"We can't produce as much as is currently in demand." Melanie Wilhelm from the Schwarzacher Werkstätten is still surprised by the boom. For years, the workshops have been producing pottery wheels and selling them under the brand name HSL. But business has rarely been as good as last year. "We had between 20 and 30 per cent more turnover," Wilhelm reports.
It is no coincidence that the jump in sales occurred in the Corona year. Because in the uneventful times of contact restrictions, cancelled parties and closed shops, many people have discovered pottery. Whether knitting, crocheting or gardening: cultivating hobbies at home apparently helps many people get over the dreary lockdowns. Pottery has also been caught up in this trend. "In the industry, we now talk about 'corona pottery'," reports Melanie Wilhelm. This development is also reflected in sales figures. Sales of the entry-level HSL Junior, for example, jumped from 350 in 2019 to 500 in 2020. While Corona inhibited the rest of the workshop, HSL sent a positive signal, says Wilhelm. "HSL is one of a few lines in the workshop business that grew in 2020."
