Croydon's Firebox firm bucking recession (From Your Local Guardian)

Croydon's Firebox firm bucking recession

11:30am Wednesday 7th January 2009 in Wimbledon

Online retailers trying to take on the might of big businesses often fail – but not one online gift seller.

Firebox started life in 1998, when the dotcom industry was at its height. While the years shortly thereafter were prosperous for some, many fell by the wayside as businesses like Argos and Woolworths stepped up their game.

Times have changed though, and with recession hanging over the heads of multi-million pound businesses like Damocles’ sword, smaller, online franchises flourish.

Two years after starting, the business just about survived the dotcom collapse of 2000. The company, with a handful of staff, posted its first profit in 2003.

Now, its huge warehouse in Coomber Lane, Croydon, distributes about 10,000 orders a day and the firm is cautiously optimistic about the future. But it is still a small business, with just 50 permanent employees and the dotcom dreams of taking over the world have been replaced by more modest ambitions.

Managing director Christian Robinson said: “The company has really gone from strength to strength. Although at the start of its life it was just keeping its head above water, now we have grown into the internet giant we are today.”

The company prides itself on selling items that its employees would want to buy.

Mr Robinson said: “A lot of the products we sell are items that we ourselves would want to buy, or would enjoy playing with. Take the Evil Knieval stunt bike set. I personally had one when I was a kid because my brother’s was handed down to me. A lot of kids didn’t and now they are adults, and have a disposable income, they can get one.”

The warehouse is full of items that are now considered retro and big kids, as well as little, would love. From Fraggle Rock soft toys to remote control A-Team vans, to a box of sweets containing Purple Hearts, Dip-Dabs and Love Hearts.

“We’re very customer focused,” said Mr Robinson. “We try to make it as easy for the buyer as possible. We don’t spend a vast amount on marketing, we simply market our product cleverly.

“We also try and avoid sending out the wrong items with a variety of different failsafes because we know, as consumers ourselves, how irritating that can be.”