The challenge

With over 21 years of trading experience, Carousel had built a strong local reputation for quality products, good value, and excellent customer service. They weren't new to having a website either, they'd previously used a platform through EKM, but it wasn't keeping pace with how the business had grown. They needed to modernise, and specifically wanted a more versatile platform capable of proper online selling, including accepting coupons and gift cards, something their existing setup couldn't handle.

What we built

We chose WordPress as the platform for Carousel's new ecommerce website, largely for its flexibility and user friendly interface, a good fit for a retail business with varied, evolving needs. The build included:

  • A fully functional online shop, with support for coupon and gift card acceptance, and options for either delivery or in store collection
  • A contemporary new logo, designed to align with the new website and refresh Carousel's brand identity
  • An integrated email system, accessible through the website's backend, so Carousel could send targeted communications to customers directly
  • A site built to be genuinely easy for Carousel to manage themselves, adding new products and making updates like swapping imagery or editing homepage slides, without needing any technical knowledge

Carousel Gifts stocks a wide range of products, from fragrances and balloons to baby items and Jellycat plush toys, all of which needed to be presented clearly and attractively across the new site.

The result

Carousel now has a website that matches the reputation they'd already built in person, modern, easy to manage, and genuinely capable of selling online rather than just describing the shop. As the team at Carousel put it:

"We needed a website that allowed our customers to buy our products online and needed an agency who understood our needs. Red Cherry IT delivered exactly what we asked and would highly recommend them for your marketing."

Why this approach works for independent retailers

Carousel Gifts is a good example of what a longer established local retailer often needs most: not a website built from scratch conceptually, but a genuine upgrade that finally lets years of earned trust translate into online sales, without losing the personal, local character that built the business in the first place.

FAQs

Why did Carousel Gifts move away from their previous website platform?

Their existing website, built on EKM, wasn't meeting the business's evolving needs, particularly around flexibility and the specific ecommerce features they wanted, like coupon and gift card acceptance.

What package did Carousel Gifts choose?

Carousel's project was a full ecommerce build, reflecting their need for genuine online selling capability rather than a simpler showcase site.