BMM September 2018

THE MEMBERSHIP MAGAZINE OF THE BRITISH INDEPENDENT RETAILERS ASSOCIATION ISSUE 20 | SEPTEMBER 2018

Dream Living the

For Liz Murray, retailing is all about interacting with customers, nurturing community relationships and celebrating craftsmanship.

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Comment

Rates battle goes on as I hand over As he welcomes his successor, CEO Alan Hawkins looks back with pride try to do too much, even with more than 75 dedicated professionals on the staff. With initiatives ranging from our £1bn credit card deal to the right music licence for your shop, all the services have their place.

I suspect, however, that fighting the independent retailers’ corner with centres of influence, most notably government, is becoming our main raison d’etre. It is no accident that in my last month we have a visit to HM Treasury planned and a Commons committee room booked to explain our rates reform proposals to a willing audience of MPs and the press (see p3). Andrew will inherit a legal & parliamentary committee well placed to guide him in this increasingly vital area.

Our members need a cost base from which it is possible to make a fair living. Too many governments have been passing costs (living wage, pensions auto enrolment, apprentice levy to name but a topical few) down the line in the apparent expectation that independents have some magic money tree to fund them.

The current state of our high streets does require retailers to be nimbler of foot and more receptive of change. There is no future in just waiting for help, but we must strive with a sense of urgency to level the trading playing field.

In conclusion, I’d like to express a heartfelt “thank you” to all bira members for your encouragement and forbearance, but most importantly your friendship, both for myself and my wife Madeline. bira has been, and continues to be, well-served by its long list of presidents, committees and subsidiary boards, all of whom contribute for no more personal reward other than putting something back.

And last but not least, my appreciation goes to the wonderful bira staff and our external consultants, who are ready to welcome enthusiastically a new boss. The bira stalwart Robert Jarrett is leaving at roughly the same time as me and there are other significant positions to fill in the top team that have been waiting for the new CEO’s arrival.

Andrew, I wish you all the luck in the world.

Cover photograph: Paul Driver

I WRITE MY final column here with a tinge of sadness that my time as CEO is ending as I near retirement, but also with a sense of pride in what has been achieved during the 12 years of my tenure.

There is a news item about my successor Andrew Goodacre on page 3. He will take time to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation he inherits before making his own plans to take bira forward with the sense of member involvement you rightly expect.

The group offers a range of services over many areas, often through its significant subsidiaries. Keeping them all working as one can be difficult. Our members are a diverse group of independents from large to small, from niche specialists to regional department stores, and on to large agricultural dealerships.

This is the joy of bira and it makes no day for a CEO quite the same as the last.

I suspect historically our range of services have been the main reason for members joining bira. Some might argue that we sometimes

IN THIS EDITION ISSUE 20 SEPTEMBER 2018

This is your bira magazine, so share your news, views and ideas with like-minded retailers by contacting us at editorial@bira.co.uk All contributions will be gratefully received SEPTEMBER 2018

news for 2 Trade bira members

We welcome Andrew Goodacre, bira’s new CEO. Our rates plan is ready to be presented

game are tough 8 Jarrold’s changer opens 7 “Things out there” Hardware retailers review 2018 so far and look forward to the autumn

The new Intersport superstore in Norwich aims to connect with athletes locally

success is 11Where on the cards From the Isle of Man, Chris and Debbie Beards have created a national profile

23 Counterpoint: Doghouse Danny From snowdrifts higher than a tractor to soaring heat, it’s been a dramatic year for the pet shop

the dream challenge 16Living in Berwick 20The of payments Cook+Live+Dream: Liz Murray’s shop name sums up her retail philosophy

Be prepared for the complexity of change, choice and compliance around retail payments

32The Last Word:

Roasters Tamworth

How the Panton family switched from budget housewares to roast pork specials

1

TRADE NEWS

QSM Q2: Warm spell boosts sales – for some GARDEN AND HORTICULTURAL machinery, health stores, and DIY & hardware retailers were the biggest beneficiaries of the warm weather in April, May and June, with increased sales in these sectors.

Figures from bira’s exclusive Quarterly Sales Monitor (QSM) for the second quarter of 2018 show varying signs of improvement compared with figures from Q1 for eight of the 12 categories, with the good spring given as a common reason for the rise.

Overall, 51.55% of respondents reported a higher performance than that of Q2 2017. The good weather apparently encouraged some work in the garden as respondents in the garden and horticulture sector reported an overall performance +3.56% higher than Q2 last year.

Projects around the home also seemed popular with consumers: the DIY & hardware sector showed a clear improvement (+0.35%) from the previous quarter (-2.86%).

The worst performing category in the latest QSM was cookshop & housewares, which showed a -5.69% fall. Other struggling sectors include pet products (-5.67%) and books, toys, music & computers/telecoms (-3.33%).

The North-East was the best performing region with our respondents recovering from a poor Q1 to show a +4.34% rise against Q2 in 2017. Retailers in the Midlands and Wales had a more difficult time and each showed a decline of -3.08% each.

Despite small improvements in sales and morale, the continued uncertainty surrounding Brexit is still having a major effect, with most retailers facing modest to significant pressure on their margins.

Some 53.88% of retailers responding to the survey are feeling anxious about the year ahead.

Let’s hope Q3 and the run-up to Christmas will see increased footfall to lift sales across all sectors and regions.

To see how bira hardware members across the country are viewing their 2018 performance so far, turn to page 7

2

Forward-thinking forums work for members IDEAS TO INCREASE members’ involvement in bira’s committees and branch meetings were presented and discussed at meetings of The Retailer Forum (above) and Branch Think Tank at head office in June and July.

With the aim of increasing attendance at and output from the meetings, ideas included making them shorter and inclusive of all sectors, stronger marketing of the meetings, and new ways of report-

ing their activities. Going forward, branches may also be renamed to make them more attractive to local bira members.

The next stages of the overhaul will be shared with members shortly.

If you would like to contribute to the debate with ideas on bira's branch meetings, email teodora. axente@bira.co.uk or call her on 0121 446 6688

Members shortlisted for the housewares Oscars THE EXPERTISE OF bira members across the country has been recognised in the shortlist for The Excellence in Housewares Awards, which has been celebrating UK retailers, products and suppliers for 18 years.

Among the finalists from the bira community this year are: Abraxas (Weedon, Northants); Art of Living (Reigate); Bakers & Larners of Holt (Norfolk); Barkers of Northallerton, North Yorkshire; Barnitts of York; Chef’s Ware (Hastings); Cookmate (Worcester); Dinghams (Salisbury); Emporium Cookshop (Gainsborough, Lincs); Essentials (Hazlemere, Bucks); Housing Units (Oldham); Jarrold of Norwich; Kitchen Range (Llandudno, Wales); Lawsons of Plymouth; Lords (Greater London); Luxe Cookshop (Northampton); Philip Morris Direct (Hereford); Potters Cookshop (Hockley, Essex); Prep and Richard Dare (London N16 and NW1); Rye Cookshop;

Salt & Pepper (Monmouth, Gwent); Steamer Trading (Nationwide); Sterling Furniture (Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire); The Wooden Spoon Cookshop (Leek, Staffs); Trevor Mottram (Tunbridge Wells, Kent).

