As technology continues to change the way we live, www.hermagazine.co.nz asks kikki.K founder, Kristina Karlsson what the future will bring for the boutique stationery industry.
Over a decade ago, a young Kristina Karlsson convinced her partner to sell his house to finance the opening of her boutique stationery store, kikki.K, in Melbourne. It was a risky move for the Swedish-born who had no retail, design or business experience, and spoke English as a second language.
But the risk paid off and kikki.K now boasts more than 80 privately owned stores worldwide, over 600 staff during peak retail periods and annual revenue estimated at $30 million.
In your opinion, what are the main influences of trends in the stationery market?
kikki.K products, like fashion, are inspired by trends in colour, design, materials and textures. We move with the seasons and constantly have new products arriving in store. I gain inspiration from everywhere, and travel to Sweden at least once a year to keep the designs true to our Swedish heritage. Sometimes it’s as simple as thinking of practical solutions to everyday problems. Other times it’s from nature. Inspiration truly is all around.
Do stationery trends, like fashion, make revivals?
Sure! Just as our tastes in fashion design change, so too can tastes in what colour or design our notebooks and diaries are. We always have new ideas bubbling – it’s very exciting!
What are your four goals for the next four years?
1. My number one dream is to open gorgeous kikki.K boutiques in all my favourite cities around the world – so I’ll definitely continue to work on this!
2. I also would love to dedicate more time to ‘giving back’ - having mentors during my professional career has helped me so much.
3. I’m so lucky to be able to live between Sweden and Australia, but I think it’s also so important to travel to new places, so to travel often is an important dream I have.
4. Balance. Spending time with family and friends, and working towards a perfect balance of work and leisure is also important for me.
You have been described as being very organised. Would you say you have any OCD tendencies?
I try to stay organised, and I definitely use kikki.K products every day, but like anyone I have my challenges. Every few months I try to stop and review my systems to make sure everything is in order and see if there’s anything new to create. I just love the feeling of being organised and in control.
What is your pick of kikki.K products for the New Year?
It’s always hard to choose favourites, but I absolutely love our new Inspiration Series – dreaming, setting goals, and making time to be grateful is so important – and I just love our new Inspiration Journals, which are the perfect tools to help with this!
With the continuous evolution of technology and the internet is the demand for stationery falling at all?
I think stationery love will always exist! Gorgeous stationery is a small, inexpensive everyday luxury that makes you feel good – an easy way to bring a bit of happiness and joy to your everyday.
What physical stationery will always trump electronic for you?
There truly is nothing like putting pen to paper. There’s something about that tactile nature, and the connection to your childhood joy – a fresh new start at school! That can never be replicated.
What is your favourite device used to connect with others?
I love handwriting cards. I always keep greeting cards handy and try to write every week –especially when it comes to thanking someone, a handwritten card makes all the difference and makes connecting with someone even more thoughtful and special. But of course, I carry my iPhone and Macbook in my kikki.K bag too!
Is it a goal for kikki.K to make its website as profitable as its retail locations? If so, in what ways do you drive this online platform?
The online space is very exciting for retail. We are very proud to ship all our gorgeous products worldwide from www.kikki-k.com. On our online store, customers can navigate an interactive gift finder, create and share wish-lists, buy and send e-gift vouchers and shop from their mobile anywhere, anytime. Our website is also home to our blog, which gives us the opportunity to share inspiring, valuable content for our customers alongside shopping for all our gorgeous products.
How are you/ will you use social media to grow and promote the kikki.K brand?
We have a very dedicated following across all our social media channels, which has given us the opportunity to engage with our customers in fresh new ways. Whether it’s helping our customers with questions and product choices on Facebook and Twitter, sharing behind the scenes, unique and engaging content on Instagram (@kikkiK_loves), creating inspiring boards on Pinterest or even videos to show how a collection comes to life via YouTube and Vimeo – we LOVE all the opportunities social media has given kikki.K to engage with customers. It’s a very exciting space!
What are your top tips for others struggling to define their career path?
1. Pull out a notebook and pen and write down all the things that you’re passionate about, the things you’d love to drive to work for on a Monday morning – then start mapping out different ways to get there.
2. Be inspired by others - listen to people speak, read about their experiences and how they achieved their dreams. Then start defining a crystal clear vision of what it is you want to achieve in your own life.
www.kikki-k.com
