Dolls House Emporium

Dolls House Emporium
Type	Retail
Industry	Hobbies
Founded	1979
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Key people	Jackie Lee
Products	Wooden dolls' houses and accessories
Number of employees	60
Parent	MyHobbyStore Ltd
Website	http://www.dollshouseemporium.co.uk

The Dolls House Emporium is a designer and supplier of 1:12th scale dollhouses (known as dolls' houses in the UK) and miniature collectables.

Based in the UK, The Dolls House Emporium operates from a 65,000 sq ft premises.^[1] It distributes miniatures worldwide^[2] via its website, a free, annual full-colour mail order catalogue and two shops - in Ripley, Derbyshire, and at Houghton Hall Garden Centre in Carlisle - as well as through over 400 resellers ^[3] across the globe.

It trades around the world and e-business methods are tapping markets in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia^[4] with web portals dealing with local currency, pricing and shipping.

It was founded in 1979 by the current chairman and managing director Jackie Lee and her then husband Adam Purser.^[5]^[6]

Because of the iconic status of the dolls' house, film, television companies and creative agencies regularly use Dolls House Emporium products in their work.^[7]^[8]^[9] For instance Montgomery Hall was used as a prop in Upstairs Downstairs on the BBC in 2012.^[10] Miniature accessories were used in the 20th Century Fox film Gulliver's Travels in 2010.^[11]

History

The original range comprised three 1:24 scale model kits of timber-framed buildings^[12] sold B2C via direct response advertising. There were few accessories available at 1:24 scale but an emerging 1:12 dolls’ house market and good quality miniatures becoming available from Taiwan, encouraged collecting and repeat business.

Jackie Lee's home became central to the business,^[13] her rooms filling with stock, boxes and paperwork. The dining room doubled as the showroom and shop.

When colour printing became more affordable the company produced its own 16-page, mail order catalogue.^[14] The first computer was introduced in 1982 to manage the mailing list and database.

In February 2013 the company was sold^[15] to internet retailer MyHobbyStore Retail on the retirement of founder Jackie Lee. Thirty-one jobs were lost^[16] when the new firm relocated warehousing to Peterborough.

Expansion

In 1983 The Dolls House Emporium moved to converted farm buildings in Denby, Derbyshire,^[17] starting with one unit and by 1992 occupying five units^[18] 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.

In 1992 the company purchased new premises in Ripley.^[19] By this time the manufacturing of the dolls’ houses was sub-contracted.

In 1997 a mezzanine floor was added to the premises^[20] 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,^[21] bringing all the operations under one roof again. This move opened up a 2,150sq ft retail area, now 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 featured throughout the year as well as limited edition items and special offers.

Harrods in London is also a stockist^[22] and has a large display area of showpiece dolls' houses.

Houghton Hall concession

A concession shop was opened at Houghton Hall Garden Centre in Cumbria in 2007,.^[23] This shop was 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. This concession closed in 2013 as part of a restructure by new owners MyHobbyStore Retail.

Awards

2012: Outstanding Customer Relationship Management & Customer Service: ECMOD Direct Commerce Awards.^[24]

2011: Outstanding Customer Service: ECMOD (European Catalogue and Mail Order Days) Direct Commerce Awards.^[25]

2007: Orchard House is 'Highly Commended' Right Start toy awards.^[26]

2005: Outstanding Customer Service: ECMOD awards.

2004: Best all-round Catalogue Business ECMOD awards.

2004: Outstanding Customer Service: ECMOD awards.

2002: Highly Commended for e-trading in the East Midlands UK Online e-commerce Awards.

2002: Best Transactional Website ECMOD awards.

2002: Outstanding Customer Service: ECMOD awards.

2001: Outstanding Customer Service: ECMOD awards.

Model kit product ranges

The Dolls' House Emporium manufactures and sells over 30 dolls’ houses and 2,500 items with which to decorate, light, furnish and accessorise the miniature homes. Discontinued models and previous catalogues have become collectors items.

In 2011 the company won a licence to reproduce replicas of the miniature items from Queen Mary's Dolls' House at Windsor Castle.^[27] They were launched in 2012.