The EiH Awards are organised

by Progressive Housewares and are co-hosted by bira. The list of finalists was compiled from an industry-wide poll of housewares suppliers, along with self-nominations, which were validated by a panel of industry experts.

Progressive Housewares editor Jo Howard commented: “This year’s finalists reflect the diversity of housewares retailing in today’s highly competitive market and recognise the passion, innovation, dedication and sheer hard work that goes into retail excellence. Congratulations to all of our fantastic line-up of retail finalists for the Excellence in Housewares Awards 2018.”

SEPTEMBER 2018

TRADE NEWS

bira welcomes its new CEO ANDREW GOODACRE HAS been appointed as the new chief executive of bira. Andrew will replace Alan Hawkins, who is retiring after 33 years with bira and its predecessors, including 12 years as CEO. Andrew brings a wealth of experience within the membership organisation sector, having held the role of CEO at the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) since 2013 and previously holding a senior position at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Earlier in his career, he gained significant experience within the hospitality sector.

Having increased membership at the RLA and implementing campaigns that raised the profile of small businesses with national and local governments at the FSB, Andrew greatly impressed the bira committee overseeing the recruitment process. bira past president Chris Patterson of Pattersons Catering and Cleaning Supplies in Bristol, who led the committee, said: “Andrew’s appointment comes at a crunch point for independent retailers. Alan’s wish to retire, revealed last year, has coincided with the rise of online shopping, the disproportionate and unfair business rates system, and other everincreasing pressures on us. So, more than ever, we need strong leadership from our trade association.

“Andrew’s rich experience of lobbying government and increasing membership levels will help put bira at the centre of the high-street debate, while his

relaxed collaborative style will encourage engagement from both members and staff alike to ensure independent retailers do not just survive but thrive once more.”

Andrew remarked: “I am excited by the opportunity to be the new CEO at bira. The association has a strong history of supporting independent retailers and, as Chris has noted, this vital sector needs help and support more than ever. I will work hard to bring stability to bira, building on its strengths and using all my experience to grow the membership.”

Andrew will begin his role formally in October, after working alongside Alan Hawkins as CEO-designate for a month. He will be relocating with his family from Lancashire to be based close to bira’s HQ in Birmingham.

The rigorous recruitment process took more than six months. Executive search agency Berwick Partners was hired early in 2018 to identify suitable candidates and the strongest contenders were interviewed by the committee headed by Chris Patterson.

Also on this selection panel were bira treasurer John Morris of Tudor Williams, Richard Rowlatt of Rowlatts of Wellingborough, Liz Lawson of Lawsons of Plymouth, and William Coe of Coes of Ipswich. The committee was completed by a knowledgeable "good friend" of bira, Deven Thakrar, the former CEO of Ellis Whittam, which provides bira’s legal services.

I will build on bira's strengths and use all my experience to grow the membership Andrew Goodacre

Rates reform to be launched

Soon to celebrate its centenary, bira direct’s supplier Draper Tools hosted a delegation of hardware and home décor members at its head office in Chandler’s Ford, Eastleigh, Hampshire. Retailers saw for themselves how Drapers' products are shipped across the world using a new automated system.

The visit coincided with the quarterly meeting of bira’s BHF & HDRA committee. On the visit were (back row) Teodora Axente, Gavin Philpott, Phil Rowley, bira president Surinder Josan, Guy Lachlan, Adrian Bates and (front row) Alan Kempson-Byrne, Janice Hobson, Kiran Josan and Mick Belton. If you want to find out more about the range of services available through bira direct, please contact info@biradirect.co.uk or call 0121 446 6688.

SEPTEMBER 2018

The House of Commons will be the venue for the official launch of bira’s business rates reform plan.

Geoffrey Clifton Brown, Conservative MP for The Cotswolds, will host the event on 11 September.

The launch is the result of two years’ work by bira to remove the current rate relief cliff edge and get the relief to where the majority of small shops are situated. The proposal is that all small businesses with a rateable value of up to £51,001, the current definition of a larger business, should have an allowance of at least £8,075. l Immediate past president Vin Vara appeared on BBC TV’s Victoria Derbyshire show on 7 August to put the independents’ case about hard times on the high street. “Business rates is the biggest headache we’ve got,” Vin said.

3

TRADE NEWS

Why Maureen Cookson is up for sale

AFTER 40 YEARS as a leading independent retailer, Hilary Cookson has put her two businesses in Whalley, Lancashire, up for sale. The womenswear store Maureen Cookson, which was founded by Hilary’s mother in 1956 as a knitting wool and baby clothes shop, will start a month-long Closing Down Sale in mid-September. Her delicatessen and café bar, Benedicts, has found a buyer as a separate concern.

Having joined the family business in 1980, Hilary bought it in 1995 when her mother Maureen retired. Drapers Independent Retailer of the Year in 1999 and chair of the British Shops and Stores Association, a precursor to bira, from 2006 to 2008, Hilary built it up to be one of the best-regarded mainstream womenswear independents. The café was added in 2010.

“We present a beautiful store with fabulous stock and a delicatessen and cafe bar. The customers coming in love the store, but sadly there are fewer and fewer of them,” Hilary told bira magazine “We have kept ahead of recessions that have come and gone, but we are not able to ride out this one with the seismic shift in shopping habits. Our high street, like so many others, is suffering. My cause was not helped by this year's high rent and rates hike. We are in an old leased building needing huge repairs that exceed any likely profit. I have decided to retire from retailing.”

Hilary spent a whole day talking to each of the 40 members of staff individually. “There were tears from all of us – many of the 18 in Maureen Cookson have been together all our working lives, so it’s like a family breakdown,” she said.

“I fully intend to pay off all my creditors and wish to exit into retirement with the dignity and professionalism I have tried to uphold throughout my 40 years in our business. I had hoped someone would take on my lifetime’s work, but the building has been sold for redevelopment.”

Despite the circumstances, Hilary's sense of humour is intact: “Business for Sale. Two careful lady owners. My mother Maureen from 1956 and me since 1980. I cannot miss out on the chance for some free advertising in bira magazine - Fixtures and fittings available at fabulous prices!”

4

The annual South Devon Branch summer outing was spent at the familyowned St Austell Brewery, tasting some of the finest Cornish beers. Here beer expert Marc Bishop (left) shares some of the brewery’s secrets with Janet, Jeff and Chris Abbott (Abbotts DIY, Ottery Saint Mary) and Andrew Pealing (Lawsons of Plymouth). If you want to receive more information about bira’s regional branch meetings for members, please contact Teodora Axente on teodora.axente@bira.co.uk and 0121 446 6688.

bira media up for three awards THE IMPROV ED COMMU NICATION channels from bira to its members have been recognised in the prestigious Association Excellence Awards 2018, which recognise and reward the work of UK trade bodies, professional membership organisations and associations from every sector.

A panel of judges has shortlisted bira in the categories for Best Association Website, Best Association Newsletter and Best Association Magazine.

