Rebuilding Online Momentum and Driving a 30% Higher Average Basket Value for Geraldo’s of Largs
B2C • E-Commerce • SEO • Digital PR
By the numbers.
%
Online orders YoY
%
Average basket value
%
Website sales
LOCALiQ’s digital PR strategy helped Geraldo’s of Largs recover from a drop in online sales, attract customers looking for premium hampers, spirits and artisan gifts, increasing average basket value by 30%, and build a more resilient, higher‑value ecommerce business, resulting in a 24% increase in website sales.
The business.
Geraldo’s of Largs is a family‑run confectionery and gift business in the seaside town of Largs, Ayrshire. Established over 20 years ago, it has grown from a small family venture into Ayrshire’s premier tourist and luxury gift shop, specialising in handmade chocolates, artisan ice cream made on site, premium spirits and luxury gift hampers.
Owner Toni Dawson runs the business alongside her mother “Sweet Caroline,” continuing a long family history in leisure and hospitality. Community, quality and the family story sit at the heart of the brand, shaping everything from product selection to customer experience.
When you’re selling premium hampers and spirits, you need smart digital PR to put your story in front of the right customers, turning that visibility into higher‑value baskets filled with premium goods.
Challenges.
Geraldo’s launched its ecommerce site around 2018 and saw online demand surge during the 2020 lockdown, as customers turned to the web for gifts, hampers and “treat‑yourself” purchases. That surge continued into 2021–2022, but by 2023–2024 sales began to level off and then decline, with Toni seeing around a 20% drop in online revenue by April 2024.
Competition from larger retailers, who had finally caught up online, intensified. It became harder for an independent, community‑rooted shop to stand out in national search results for key categories like hampers, spirits and gifting.
Internally, Toni and her small team knew something needed to change but did not have the time or expertise to unpick whether the issue lay in SEO, navigation, content or the wider digital strategy. The website had grown quickly during COVID as they reacted to demand; now, they needed a more strategic approach to recover lost sales and bring back the right kind of customers – those looking for quality hampers, premium spirits and artisan gifts, rather than one‑off bargain hunters.
“They’re very good at putting everything into layman’s terms for you to understand. They clear all of the jargon and make things a lot simpler. They’re very good to work with, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them.”
Toni Dawson
Owner and Managing Director, Geraldo’s of Largs
Choosing a partner who could cut through the jargon
After exploring several options, Toni chose to work with LOCALiQ because the team were able to explain SEO and digital PR in plain, jargon‑free language and clearly link proposed activity to her business goals. With some initial support from local council funding, she committed to a six‑month digital PR and SEO engagement, confident in both the clarity of the plan and the working relationship.
Content‑led digital PR to build authority and relevant traffic
LOCALiQ developed a content‑led digital PR strategy designed to build high‑quality backlinks, strengthen Geraldo’s authority for key product categories, and drive more relevant traffic to the site. The team created monthly stories that tapped into both the brand’s personality and seasonal demand: Halloween sweets and UK chocolate habits, family business and women‑in‑business angles, and expert pieces focused on spirits and Scotch whisky, where Toni has significant experience.
Campaigns around Burns Night, Valentine’s Day and hampers were crafted to land coverage in UK and Scottish press while earning links that would continue to support rankings long after each event.
Sharpening focus on higher‑value customers and categories
As the campaigns evolved, the focus sharpened around what mattered most commercially: higher‑value baskets and customers who appreciated the quality and story behind Geraldo’s products. LOCALiQ shifted angles toward premium spirits, luxury hampers and key gifting occasions, positioning Toni as an expert voice and Geraldo’s as a destination for thoughtful, high‑end treats.
Throughout, the LOCALiQ team provided regular reports, walked Toni through them in layman’s terms, and answered questions quickly. That clear communication gave her the confidence to continue investing even after council funding ended.
%
Online orders YoY
%
Average basket value
%
Website sales
Want to achieve results like this?
Recovering online sales with higher basket values
The most important change has been in the quality and reliability of online trade. After a period of decline, the overall number of online orders has climbed back to previous levels and shown a 10% uplift year-on-year – but with a crucial difference.
Average basket spend is now 30% higher, reflecting better‑qualified traffic and customers choosing more premium products and hampers. For a small, independent retailer, this shift towards value rather than volume has helped increase website sales by 24% and justified continued investment in digital marketing beyond the initial funded period.
Alongside this, the digital PR work has delivered 47 new backlinks with an average domain authority of 60, strengthening Geraldo’s authority in search and supporting sustained visibility gains.
Making Digital PR feel tangible
From a performance perspective, the campaign has made the impact of backlinks, content and search visibility much more tangible for Toni. What once felt like a relative unknown has become something she can link clearly to commercial outcomes.
Between September 2024 (two months before the campaign began) and December 2025, Geraldo’s average position in Google search improved from 41.3 to a peak of 14.2. Continuous refinement of the campaigns continues to drive positive results, with reports showing a 122.3% increase in clicks and a 13.3% increase in keywords ranking in positions 1–10 in Q1 2026 compared to Q3 2025.
A stronger position than the lockdown spike
While raw transaction numbers dipped during the most competitive post‑pandemic period, the combination of 30% higher basket values, a 24% increase in website sales, stronger rankings and more relevant traffic has left the business in a healthier position than during the lockdown spike.
The ongoing relationship has also made day‑to‑day decision‑making easier. Toni knows she can ask questions about reports without judgement and that the answers will come in clear, practical language with steps she can act on. She highlights LOCALiQ’s responsiveness, clear explanations and honest guidance as key reasons she remains confident partnering with LOCALiQ and is happy to recommend the service to other independent retailers.
Services provided
- Digital PR strategy and execution (story ideation, outreach, link building)
- SEO support aligned to key categories (confectionery, spirits, hampers, gifting)
- Seasonal and occasion‑based campaigns (e.g. Halloween, Burns Night, Valentine’s)
- Expert‑positioning content around spirits and family business heritage
Key results
- Reversal of a ~20% post‑pandemic sales decline, with online orders now increasing 10% year-on-year
- 30% Higher average basket value, driven by more relevant, higher‑intent traffic to premium products and hampers
- 24% increase in website sales, demonstrating the sustained impact of the targeted Digital PR campaigns
- Average Google position improved from 41.3 (Sept 2024) to 14.2 (Dec 2025)
- 122.3% increase in clicks in Q1 2026 compared to Q3 2025
- 13.3% increase in keywords ranking in positions 1–10 in Q1 2026 compared to Q3 2025
- 47 new backlinks with an average domain authority of 60, strengthening search authority
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