UK Enterprise Awards 2021

165 | UK Enterprise Awards 2021 Best Independent Children’s Products Retailer 2021 – South England Based in Sussex, independent children’s retailer Happy Feet Boutique has two shops located in the picturesque village of Lindfield and the vibrant North Laine of Brighton. With the aim of providing something a little different to that which can be found on the high street, Happy Feet Boutique offers a range of traditional-style wooden toys, organic cotton clothing and a range of trainers and outwear. Combining the best brands with affordable pricing and exceptional customer service is just one of the few things that Happy Feet Boutique does extremely well and which have led to its incredible success over the last few years. The shops are run with several guiding principles in mind and have been since the very first day of inception. These include: the belief that shopping for children should be enjoyable, as if shopping for yourself; to always be helpful and available for advice, no matter what; to be approachable and friendly to customers, suppliers and colleagues who have all joined the boutique on its journey; to always be responsible; and to provide the very best customer experience and service possible, to ensure return customers time and again. But Happy Feet Boutique isn’t just about great products, great prices and great customer service… what else is there? Sustainability of course! The owners of the company were all too aware of the impact that businesses have on the environment, therefore they have actively gone out of their way to reduce this impact and, over the course of the last couple of years, they have made drastic improvements. Happy Feet Boutique already does its bit by providing wooden toys and organic cotton garments, but recently, so much more has been Apr21661 Great service, great products and great prices may seem like the foundation of a great business, but Happy Feet Boutique knows it goes much deeper than this! We find out more about the steps this company is taking to ensure it is the very best it can be. done to help reduce its carbon footprint. Outside, the two shops have been refitted with wooden shop fittings, made from FSC wood, and the windows have been replaced with unpainted recyclable metal casings and displays. Inside, hanging low energy light fittings have been installed. The company’s packaging has been replaced as it has stopped using plastic bags in favour of recyclable paper bags instead. A water-based stamp for the bag’s logo is now used, along with recyclable address cards and hemp string too. All waste is disposed of at a recycling centre, including delivery boxes and paper, along with shoe boxes, and plastic parcel tape has been replaced with the recyclable paper variety. Furthermore, online orders are even more sustainable than customers visiting the shops, therefore Happy Feet Boutique has also been working on its website, undergoing a rebrand and making the user experience easier and more user-friendly. With these changes and its continued commitment to forward-thinking, Happy Feet Boutique is shaping a bright future for itself and for the children it has cared and provided for since its inception. Company: Happy Feet Boutique Web Address: www.happyfeetboutique.co.uk