Alan Hawkins, bira CEO, said: “We are so pleased to have been shortlisted for these categories as they

have been key areas of focus for the bira marketing team over the last two years. We’re proud to be supporting our independent retail members with informative and relevant content through these channels. The team work tirelessly to make sure our members are informed and entertained through our website, newsletter and magazine. I’m sure our members will join me in congratulating the team.”

The winners will be announced at a lunchtime awards ceremony at The Kia Oval in London on Friday 12 October.

Publish and be delighted...

IT HAS BEEN more than two years since the bira publishing division was reorganised to make its activities more relevant for members.

As part of the new approach, the bira membership magazine underwent a total makeover, gaining a new editor in Eric Musgrave, a new look by Alan Bingle of agency Forty6 Design, and a new team at head office. This issue is No 20 in the series.

To increase efficiency and costs, six months ago bira moved its printing contract, which also includes BAGMA magazine, to Stephens & George, a family-owned printer, based in South Wales.

Do you have any news To personalise our relationship with or views you would like S&G, key publishing team members to share with the bira Kate Godber and Simone Adams visitcommunity? It’s so simple to ed its impressive premises to see what’s do – just email the team on involved in the printing process. They editorial@bira.co.uk or learned S&G takes nine hours to print, call 0121 446 6688 and ask fold and finish the title for mailing out. for Kate Godber.

Paul Enoch of Stephens & George in South Wales takes bira’s Kate Godber and Simone Adams through the printing process for the magazine

SEPTEMBER 2018

TRADE NEWS

Let bira direct help drive your footfall DEALING WITH MORE than 180 suppliers that offer more than 2,000 associated brands, bira direct gives members access to thousands of products and hundreds of exclusive deals. To increase its relevance still further, the buying group has launched its Footfall Drivers Campaign, devised to help members source, stock and sell more trend-setting products for autumn, Christmas and beyond.

As well as negotiating the best prices, bira direct will also be asking suppliers for their thoughts on the expected big-sellers for the coming season. The focus will be on specific products, colour trends for late 2018 and early 2019, and the increasingly important consideration of an eco-friendly approach for products and their packaging.

The initial campaign will be focused on offers and trends in three key areas for the bira community: DIY & hardware; housewares & cookware; and gifting & lifestyle.

Included in this magazine is a guide to the campaign, in which some of bira direct’s key suppliers give their thoughts on what will be trending. Negotiations will continue with suppliers throughAutumn out the selling season to increase the Footfall Drivers selection of short-order offers.

Here’s to positive autumn and Wor winningking with leadi ng produc Christmas trading to remember. ts, to in suppliers, to crease deliver 2922 Bira

footfall

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footfall to yourthe shop

IN MEMORIAM

Jim Ferguson

Former bira bank board member Jim Ferguson died on 19 July.

For many years the face of Home Hardware Scotland, he is survived by wife Celia and children Brian and Fiona, both of whom are involved in the family’s chain of shops. A memorial service was held for him in Kilmarnock on 5 August.

Jane Johnson

Past president Russell Johnson has thanked bira friends for their kind thoughts following the death of his wife Jane on 27 June after a long illness. Jane, 68, made many friends during Russell’s BHF/bira career, particularly in the South-East and West Country regions. Her funeral on 18 July was attended by a strong contingent of bira members. Jane is also survived by children Julie and Dean and four grandchildren.

Roy Bird If you’d like to know more about bira direct, a free service to bira members, register your interest today at biradirect.co.uk or call 0121 446 6688

BHF veteran Roy Bird died on 1 August after a long illness. He was 95. A stalwart of the London and Southern Counties branch of bira’s predecessor, he was a regular at BHF conferences. His funeral was held at Southend Crematorium on 20 August.

Women-only evening attracts new business 20/08/2018

15:37

TO HELP INCREASE women’s confidence on the road and when in a garage environment, Westgate Tyres in Morecambe, Lancashire invited local women to a female-only evening.

They were taught about car mechanics, current legislation, technology and information about tyres, why not to buy part-worn tyres, and how to check tyre pressure.

Westgate recently invested in new apparatus from AutoGem Invicta called the Groove Glove, which makes a laser reading of tyres.

This allows the garage to advise customers if they need new tyres or when they would need replacements.

Sophie Bailey, sales director and tyre expert at Westgate Tyres, said: “It was so successful that the next day we had three ladies return after the laser reading showed they needed new tyres. We have seen every lady who came to the event since and they have all been in to have something checked on their vehicle.”

SEPTEMBER 2018

5

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HARDWARE OPINIONS Chris Abbott

“It doesn’t take a genius to work out that things are very tough out there” Hardware retailers share their opinions on the challenging year so far, which has seen major retailers closing, extreme weather conditions and consumer confidence in the doldrums.

Brian Mills

Timbermills, Cumnock, Ayrshire “It’s been a very challenging year with the biggest problem being customers scanning the products instore and then buying them online at a cheaper price. The fact the government continues to overlook high-street retailers and not provide the necessary support for independents to thrive isn’t helping either.

“The weather changing at the end of April did bring some positives as decking, gardening and fences sold very well compared to the same period last year. We use social media, in particular Facebook, to raise our profile and this has shown some positive outcomes for us.”

Joe Fordham

John Brown Hardware, Nailsea, Bristol “With a significant increase in business rates, along with a nonsensical replacement of customer parking space in front of our store with the largest loading bay in our area, (a change introduced by the local council without any consultation), it has felt a very difficult start to the year. There’s a sense of swimming against the tide when trying to move our business forward.

SEPTEMBER 2018

Surinder Josan

All Seasons DIY, Smethwick, and bira president “Weather-related sales rocketed firstly with the Beast from the East. Then a warm and late spring added a welcome boost to gardening related sales. Finally, these were topped up with sales of fans, coolers and air-con units.

We’ve really been tested hard in our abilities to source critical weather-related product in peak demand!

“I have handled all of this while carrying out my official bira presidential duties, which have included the IHA DIY Summit in Barcelona, the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh, a trip to Draper Tools, as well as plenty of meetings.”

“Despite this, however, we are in fact experiencing a continuing growth in our customer base and a gentle increase in trading figures. We are hearing from our customers in Nailsea that high street shops provide not just goods and services, but friendly faces, opportunities to meet people face-to-face, places to browse, shop and a ‘beating heart’ that brings the community to life.

“So, with a cautiously optimistic outlook, we are continuing our investment of last year, which saw a total refit of the household goods, electrical and counter areas of our store, with further investment in the refit of the remaining plumbing and DIY sections.”

Abbotts DIY, Ottery St Mary, Devon “I have never known a year quite like this one. Low consumer confidence, Brexit, extreme weather conditions and the growth of online shopping have all had an impact. When you see some of the big names falling, it doesn’t take a genius to work out that things are very tough out there.

“Our sales were static in January and February but nosedived in March. This was due to the Beast from the East, and although we sold a lot of solid fuels and sledges, the drop-in footfall from the snow days and the impact it had on our gardening sales made March a poor month. We had pallets of compost, fence paint etc, which normally flies out in the spring, just sitting there.

