East Lothian craft kit supplier goes global as sales surge during lockdown

An East Lothian craft kit supplier has seen sales surge during lockdown with its products making it as far as Canada and Japan.
The firm's products include hedgehog and bee hive craft kits.The firm's products include hedgehog and bee hive craft kits.
The firm's products include hedgehog and bee hive craft kits.

The Crafty Kit Company was founded just a few years ago by Jo Lochhead, a former teacher of English as a foreign language in Japan, who had derived a lifelong satisfaction from sewing, knitting and other crafting activities.

Following her return to the UK, Lochhead began teaching youngsters how to make jewellery, before turning her attention to building up a craft distribution business.

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Annual turnover has grown from just £128,000 in 2018, to £400,000 in 2020 and is on target to top £600,000 in the current year.

The Crafty Kit Company in East Lothian was founded just a few years ago by Jo Lochhead.The Crafty Kit Company in East Lothian was founded just a few years ago by Jo Lochhead.
The Crafty Kit Company in East Lothian was founded just a few years ago by Jo Lochhead.

Operating from the old post office on East Linton’s High Street, the firm has online customers, targeted via Facebook in the US and elsewhere, and distributors all over the world.

Lochhead said: “We have constructed our own notion of a typical customer of The Crafty Kit Company called Christine – from customer surveys and our presence on Facebook.

“Christine is an enthusiastic crafter who, while prepared to step out of her comfort zone to sample the entire range of kits we distribute throughout the world, takes huge personal satisfaction from crafting.

People need to know they are not alone, especially at this time and crafting is very good for mental health. We have held a series of free Zoom crafting workshops for a while now. We can now bring in over 100 people to each session.”

The firm, whose products include hedgehog and bee hive kits, now runs similar sessions for customers of John Lewis and a range of independent gift shops.

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