Atomic Cherry...Sourpuss Featured Retailer Of The Month!
What is your name, and what is your job title at Atomic Cherry?
Paul and Carolyn Hanlon - owner/operators
Tell us more about Atomic Cherry! How or when did you decide to open up a shop? When did What's changed since then?
We set up the business and started selling online towards the end of 2009 as the music industry was in decline and we knew we needed an 'exit strategy'. We were still working full-time and working on the business at night and on weekends. We started by importing closeout items from the US and selling them on. We were doing quite well and slowly started opening wholesale accounts and increasing our range including retro clothing, accessories and homewares. Carolyn went full time in April 2010 and Paul went full time six months later. We have had several staff members over the years including casual workers and a full-time employee. At the moment it is just the two of us. It is a lot of hard work but certainly worth it!
For the first four years, we ran the business from the top floor of our apartment in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley. There was a lot of huffing boxes and parcels up and down stairs! Eventually we outgrew this space and we moved the business into Paul's Mum's garage in Hamilton and left 'The Valley' for a house the suburbs which is about five minutes away.
The ecommerce industry is changing all the time and the biggest change we have noticed since we started is the explosion of retro and rockabilly here in Australia. It is still a niche market but there are loads more sellers now so we have to be on our toes! We launched a new Atomic Cherry website in July this year which has made a real difference especially to our smartphone and tablet sales. The new site has more of a retro feel and is responsive so it will adapt to fit the screen no matter which device you are viewing it on.
What did you both do before Atomic Cherry?
We both worked in the music industry for fifteen years prior in various roles from working at record companies, retail management and buying for retail chain stores.
What's the best part about your job?
Not having a boss!
What is your favorite thing to eat for dinner?
Paul is the chef in the household and has many cards up his sleeve! We have many favourites including carbonara and lovely beef burgundy (with plenty of red wine).
What is the most important appliance in your home?
Paul - the turntable - used daily!
Carolyn - the TV
Do you have any irrational fears?
Paul has a strange aversion to supermarket checkouts!(??!?)
Do you like Horror movies? (What's your favorite? )
Paul is a huge horror movie fan and is a sucker for a good zombie flick. If push came to shove, his favourite would be George Romero's Dawn Of The dead
Carolyn's favourite horror movie is "Cabin In The Woods"
Have you ever fed a tiger?
No,but we have fed/swam with sharks in Bora Bora.
What are you most excited about in the coming months? (Feel free to answer for yourself or for Atomic Cherry )
Paul is at gigs most weekends and his is most excited about the Ruts DC gig in November.
Carolyn - halloween is getting bigger and bigger each year here in Australia so that will be fun. It is our first Halloween in our house we will be carving a pumpkin for sure! It will also be Atomic Cherry's sixth birthday at the end of October - yay!
Anything we forgot to ask?
How much do we love Sourpuss? LOADS! xxx
Follow all the latest going's-on at Atomic Cherry at all of these sites...
Instagram:
http://instagram.com/atomiccherry
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/atomiccherryAU
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/AtomicCherryStore