“Once the weather improved, so did our sales and we ended up having a bumper May. June and July also saw good like-for-like sales.

Fans and hosepipes were selling very well. The feel-good-factor has returned and when that happens, people are more willing to part with their hard-earned cash.

“The one thing having the biggest impact on consumer confidence is the B-word. Brexit will be a bit of a rollercoaster. I hope in his autumn statement the chancellor will start to address the imbalance between the high street and ecommerce retailers. Surely the government can’t stick its head in the sand for much longer on what is happening to our high streets.”

Mark Cox

Farsley DIY & Pet Store, Leeds “We all love talking about the weather and we have certainly had some so far this year from selling out of a large stock of rock salt to seeing the longest heat wave since 1976. The hot weather certainly had an impact. My sales of compost are down, perhaps as the gardens are parched, with people doing their best to save water and enjoying BBQs along with the football instead.

“Then there has been the expected “You don’t have any fans, do you?” Since all the supplies have been exhausted, this results in a lost sale. Maybe now is the time to get a generous supply of sledges in stock…

“We are looking forward to the rest of the year. I’m already planning my Christmas window, having not placed in last year’s Farsley village competition. The pressure is on!”

7

BUSINESS PROFILE

Game changer

The future direction of Intersport’s specialist sports shops has been unveiled in Norwich, courtesy of a tie-up with Jarrold, the city’s leading department store

Replacing the former Pilch sports business bought

by Jarrold 12 years ago, the new Jarrold Intersport is a blueprint for the sports buying group's new generation of superstores

8

SEPTEMBER 2018

BUSINESS PROFILE

TWELVE YEARS AGO Jarrold bought the local Pilch sports business and ran it in a large unit at 15-17 London Road, just behind its 195-year-old flagship department store in Norwich city centre. Now the same unit has been transformed into the first Intersport 2.0 concept unit in the UK, aiming to inspire, serve and connect everyday athletes locally.

Rebranded as Jarrold Intersport, the store has put even more emphasis on service and offers a contemporary zoned shopping experience with areas for running, football and team sports, swimming, men’s fitness and women’s fitness. The unit also includes services such as digital gait analysis to identify correctly-fitting shoes, a racket restringing service, shirt printing, cricket bat refurbishment and expert advice on relevant topics from training with the weekly Run Club to nutrition.

Premium brands including Adidas, Nike, Asics, New Balance and Speedo have supported the transformation. Michelle Jarrold, development director for the family-owned business, said: “We have continued to bring our ‘serious about sport’ offer to Norfolk shoppers since we took over the highly-regarded Pilch sports business 12 years ago. After careful consideration, it feels now is the right time to change the name to reflect the close association between our outstanding sports offer and the neighbouring Jarrold department store.”

SEPTEMBER 2018

Tim Shattock, senior trading manager for Jarrold Intersport, commented: “It’s with delight that we have opened the first Intersport concept store in the UK. We have been very fortunate to have a bespoke design created for us by the Intersport design team based in Bern, Switzerland, and help from our major brand supporters. Together we have created something new, unique and literally game-changing for Norwich and Norfolk.”

Neil Venables, general manager for Intersport UK, added: “We are very excited to work with one of our key members in England to bring the Intersport 2.0 strategy and retail concept store to life. In this location, Jarrold has always been a leading partner in the group. (The store is) a true multi-sport specialist destination embracing the Intersport mission to inspire, serve and connect with everyday athletes in the local community.”

Intersport, a Switzerland-based retailer and buying group, is represented in the UK by the AIS buying group. Intersport has more than 5,400 shops in 42 countries and plans to expand the number of its concept stores.

Intersport 2.0 concept stores were opened last year in Dublin, Rushmere and Kilkenny in Ireland. The idea behind the comprehensive selection of brands and merchandise is to offer the everyday athlete an enhanced choice of sporting products and services.

9

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BUSINESS PROFILE

Success is on the cards They might be in Port Erin on the Isle of Man, but Chris and Debbie Beards have given Mantons Cards a national profile ON 14 AUGUST Chris and Debbie Beards celebrated 10 years of owning Mantons Cards. When they bought the business in 2008, toys accounted for 70% of sales. At the time it was rumoured that Toys “R” Us was coming to the Isle of Man, so the pair decided to exit that sector very smartly.

Their strategy was to move upmarket, to make higher-quality and exclusive cards and gifts an essential USP, and to make the physical space work better.

Chris explains: “Tony Manton had been running the shop for 21 years. He was a good retailer, but he was 78 when we bought the business and the property from him, so it had an old-fashioned feel. It was a sound proposition that just needed a fresh look.”

Phasing out old stock and bringing out new options took about 18 months. The husband-andwife team was able to make simple physical alterations, like moving shelves, quickly, but the big change came during 2010-11 when they removed a retaining wall to convert the ground floor from two mis-matched rooms of around 600sq ft and 2,000sq ft to one open space of about 2,500sq ft. The shopfront was renewed at the same time.

Today the first floor is offices and the second and third floors hold stock. Sales are split 50:50

MANTONS CARDS 17 Station Road, Port Erin, Isle of Man IM9 6AE Established 1987. Owned by Chris & Debbie Beards since 2008.

Staff: Two F/T and 1 P/T, plus the owners Opening hours: M-S 9-5.30 Sun 11-4 Card suppliers include 14 Manx Cats, Blue Eyed Sun, Cherry Orchard, Laura Sherratt, Molly Mae, Wendy Jones Blackett Gifts suppliers include Beatrix Potter, Caroline Gardner, Joma Jewellery, Katie Loxton, Transomnia, Willow Tree.

Turnover: £330,000  mantonscards.co.uk  @mantonscards @mantonscards  @MantonsCards

SEPTEMBER 2018

Chris Beards, along with Gemma Corkish, Debbie Beards and Wendy Corkish, show off some of Mantons Cards’ awards.

between cards and a varied mix of gifts. Coinci- by tourists during the season. This starts at dentally, Toys “R” Us never made it to the Isle of Easter, is boosted bythe TT motorcycle races in Man, but in 2010 Card Factory did arrive to give late May or early June, and continues until the Mantons Cards some large-scale competition. end of the school holidays in September.

