February 3rd, 2012
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Company History
The Dolls House Emporium has grown from a cottage industry run from the basement of the founders’ family home in 1979 into a worldwide concern employing some 65 people at its Derbyshire base in the picturesque heart of the UK.
The original range, when the company was set up in 1979, was just three 1:24 scale model kits of timber-framed buildings sold B2C via direct response advertising. However, there were no accessories available at 1:24 scale but an emerging 1:12 dolls’ house market and good quality miniatures becoming available from Taiwan, encouraging collecting and repeat business.
The owner, Jackie Lee, realised early on that she had identified a public demand for what we now know as a therapeutic, relaxing hobby and soon found that her home became central to the fledgling business, with rooms filling up with stock, boxes and paperwork – and where the dining room doubled as the showroom and shop.
She said: “It was the true definition of being a working mother. When we started my eldest daughter was a year old, then I had two more daughters and of course it was a juggling job!”
Colour printing was becoming more affordable (5,000 single sided A4 sheets for £1,000) so the company produced its own 16-page, mail order catalogue (typeset using an electronic typewriter!). The first computer was introduced in 1982 to manage the mailing list and database.
In 1983 The Dolls House Emporium moved to craft units in converted farm buildings in Denby, Derbyshire, starting with one unit and by 1992 occupying five units with a manufacturing workshop, warehousing, offices and shop.
In 1988 the first imports were purchased direct from the factories in Taiwan and China (via Hong Kong), and the company started selling B2B as well as B2C, attending its first trade exhibition with a stand at the British Toy and Hobby Fair in 1988 showcasing the Queen Anne House. It was such a success that several were immediately despatched to Saks Fifth Avenue in New York.
Jackie said: “Importing direct meant that we had stock available to supply selected retail outlets as well as our mail order customers. Our national advertising campaign promotes the hobby as well as supporting the retailers by introducing new collectors. We have also always had a very active promotional programme to engage collectors all year.”
Much of this success was down to the easily-assembled houses, which meant that even customers in their 70s and 80s were taking up the hobby, with many writing to the company to say how much they had enjoyed building, decorating and lighting their dolls’ houses.
In 1992 the company had expanded into five craft units, so purchased new premises in Ripley and brought the operation under one roof again. By this time the manufacturing of the dolls’ houses was sub-contracted.
The http://www.dollshouse.com website was set up around 1996 and started winning awards soon afterwards.
In 1997 a mezzanine floor was added to the premises and over the next three years another three satellite despatch warehouses were in use, all operating in real time from the main computer system.
In April 2000 the company moved to its current premises in High Holborn Road, Codnor Gate Business Park, Ripley, bringing all the operations under one roof again. This move afforded a 2,150sq ft retail area, a tourist attraction in its own right, where visitors can see the complete range of more than 30 dolls’ house models, all fully built, decorated, lit and furnished. Seasonal displays are also featured throughout the year as well as many limited edition items and special offers.
A concession shop was opened at Houghton Hall Garden Centre in Cumbria in 2007, a very large garden centre situated at junction 44 of the M6. This shop is directly linked in real time to the main computer system and re-stocked automatically. The location was chosen because it is supported by The World in Miniature Museum.
The company today supplies B2C customers all over the world via its catalogue which is printed in seven different versions, its websites which are multi-currency and multi-language, and through B2B customers such as Harrods, Hamleys and HobbyCraft.
This year The Dolls House Emporium won the industry’s Outstanding Customer Service Award for the fifth time, confirming its position at the forefront of multi-channel marketing and fulfilment.
As part of the company’s commitment to customer service, there is a comprehensive range of multi-media guides where you can see live action demonstrations online at home. These master classes are supported by an innovative blog and forum, which opens up the way for two-way communications between the company and our customers, bringing people into a growing Dolls House Emporium family. There’s also the benefit of creating a community for customers to meet and chat online, passing on information and ideas – and showing off their incredible work.
With over 30 dolls’ houses and 2,500 items with which to decorate, light, furnish and accessorise the miniature homes, The Dolls House Emporium is recognised as the world’s market leader in 1:12 scale collectables, yet the sentiments remain the same today as they did in 1979: commitment to delighting customers with excellent service and quality dolls’ houses and miniatures.
