S9 E1: From the Supplier Side: Holly Stafford Smith on Buying, Business & Building for the Future

This week, we’re joined by Holly Stafford Smith from GH Stafford & Son limited a fourth-generation family business that’s been supplying leather goods and accessories to retailers across the UK and Ireland since 1947.

Holly gives us a rare look at the supplier side of the buyer-supplier relationship and honestly, the overlap is bigger than you might think.

Having joined the business back in 2007, Holly has shaped her role from the ground up and now leads across buying, supplier relationships and commercial strategy. From sourcing product at the Canton Fair to managing a diverse UK customer base, her experience mirrors so much of what buyers do day-to-day, just from a different angle.

We get into the realities of buying for independents (where no two customers are the same), the power of long-standing supplier relationships, and what it really looks like to evolve a family business that’s been running successfully for decades.

We also talk trade shows and why Holly made the call to step away from Spring Fair after nearly 50 years, replacing it with a showroom event that delivered 35% more turnover at a fraction of the cost.

Plus, what’s next: building out CRM and analytics, launching a B2B platform, growing their agent network, and bringing fresh ideas into a legacy business as they approach their 80th year.

Key Takeaways

• The buyer vs supplier divide isn’t as big as you think - the roles, challenges and decisions are more aligned than they are different.
• Long-term supplier relationships are everything - trust, consistency and better product come from playing the long game.
• Even the most established businesses need to evolve - and sometimes that means making bold calls to do things differently

Join us for our next Retail Buyer Meet up in London on Wednesday 28th April! Go to www.jointhebuyersclub.co.uk or DM us @jointhebuyersclub

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