“Their arrival didn’t worry us too much Mantons’ expertise in retailing and its charity because we had already started to move towards work has been recognised with an impressive 17 higher-end products,” says Chris. “Locally, there national awards, including the bira Independent were already plenty of shops doing the cheaper Retailer of the Year title in 2015. The shop has end, so we felt there was a chance of more exclu- raised more than £22,000 for local cancer and sive, more design-led cards.” carers’ charities in the past A lot of Debbie is responsible for seven years, an effort that has buying, while Chris looks after been acknowledged by bira our huge the finances and administrawith its Local Hero award in tion. The price range for cards selection of cards is 2016. stretches from £2 to £10, with exclusive to us on the To challenge himself, £3.50 being the volume price Isle of Man and we Chris applied for a Retail point. On gifts, £10 to £20 is Trust scholarship to attend the most popular price range. will take something bira’s Oxford Summer School “One of our strengths is our new on only if it is in 2015 and came away from huge selection of cards and our the week’s intensive course exclusive interesting range of items for invigorated: “It’s definitely not presents or self-gifting,” says Chris. “A lot of our somewhere you go for a rest, but I have recomstock is exclusive to us on the island and we only mended it to several retailing colleagues. It’s good take on something new if it is exclusive.” to learn how the big boys do things. I learned that Mantons’ reputation has suppliers bringing not everyone works the way I do.” new lines to its door, but Debbie and Chris still Mantons Cards was the first retail venture for make selective buying trips to trade shows. Top Chris and Debbie, who ran a mail-order T-shirt Drawer and Autumn Fair are regular destina- business for 23 years. They moved to the Isle of tions, while Pulse has dropped out of favour. The Man from Birmingham in 1995 with daughter pair spent three productive days at Home & Gift Charlotte seeking a better quality of life. After in Harrogate in June: “It was our first visit and selling the clothing business in 2008, a card shop we were pleasantly surprised by how much was appealed to Chris for personal reasons: “When of interest to us. We go to fairs because we never I was about five years old, I bought my grandknow what new things we might find.” mother a card. There was no occasion to celeLocated in Port Erin, the island’s third-largest brate, but the look of delight on her face when she settlement after Douglas and Ramsey, Mantons read it always stayed with me. It’s good to be part sees the town’s 4,000-strong population swelled of creating moments like that with Mantons.”

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BUYING OPPORTUNITIES

Top products at Top Thousands of new products from design-led lifestyle brands and up-coming names will be awaiting buyers at Top Drawer at Olympia, London on 9-11 September.

With sections devoted to Home, Fashion, Gift, Craft, Greetings & Stationery, Play, Wellbeing and Spotted, the show is a treasure trove for independents looking for something different.

Alejandra Campos, event director at organiser Clarion Events, says: “Top Drawer refreshes its offering every season by incorporating new concepts and segments. It embraces trends and global market developments, presenting brands that inspire while offering commercial appeal.

Our well-established new talent area, Spotted, is part of our commitment to promote and support start-ups and new designers. The young entrepreneurs of today are the elite of tomorrow.”

BlissHome

HOME H-F15 Founders of BlissHome, Mike and Gabrielle Bliss, have over 35 years’ experience in creating, sourcing and producing well-made, affordable and stylish homeware. Born from their passion for craft and discovering beautiful lifestyle accessories came their motto: “Design for lives like ours.” Specialising in kitchen ceramics, kitchen textiles, tableware, serveware, towelling and bathroom accessories, BlissHome produces top-quality products in various media including ceramic, enamel, tin, melamine and textiles.

Register for the show at topdrawer.co.uk.

Camilla Thomas Textiles Katie Leamon

GREETINGS & STATIONERY X31 A premium stationery brand based in London, Katie Leamon is best known for hand-printed cards, yet its range includes pencils, wrapping paper, notebooks & more. The brand reflects founder Katie’s love of typography and design and delivers beautiful, simple designs that evoke a sense of nostalgia.

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CRAFT CR809 Camilla Thomas’s first collection of woven throws and cushions was launched in the Craft section of Top Drawer’s Autumn/Winter in 2017’s edition. For 2018, Camilla will add to her collection three new

designs, each inspired by the seaside. In colours picked out from pebbles, crab shells, seaglass and other flotsam, each unique design is made from soft woollen and sustainable woven fabrics.

SEPTEMBER 2018

BUYING OPPORTUNITIES

Drawer

Eduards Accessories

CAPSULE CP3 Inspired by the architectural patterns and structures that surround us, architect and designer Cecilia Eduards creates beautiful everyday accessories that are made to last. All products are handmade in vegetable-tanned leather by skilled Swedish craftsmen. The natural materials used, such as wood, ceramics and stone, change and become more beautiful with age, while marks from everyday life become part of the story.

Bombay Duck

GIFT C31 Sisters Laura and Steph were inspired by their travels through the Far East to create Bombay Duck in 1993, reflecting the colour and chaos of their travels, combined with a quintessentially British style. Designed in London, the brand’s signature look confidently mixes bright exotic colours, playful patterns, vintage and modern designs with detailed finishing and an element of surprise. The Bombay Duck team brings the same design creativity to all its range, including fashion accessories, homewares, gifts and kids.

Nkuku

GIFT D11 Nkuku works with artisans throughout the world, combining timeless design with traditional skills and natural materials to create beautifully handmade home and lifestyle products. Some 10 years ago Nkuku’s founders Ali and Alex set out on an adventure, travelling the world and coming across talented craftspeople along the way. It inspired them to start working with artisans throughout the world to bring their skills to a wider audience.

SEPTEMBER 2018

Le Typographe

GREETINGS & STATIONERY X39 Passionate about typography, Cédric Chauvelot created his brand Le Typographe in 2009 when he opened a shop in Brussels with a traditional printing press, producing a variety of personalised documents using lead and wooden letters.

A unique collection of stationery followed and today Le Typographe has its own store, a large workshop with six Heidelberg printing presses, and two floors for stock and offices. All the products are handmade in the Brussels workshop.

Light & Living

HOME H-I19 Light & Living is part of Lightmakers, which was founded more than 40 years ago in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. Originally a producer of lampshades, Light & Living knows exactly what good lighting can do for a room. Today, it makes customised lampshades and limited editions by hand in its home country, offering many kinds of decorative lighting and accessories in different styles, as well as having a fixed collection and seasonal collections twice a year.

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dream Living the

For Liz Murray, retailing is much more than just selling stuff. It’s about interacting with customers, nurturing community relationships and celebrating craftsmanship.

IT’S EASY TO find Liz Murray. She’s usually behind the counter of the Murrays’ “cookshop-plus” in Bridge Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed, ready to chat to the steady stream of locals and visitors who come in after having had their eye caught by the attractive window displays. Previously known as The Cookcraft Kitchen Shop, last year’s rebrand sums up Liz’s ethos and inspiration: Cook+Live+Dream.

For Liz, one of the major joys of running an independent business is “having interesting conversations with extraordinary people”, and then maybe selling them something functional and well-designed that will be sincerely valued.

“I’m not very good at social media,” she confesses. “But I am good at explaining why beech and maple are best for heavy-duty chopping boards. Or how to maintain kitchen knives. Or the difference between ‘induction-capable’ and ‘induction-efficient’. Or even how to get the most out of a short visit to this fascinating 900-year-old town.”

Her handsome and deceptively large shop at No 14 is the fourth unit she has run in Bridge Street since she opened her first retail venture at the much smaller No 62 in 2003.

Her entry into the ranks of the independents was caused by circumstances. The principal one was that she, a former academic books editor, and her husband Norman, an IT specialist, found their particular skills were not in hot demand when they moved from London to a seaside village just over the Scottish border from Berwick.

