Sarah Ann Camp at sarah@weirdlime.co.uk

Small Dog Join Pop Up Squad

It's always Go Go Go at Zuma the Dog HQ and as if Mummy didn't have enough to do working for ME on my brand, she's also got herself involved with other projects too. Sounds to me this is quite a worthy one, where Mummy can pass on the benefit of her expertise and advise those looking to start up for themselves. Here's the press release below.

Glastonbury based children’s brand Zuma the Dog become adviser with You Tube Channel.

Brand owner Samantha Morgan-Bertish is proud to announce her collaboration as an adviser with new You Tube Channel My Perfect Pop Up Shop. After working for several years with pop up shops to launch her children’s brand, Zuma the Dog, Samantha was asked by fellow entrepreneur and author Daisy White to join her new initiative in helping other small business owners when setting up their own pop up shops.

“My Perfect Pop Up Shop has been designed to inform, inspire and create the biggest global archive of pop ups. There’s advice from experienced Pop Up shop owners and entrepreneurs too”. Explains Daisy White. “The Do’s the Don’ts and tips from Pop-ups from around the world”.

 The channel was launched in September this year and has been gaining popularity in recent months. “I am excited to be asked to join this fantastic new project as a “Pop UP Squad” member”. Says Morgan-Bertish. “Believe me, I’ve not exactly got it right in the past and have a lot of advice to offer”.

You can subscribe to My Perfect Pop Up Shop on You Tube for free and see Samantha’s video from Portugal and advice from other Pop Up Squad members.

 You can also follow on Facebook too.

That's certainly something I would look out for if I was starting out again. But you know what? The best place is being the boss. Have everyone do it all for me.It's not so easy for me to do the hard work. I don't have thumbs!

Much Love

Zuma

xx