In The Media...

I’ve been fortunate to have many of my ideas and campaigns featured in the media and spotlighted by some brilliant industry organisations. It’s always a joy to see the work I'm doing to support independent retail - whether through Smart Shopkeepers Club, More Than Just a Gift, or Small Shop Supporters Club - being shared more widely.

Alongside media features, I’ve also been invited to take part in retail roundtables, contribute to industry forums and serve as a judge for the Henries, the UK’s most prestigious greeting card awards.

From grassroots campaigns to creative marketing, I’m passionate about helping indie shops thrive. I’m always happy to speak, write, or contribute on any retail-related topic. I’m especially keen to offer comment on retail news stories where a real-world independent perspective might be missing from the conversation.

If you're a journalist, podcast host, or event organiser, feel free to get in touch - I’m always up for a good conversation.

Here’s a curated look at how independent retail strategies and campaigns I’ve spearheaded have attracted attention - not just for what they do, but for what they say about the future of indie retail.

Featured by the Greeting Card Association – Thinking of You Week 2025

I was really pleased to be featured on the Greeting Card Association’s official Thinking of You Week blog. My role was to take this already brilliant, well-established campaign and help bring it to the next level - creating eye-catching, consumer-facing messaging that made it incredibly easy for independent retailers to get involved and spread the message further than ever before.

The GCA is a fantastic organisation - proactive, supportive, and genuinely committed to growing the greeting card industry in a way that includes everyone. It’s been a real pleasure to collaborate with them.

National Award Win – The Retas 2025 & Media Feature – Leicester Mercury

We were incredibly proud to have our Female Founders Month Campaign named Best Retailer Initiative at the Retas Awards, a national event celebrating the best in the UK greeting card industry.

Created to drive connection, visibility and sales, the campaign delivered record-breaking results for us and showed how independent shops can create standout moments through story-led marketing.

The Leicester Mercury covered our award win soon after, helping to share the story in our region and highlighting the creativity and innovation that independent retail can bring to the national stage.

Henries Awards Judge

I was invited to join the judging panel for the 2025 Henries Awards, the UK’s most prestigious celebration of greeting card design and publishing. It was a privilege to help recognise some of the most creative, thoughtful and innovative card ranges in the industry.

As someone who buys, sells and creates greeting cards daily, I know how much thought goes into every design decision. Being part of the Henries judging process was a brilliant opportunity to contribute to the industry I’m so passionate about.

Trade Feature - PG Buzz, GCA/PG Retailer Forum, August 2025

PG Buzz reported on the GCA/PG Retailer Forum in August 2025, where I joined other independent retailers and industry figures to share ideas and explore ways to better support shopkeepers through practical, collaborative campaigns.

“Sophie Edwards of More Than Just A Gift and Smart Shopkeepers Club has been instrumental with her initiatives such as Small Shop Summer and Thinking of You Week.” PG Buzz

It’s always encouraging when these conversations reflect not just shared challenges but genuine momentum. It’s testament to the energy that is generated when indie voices are clearly seen and valued within the industry.

Small Shop Summer Campaign, June 2025

Gifts and Home magazine featured the Small Shop Summer campaign - a free and ready-to-use marketing initiative I created to help independent retailers boost footfall and visibility during the quieter summer months. 

“Sophie’s Small Shop Summer gave indies a simple, uplifting toolkit for summer footfall” Gifts & Home

The piece reflected a growing interest in practical campaigns that are grounded in real shop life, and it was encouraging to see the trade press highlighting how small shops can be supported with tools that are thoughtful, easy to use and built for the realities of independent retail.

This is the kind of support that makes a difference at shop floor level.

Trade Feature - PG Buzz, July 2025

PG Buzz ran a feature titled 'Sophie's Boost for Shopkeepers', recognising the work I've been doing to help independent retailers show up with more clarity, confidence and community connection. "A shining light in the retail space, Sophie is not only practising what she preaches, but sharing her learnings with others through her Smart Shopkeepers Club and Petimo publishing brand.". 

Features like this reflect a wider shift in the industry - one that values grounded, real-world insight from those of us still working on the shop floor.

PG Buzz Female Founders

PG Buzz featured our Female Founders Month campaign as a standout example of how independent retailers can lead with purpose and creativity. The article focused solely on the initiative we ran at More Than Just a Gift, combining beautiful storytelling, strong visual merchandising and an ongoing commitment to celebrating women-led brands.

“It was important to us that this wasn’t just a token gesture. Female-founded brands genuinely are the foundation of our business and we wanted to give customers insight into the women behind the brands they love. Our display explained how much impact their small purchases and everyday choices can make.” Sophie Edwards, via PG Buzz

This campaign that reflected the values at the heart of our business, and it was brilliant to see it recognised by the trade press.

Read the full article here (https://www.pgbuzz.net/female-founders-spring-forward/)

PG Buzz Best April Yet Feature

After our most successful April to date at More Than Just a Gift, PG Buzz featured the story behind it and how it led to the creation of Smart Shopkeepers Club, a platform designed to share the tools, strategies and insights that had worked so well in our own shop.

“Best April yet inspires Sophie Edwards - retailer launches Smart Shopkeepers' Club to support other indies.” PG Buzz

It was a lovely moment of momentum, not just a reflection on past results, but a chance to show how one well-timed campaign can spark something bigger for the whole indie retail community.

BBC Radio Leicester Interview, April 2025

In April 2025, I joined Ben Jackson live in the BBC Radio Leicester studio for an interview about the rising impact of retail theft and how small shops are being affected behind the scenes. We talked about the financial cost, the emotional toll on shopkeepers and teams and the quiet ways independent retailers are having to adapt.

Over the course of a 15 minute conversation, I also shared my perspective on how local communities and consumers can play an active role in supporting small businesses, not just through spending, but through awareness, trust, and everyday actions that help create stronger, more resilient high streets.

It was a brilliant opportunity to bring real-life retail challenges into the wider conversation and highlight the power of everyday choices in shaping the future of small shops.