“Originally we were looking for a holiday cottage close to Norman’s family,” Liz explains. “But the hunt led us to a run-down 5-bedroom house crying out for TLC. We started to think our three young sons would have a better childhood experience here than in London. With the arrogance of city folk, we had total faith in our own ability to find work. That turned out to be embarrassingly misguided. We made the move with no jobs lined up and had to find something to do. Hence the cookshop.”

Although Liz claims only a passing interest in cooking, she does have a passion for provenance, and the social and cultural aspects of food. Right from the start she had a clear vision of what she wanted to sell. It was out of that vision that the original Cookcraft name sprang.

“We are the products of specific environments,” says Liz. “As a species generally, but more locally in particular, cultures evolved out of the resources available in the landscape and the human ingenuity to harness them. We eat certain foods in a certain way because that’s how we could most effectively farm, fish, preserve, store and transport them.

Cooking tools are therefore not random. They have been evolved - crafted - over centuries to do specific jobs with specific resources. That’s exactly why British bakeware, Italian pasta machines, Spanish paellas, for example, are always going to be far superior in performance to a cheap copy made elsewhere. Modern technologies are great for

THE BIG INTERVIEW

innovation and improving manufacturing processes, but we should be wary about using it for mass production of poorly-made tools that make us all less adept at the basic task of cooking.”

Quality, craftsmanship and being fit for purpose were thus the cornerstones of The Cookcraft when it launched.

By 2006, the success of the initial shop prompted Liz and Norman to move into a unit at No 16 Bridge Street, which was 15% larger.

They bought the freehold as a financially prudent move. “It had a different feel to our first small place, which we’d kitted out with DIY shelving and second-hand fittings. We designed the new space to give it the more polished look of a department store’s kitchen section.”

Within three years, further expansion was required, which saw the pair renovate a small unit about 60 yards away at the end of the street.

This was devoted solely to tableware, but it never really gained traction and it taught Liz one or two things about herself.

“That little shop didn’t really have a life of its own. I employed a manageress but I was always popping down there myself with a customer from the larger shop. It proved to me that I cannot employ people. What I do is unique because, well, it’s me sitting here.”

A final blow came when she overheard a passerby complaining “Does Berwick really need two kitchen shops?” It was painful, but it reinforced Liz’s philosophy that “if customers don’t understand something, and it irritates rather than intrigues them, it isn’t working.”

So in 2010 Liz converted a storeroom at number 16 into retail space, absorbing the tabletop items back into the cookshop.

The next couple of years were a period of consolidation but in 2013 the much larger shop next door at No 14 came on to the market and the opportunity was too good to miss.

It is difficult to imagine today’s quirky, eclectic Cook+Live+Dream as “a damp shell”, but that is Liz’s description for the premises she set about renovating almost single-handedly. Her evenings and Sundays were spent gutting the place, pulling up manky carpets, sanding ancient panelling, polishing cement and restructuring the interior using salvaged wood from old pew benches and barn doors. She uncovered large sash windows and sections of walls dating back to medieval times. She adopted a pragmatic approach and knew when she had done enough: “You don’t pick a fight with an old building.”

After months of renovation, in September 2013 Liz opened No 14 as a “vintage consortium” of about 10 traders. As well as running the cookshop, and the collective, Liz started an upcycling business of her own called The Silver Treehouse, which traded within No 14. By the end of 2016 it was time for another change.

“Intuition has always been my best guide

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– independent retailers need to be intuitive, I think – and I was a bit ahead of the curve in Berwick with the idea of a collective, but, in reality, it was always going to have a relatively short life. Though it was great fun, it was harder than herding cats and towards the end, too much stuff looked like it came from a car boot sale, so I brought it to a close.”

Things slotted into place in January 2017 as the Murrays sold No 16 and moved the cookshop into No 14, merging it with Liz’s Silver Treehouse business selling locally-sourced crafts and her own upcycled furniture. With the wide front of the shop connected to the narrower back of the premises by a few wooden steps, there is a natural division between the core, comprehensive cookware offer and the home-themed lifestyle product area towards the back. Bays that were constructed for the collective traders now make useful mini-rooms where Liz can exercise her visual merchandising skills with furniture, textiles, soaps, candles, china – even a pump organ and piano, both in working order and contributing to the interactive “at-home” feel Liz promotes.

The experience of buying something lovely should be memorable and fun, so independents always have the edge As well as seeing her own business develop organically since 2003, Liz has witnessed Bridge Street develop at a similar rate. At the end of the street is the early 17th-century stone bridge that spans the Tweed, so for centuries Bridge Street was the main route to and from the south. Today it’s a thriving mix of long-established indies, such as The Green Shop that has been selling eco-friendly products for 25 years, a musical instrument shop and a bicycle retailer of similar vintage, plus newer arrivals like galleries and restaurants, interior designers, a Polish convenience store, a second-hand bookshop and even a hand-made paper shop.

“When we opened here in 2003, we didn’t have any idea that Bridge Street was going to see this extraordinary resurgence. But with a mixture of creative individuals and heritage investment, the street has become a destination.”

That turn of events has underlined to Liz the importance of sticking to her principles. Despite evolving the business, the fundamentals of what

she does have not changed in 15 years. Her cookshop is not the place to go looking for “designer” brands; Liz prefers to find interesting, less ubiquitous suppliers that can offer, for want of a better word, integrity.

So, Liz is delighted to have a display cabinet of Wusthof knives from Germany, the largest of which costs £125: “I might sell only one or two of those large knives a year, but I love having them in my shop as I care deeply about the quality they offer. The important thing for me is not the price, it’s the value.”

A favourite supplier from nearer home is The Hare In Winter, which comprises the husbandand-wife team of Peter and Nicola Coulter, based in Northumberland. Peter is a woodcarver who makes unique kitchen items from reclaimed wood, while Nicola, a textile designer, creates charming table linens and cushions. With a small cherrywood paddle-board retailing at £22 and a tablecloth at £48, these are not at the budget end of the market, but they are hardly expensive for hand-crafted goods of such quality.

After her short stint with two shops, Liz has no desire to employ anyone else, so she and Norman are the entire staff. She has the creative vision; he manages the finances. Norman comes into the shop for two days, while Liz handles the other four. Very unusually, the pair took a holiday earlier this year and rather than closing the shop, they handed it over to Nicola and Peter Coulter for a week. Sales were pretty good, Liz confirms.

There is no EPOS system for the business and Liz admits that she rarely promotes the shop.

She prefers word-of-mouth. Previously very active with the Bridge Street Traders’ Association, Liz now takes a back seat. She has also cut down her visits to trade shows, partly due to the cost – “a day trip to a show at the NEC would easily cost me £400, which I’d rather spend on stock” – but partly due to a desire to maintain a bit of distance from the industry hurly-burly.

What she does value greatly, however, are the information, advice and friendship she receives from reps and agents who come to see her. “I do need fresh stuff coming into the shop and good salespeople have unparalleled knowledge.

Because they have visited all of us regularly, they know how different I am to cookshops in, say, Durham, Newcastle, Kelso or Edinburgh, so they bring me something that is relevant to me. I am concerned that the bigger names are gobbling up smaller suppliers and we are losing these vital personal relationships.”

