In focus with Duncan Heenan

IN FOCUS

Duncan Heenan, Tradepoint

In our latest look at the working and personal life of a senior industry figure, we talk to Tradepoint national accounts manager Duncan Heenan

How long have you been at Tradepoint and what does the role entail?

I’ve been with Kingfisher and B&Q for eight years and in my current role for two. My job is to support the divisional field managers in managing and growing their accounts.

Tradepoint is owned by Kingfisher and was created ten years ago for serious trade customers that needed a different level of service from our tills. It gives them wider parking spaces, easy access to heavy loading and their own dedicated counters and tills.

What do you most enjoy about the job?

I love the freedom I have. My director, Neil Daly, gives me great support but full autonomy to run it. What’s interesting is I get to travel all over the UK and Ireland to meet companies of various sizes. There are 330 B&Q 

stores in the UK and 290 have a Tradepoint presence. It’s a challenging job and keeps me on my toes.

Tell us more about yourself and any major life achievements?

I’ve been married to my wife Esta for almost nine years and have three children: Ciaran, Evie and Charlie. Other than being a proud father, I ran the London Marathon in 2012 for leukaemia and lymphoma research, raising over £2,000. About four days before that I climbed Snowdon with B&Q.

Where are you from?

I live just outside Matlock. I’m a Derby fan, much to my distress after losing in the playoffs. What’s your industry history before Tradepoint?

Before I took over Tradepoint accounts I ran showrooms, training and development for the Southern division of the company. We implemented a unique training academy for B&Q showroom managers. But I’ve been passionate about this industry for my entire working life – from starting out as a bedroom installer for Sharps to a kitchen installer to a site carpenter.

How’s the job and the wider business going?

Last year was a year of simplifying our operations and making sure our offer was easy to digest for 

I’ve been married to my wife Esta for almost nine years and have three children. Other than being a proud father, I ran the London Marathon in 2012 for leukaemia and lymphoma research, raising over £2,000. About four days before that I climbed Snowdon with B&Q."

our trade customers. Now we’re focusing back on trading. As no final decisions have made on the direction, which is the same for any business, we’re definitely focused on driving the right change for trade. We have a strong price position versus our competition and our revised loyalty scheme enhances this. We’ve gone from a one-month typical cycle to a three-month for standard trade customers. That will definitely enhance that offer for them.

Has the loyalty scheme helped change the perception of Tradepoint?

Yes, we have a great trade offer for B2B customers and we’re now enhancing that with up to 10% off, which is great, especially as B&Q work so hard on their EDLP [Everyday Low Price] model. It’s for the trade and covers a wide plethora of products. We’ve now got 70,000 products plus, a figure For the B2B section I run, BiKBBI members are subject to a flat 10% no-threshold offer. So whether they shop with us every day – which is our preferred approach – or they come to us at their convenience we will always reward that relationship as part of the BiKBBI with a 10% discount.

Tell us more about the benefits of EDLP over yo-yo pricing?

I think EDLP is a great sounding board for the industry versus yo-yo pricing. People will always want a deal but whether the perception is they need to get 50% off or just get great everyday low prices, that will always be the balance.

If we do our intelligence and look at costs per basket, our discount opportunities come out on top and loyalty will be repaid. If they buy a full basket, they’ll get an even better discount over what are already strong shelf prices. And the great thing about our offer is its long-term sustainability. A lot of big high street names are closing because they follow the yo-yo pricing pattern but we always aim to support our retail and trade partners.

What’s your ultimate ambition for the business?

To get the Tradepoint team to a place where it’s revered as one of the best trade suppliers in the UK. At the moment it’s probably looked on as a bit of a convenience buy and I know we’ve got a lot more to give. We’ve enjoyed that convenience status but some of the serious tradespeople say we’re not really offering them a great deal – we’re offering everyone a great deal and that’s not sustainable long term. So we’ve taken a gutsy move towards focusing on serious trade 

and that message is getting there. We’re really pleased.

Who are Tradepoint’s main competitors?

The smaller format companies like Howdens and Toolstation, with Selco bringing in the challenges from the larger format trade outlets, certainly in the London area.

How big a concern is Brexit?

It’s probably affecting the business around import / export. Some are increasing prices as a knee jerk before it’s required. But we need 300,000 new homes a year in the UK. That’s the focus for us at Tradepoint. Houses are still being built and people are still improving their homes.

We have a great trade offer for B2B customers and we’re now enhancing that with up to 10% off, which is great, especially as B&Q work so hard on their EDLP [Everyday Low Price] model."

What would be your advice to installers right now?

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket There’s an easy route to market with companies like Wickes and B&Q. But on the flip side, when I was a young installer, I’d send customers there, ask them to get a price and then beat it as a single contractor without the overheads. Once you’ve got a book full of great private work there’s no reason you can’t expand your business with the giants.

How much of a concern do the cowboys still represent?

It’s always a worry but I work really closely with Damian Walters at the BiKBBI and I’m a big supporter of their new Protected scheme. I also work with the Federation of Master Builders and we have great belief around their ‘Licence to Build’ initiative. We need to put a tighter noose around the cowboys. Protected is absolutely the way forward. B&Q are working closely with Damian to get that message out there. I’m encouraged by pioneers like him and extremely excited about the future of installations. If they’ve got nothing to hide, installers should be getting their ID card done. Over the next five years, installation could really come into its own and be properly regulated.

On a personal note, what would be your perfect Saturday evening?

At home with the family; we like to play Monopoly and have a 

takeaway with some trashy TV that we’re not really watching. I’ll have a gin and tonic and enjoy family life. We’ll also sometimes invite friends over. I prefer it to hitting the town – it takes longer to recover these days.

Favourite holiday destination?

We’ve been going to Kefalonia for many years with the wife’s parents. But if I could go anywhere I’d go back to the Maldives which is where we spent our honeymoon. It was the most beautiful experience ever and one I don’t think I’ll ever be able to replicate. But my wife wasn’t well as she was in the very early stages of pregnancy with my daughter, so we’d like to go back.

Favourite novel?

I’m reading a book at the moment called the Secret by Rhonda Byrne which is based around the laws of attraction. It’s a great read, focusing on the beliefs of people across the ages on what they can achieve and how they can achieve more. It’s very inspiring.

What was your first car? be covered up under a tarpaulin when I did my paper round and I asked this man what was under it. He showed me and I spent a few years saving up and finally bought it when I turned 16.

Photo by Muzammil Soorma

What makes you laugh?

Usually my children. Also a little bit of old-school silly humour. That’s missed in today’s society. Anything from the Carry On films and Frank Drebin in Police Squad to Bo’ Selecta and Keith Lemon.

Any unfulfilled ambitions?

I want to pluck up the courage to do a parachute jump. And workwise, to get the Tradepoint team to a place where it’s revered as one of the best trade suppliers in the UK. At the moment it’s probably looked on as a bit of a convenience buy and I know we’ve got a lot more to give.