Planning a staycation this year? You’re certainly not the only one. Many of us have been looking to get out of the house while staying safely in the UK for our holidays across the last year. In fact, campsite and holiday park booking website pitchup.com revealed that it has seen a 225% increase in bookings this July compared to 2019.
Suffolk-based bottled gas supplier East Anglia Gas has seen a big rise in gas sales from campers in the region and has recently welcomed camping accessory store Come Camping in to its showroom at Woodfarm Business Centre to create a one-stop shop that caters to all your camping needs.
“We’re looking forward to being able to help as many people as possible to enjoy their staycations this year and making them as stress free as possible," says Joanne Raymond, who took over the business from her husband Keith in 2018.
East Anglia Gas is an independent main supplier of bottled gas for both domestic and commercial uses, offering a full range of Butane, Propane, CampinGaz, and leisure gas.
The business stayed open across the pandemic, extending its delivery radius to 15 miles to reach an even greater number of East Anglian locals. The team has brought on more staff in the past year to keep up with demand and it plans to continue providing this convenient delivery service as restrictions are lifted.
Although indoor venues are slowly starting to reopen, brits are continuing to explore the great outdoors. Not just by packing up the tent or caravan, but also by enjoying a whole host of outdoor pursuits such as hiking, fishing or even just enjoying a socially-distanced barbeque in the garden.
Keith Raymond, who still assists in the day-to-day running of East Anglia Gas, says: "Demand is so great and a lot of people like to look at things in person, so we’ve joined forces and now we have the showroom with all the camping equipment and the gas. It’s a perfect relationship between the two businesses because we complement each other."
Come Camping sells a wide variety of supplies and accessories to help people prepare for an outdoor adventure. From lanterns and stoves to clothing (currently exclusive to the website), sleeping bags and bushcraft equipment.
Owner Emma Turner has over 30 years of experience working in the camping and outdoor industry and is a keen camper herself. She previously had a shop on a different site before moving the business online. Then, as a result of the recent rise in interest in camping, glamping and caravanning, Emma made the decision to move in to the showroom at Woodfarm Business Centre alongside East Anglia Gas.
“There’s definitely been a massive rise in demand,” says Emma. “I had several phone calls from people who wanted to have a look around a shop and I thought ‘maybe now is the time to go back in to premises.’ That’s how I got talking to Keith and Joanne.”
The showroom provides a great base for customers to quickly and easily pick up the gas for their trip from East Anglia Gas and then spend time browsing Come Camping’s range of products. Emma also offers a repair service for tent poles to help keep equipment in tip-top condition.
But what makes the partnership particularly unique is Emma, Joanne and Keith’s in-depth knowledge on all things gas and camping. They strive to help customers find the equipment they need and want people to feel confident in their purchases so they can enjoy a stress-free holiday.
You can visit East Anglia Gas and Come Camping at Unit 2C, Woodfarm Business Centre, Stonham Road, Stonham Aspal, IP6 9TH. Opening hours are Monday to Friday 9:30am-5pm, Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday - Closed. Visit www.eastangliagas.co.uk to find out more about what East Anglia Gas supplies or www.comecamping.co.uk to shop Come Camping’s full range of products.
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