Although she has a web presence, Liz wouldn’t consider a transactional website: “This is a contra-internet shop. You couldn’t find 70% of my stuff on the internet. I am a believer in the spontaneous interactive theatre of bricks-andmortar shopping. The experience of buying something lovely should be memorable and fun.

That’s why independents always have the edge.”

SEPTEMBER 2018

Portrait photographer: Paul Driver. Shop photographer: Eric Musgrave

THE BIG INTERVIEW

Liz Murray did most of the refurbishment and repair work to No 14 Bridge Street herself. Split across the front area near the door and a raised area running to the back of the shop, the recycled feel reflect's Liz's The Silver Tree upcycling furniture business and complements the ethos of the cookshop itself

SEPTEMBER 2018

COOK+LIVE +DREAM 14 Bridge Street, Berwick-uponTweed, Northumberland TD15 1AQ Established: 2003. In current shop: 2017 Size of store: about 1,300sq ft on two levels Staff: Owners Liz and Norman Murray Opening hours: Mon-Sat 9.30am to 5pm Brands include: Bakeware: Silverwood (80% of offering), Chicago Metallic, Gobel, Tala. For hire: Invicta, Nordicware, Silverwood, Wilton. Tools & gadgets: Dexam, Eddingtons, Kuhn Rikon, Metaltex, Microplane, PHA, Tescoma, Zyliss.

Woodware: Eddingtons, ICTC, T&G Woodware, The Hare in Winter. Hobtop: Beka, Kuhn Rikon, Scanpan. Knives: Wusthof, Kuhn Rikon, Opinel, Scanpan, Victorinox, Furi. Mills: Cole and Mason, T&G Woodware, Zassenhaus. Textiles: Ulster Weavers, The British Textile Company.

Functional fun: Charles Viancin, New Soda. “Kitchen icons”: Atlas Marcato pasta makers, Bialetti hobtop espresso makers, Chasseur cast iron, Emile Henry ovento-table-ware, Kilner preserving jars, Mauviel copper; Rosti bowls. bira member since: 2007  cook-live-dream.co.uk  cookcraftkitchen.co.uk

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The challenging complexity of change, choice & compliance Cash used to be king. Now some retailers don’t even take cash. More regulations about payments are on the way. Here Paul Rodgers, chairman of payments organisation Vendorcom, gives an overview of the state of play and advises bira members – be prepared for more change Simple Beginnings When I set Vendorcom up as a solutions vendor community back in 2003, I couldn’t have envisaged the change that has come about in how we pay. Back then, the single biggest change to affect consumer payments in the past 40 years had just been announced and, as a competitive free-for-all got underway, I rather optimistically hoped we’d see a more collaborative vendor community delivering chip & PIN solutions in a way that merchants could easily deploy.

With some success, we saw the main influ-

MAKE A DASH FOR IT Don’t delay - share your thoughts on cryptocurrencies with Dash4Business, the team leading the project “Dash Uptake by UK Businesses”.

Dash is a digital currency gearing up for general business adoption, with instant transactions and low costs.

Dash, which sponsored bira’s Future Payments panel at its annual conference on 10 May, wants to hear more. What do you know about cryptocurrencies? Would you like to learn more? Are you interested in a free integration of Dash into your online sales?

Stuart Bean, leading the project, says: “We have a

20

encers coming together to clarify the business case to merchants and establish a pretty clear route map and realistic timeframe for change.

Looking back it all seems like a relatively smooth transition, particularly when we compare our experiences to those in the rest of the world, particularly the US, whose fragmented payments community has delivered the most appalling customer experience.

Chip & PIN was just the start of a proliferation of change in the payments arena, seeing PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data

group of jewellers in the UK who have integrated Dash into their business and we are looking for merchants in the UK who want to get ahead of the game. While it is early days for cryptocurrencies, integrating Dash into your business could offer a fast and cheaper way of doing business and attract a new customer base. We are keen to know the views of independent retailers in the UK and three lucky survey respondents will win a Dash prize”.

If you want to know more about the project, visit www.Dash4Business.co.uk and see information about DashBack - a customer incentivisation scheme launched in June.

So Dash to it and fill in the survey at https:// www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Dashbirasurvey.

Security Standard) and its various derivatives (2005/6), contactless (2007/8) and mobile payments (2009/10) all coming in quick succession. Despite the challenges faced in both meeting the new compliance requirements and deploying more innovative payment channels, some relief resulted from all this change being delivered through the same extended payments supply chain of card scheme, issuer, acquirer and POS/payment hardware provider. You knew who to ask; the model was roughly the same. Don’t expect that in future!

The last five years has been remarkably change-free. I can already hear the gasps of incredulity from bira members: “Changefree?”. I say that only because most merchants have been catching up and applying incremental change, consolidating the innovations of 10-plus years ago. Of course, bitcoin and cryptocurrencies raised their heads above the parapet, but they’ve taken no real part in credible, everyday consumer payments.

Faster payments, launched 10 years ago, doesn’t figure at front-of-store or even online in the UK, unlike many European neighbours.

Other “direct-to-bank-account” payment methods like PAYM and Pay by Bank App have languished as technically possible solutions but continue to crawl along the x-axis in most graphs. For the most part, so-called “innovations” like card-based mobile payments should simply be looked at as a heavy-metaland-glass replacement for 5gm of plastic. We’ve SEPTEMBER 2018

PAYMENTS SYSTEM

also toyed with new authentication methods – PIN on glass and biometrics - but passwords still prevail.

But, change has been bubbling in the background and is about to be unleashed with all the hype that we came to enjoy in the GDPR-mania of the past 12 months. The many merchants that have joined the now not-so-aptly-named Vendorcom are preparing for that change.

Prepare for Change Alongside the fintech bubble, we now have unprecedented regulatory change. The setup of the UK Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) three years ago has unleashed a fundamental shift in the UK payments landscape with the launch of the New Payment System Operator (NPSO). The PSR is embarking on a review of the card payments system with a consultation that everyone should get involved in now open.

Their review of access to cash and the ATM market will be important in the cash debate.

The recent HM Treasury call for evidence in the cash and digital transactions market exposed the limited perspective of policy setting bodies in the UK. The European Banking Authority has drafted new regulations on

the need to use multifactor authentication for online and remote transactions. These were approved in March this year and that will come into force in September 2019. Most merchants are unaware of these changes, their solutions providers are only just gearing up now, access to accurate information is sketchy - but it’s as big as the chip & PIN rollout with one third of the time to prepare and an immovable implementation date. The wider changes of the second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) will have a fundamental impact in the longer term but, for most retailers today, I’d advise not getting too distracted by the hype!

and you’ll have success when introducing new payment solutions.

I’m encouraged that bira has been putting payments centre-stage this year and I will continue to work closely to ensure that bira members have access to the information to support sound business analysis of the opportunities that the future of payments offers. I would welcome your thoughts as we seek to explore some of the topics raised here in future issues.

At Vendorcom we’re committed to searching out the most up to date, reliable, independent information on the payments sector to share it with our members – whether they’re solutions vendors, larger merchants or the trade associations of small and independent merchants.

For any independent retailers who are interested (and have the time) to get a bit more into the payments arena, you can join Vendorcom for free. See venordom.com for more details.

Change is about to be unleashed with all the hype that we came to enjoy in the GDPRmania of the past 12 months

Staying informed Please don’t think you can just lie back and let the change come to you. Few, if any, small businesses can afford to be first in adopting new technology but, equally, they can’t risk being left behind. Be a well-informed fast follower

Four benefits to start using today As a bira member, you have access to benefits that are typically only available to bigger businesses. Make the most of your membership by checking you are using the four services below:

Legal support

Unlimited support and advice on employment law & HR, health & safety, tax & VAT and commercial & general law. Visit bira.co.uk/bira-legal for the numbers to call

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Preferential rates usually reserved for big businesses with average member savings of £516*

Specialist retail insurance

Insurance that’s designed for independent retailers. Let us know your renewal month at bira.co.uk/bira-insurance and you’ll receive a quote prior to your renewal

To start using these services contact the membership team or visit the website 0121 446 6688 opt. 1 membership@bira.co.uk bira.co.uk

Business banking

30% cheaper tariffs than standard business banking*, plus next day crediting when using card processing service

*T&C’s available at bira.co.uk/card-banking-savings bira membership ad A5 - existing members - Sept BMM.indd 1

SEPTEMBER 2018

03/08/2018 11:27:14

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AUTUMN TRADE SHOWS 2018

Great Southern Exhibition

Great Northern Show

Wednesday 5 September (12pm - 9pm) Maidstone Exhibition Hall, Kent Event Centre, Kent Showground ME14 3JF

Thursday 20th September (1pm - 9pm) Leeds United Football Ground, Centenary Pavilion, Elland Rd, Leeds LS11 0ES

Great London & Home Counties Exhibition

Toolbank Autumn Show Ireland

th

Tuesday 11th September (12pm - 8pm) Hendon Air Museum, Grahame Park Way, Hendon, London NW9 5LL

Tuesday 25th September (2pm - 9pm) Armagh City Hotel, 2 Friary Road, Armagh, County Armagh BT60 4FR

VISIT WWW.TOOLBANKB2B.COM TO SEE US IN ACTION AT OUR TRADE SHOWS

30,000 PRODUCTS ONE DAY ONLY DEALS LATEST PRODUCTS

OVER 250 HIGH PROFILE BRANDS FREE HOSPITALITY & ON-SITE PARKING

MARKETING SUPPORT & ONLINE SERVICES

Have you had your invitation? If not please contact your local branch, sales representative, email b2binfo@toolbank.com or call 01322 321460

COUNTERPOINT / DOGHOUSE DANNY

When trading runs from cold to hot From the new Ice Age to the heatwave, Doghouse Danny has had some interesting times in his northern pet shop this year. Now he’s (almost) ready for Christmas WOW, WHAT WEATHER! While we baked in the soaring record temperatures it was hard to believe that only a few months ago here in the north-east we were struggling to cope with the worst snowfalls for many years. The late snow brought things to a standstill as drifts towered above the machinery endeavouring to clear them. Despite the sterling efforts of our council workers and local farmers with snow-blowing attachments fitted to their tractors, roads were no sooner made passable than they were blocked again by wind whipping up fresh drifts from the already-lying snow and, of course, fresh falls.

Fortunately two of my staff and I live within walking distance of the shop, so we braved the elements each day to trudge to work even though it felt more like an Antarctic expedition to open up for any of our brave-hearted customers who could make it into town for supplies.

Then I remembered – snow shovels. I had a good number of them left over from a few years ago at my warehouse only 10 minutes’ walk from the shop – that’s 10 minutes under normal circumstances. So off we set and what seemed like hours later my wife, son and I were on our way back to the shop carrying as many shovels as we could manage over our shoulders. We must have looked like three of the Seven Dwarfs on a mission. People who were out laughed and some even bought a snow shovel before we got to the shop.

Within 20 minutes or our return we had sold what we had brought along, so yes, you’ve guessed it, off we go again! We sold out of our snow shovels in one day.

The snow gave us an interesting, although very quiet, period. Customers who did manage to get to us seemed to appreciate our efforts. It’s all about customer service.

One thing did make me laugh. The phone rang and a voice asked:

SEPTEMBER 2018

“Are you delivering as we are snowed in and can’t get to town.” “I think you’ve just answered your own question,” I replied. “Oh, yes, so how are you going to get to us,” the voice said, followed by laughter. I do, however, have a 4x4 as well as my van, so I was able to get some deliveries out.

Then came the summer. What a contrast. We are not used to or geared up for the temperatures we have had of late. I am not complaining as I like the heat although I am not too keen on working in it some days. And my grass has hardly needed cutting this year – what a bonus!

Whether we love or loath the heat, we must not forget the effect it can have on our pets and our wildlife. Plenty of water should be left out for birds, hedgehogs and the like. I heard an interesting discussion about when it is best to exercise your dog when it is so hot. A thought worth remembering is, a dog won’t die through lack of exercise but it could die from heat exhaustion.

On the plus side, the heatwave has led to a boost in sales of cooling products especially for dogs. Sales for cooling mats, cooling coats and toys that can be soaked in water, frozen and given as a cooling treat have soared this year.

On the plus side, the heatwave has boosted sales of cooling mats, cooling coats and toys that can be soaked in water, frozen and given as a cooling treat to dogs

Generally, it is debateable if warmer weather is good for trade. Being in a countryside location that is near the coast, we get a lot of tourists all year round. Firstly we have the school summer holidays bringing families in abundance, then there are the couples and older folk who tend to arrive after the schoolS go back. But with beautiful beaches, many castles and other attractions, many tourists take advantage of the good weather to visit these and leave the town and shopping for dull or wet days.

As the end of the main holiday season approaches, it will soon be, dare I say it, Christmas. The seasonal stock orders placed earlier in the year are due to start arriving in October, when it will be time to start moving everything around again to make space for it all - much of which we won’t recall having ordered.

Every year we say the same thing: “I’m sure we didn’t order this much. Where are we going to put it all?” Yet somehow we always manage to find space. As we get ready for the onslaught, I’ll say, here’s to a prosperous late summer period and a good autumn-winter for all bira members.

Now, do I order more snow shovels?

Have your say Would you like to share your views and experiences with the bira community? We welcome contributions like Doghouse Danny’s.

You can write under your own name or under a pseudonym. You can contribute regularly or occasionally. If you are interested, please email editorial@ bira.co.uk

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TELFORD 23-24 September 201 8

The UK’s National Pet Trade Event

Free entry Free parking Over 200 exhibitors Free show catalogue Thousands of products

All the brands under one roof Register for FREE entry Simply visit our website or call the hotline on 01892 862848

www.patshow.co.uk

HOME & GIFT REVIEW

Business as usual

Despite challenging trading conditions, both exhibitors and visitors were in positive mood at the Home and Gift Buyers Festival in Harrogate on 15-18 July.

“THERE ARE FEWER independent buyers here, but the ones we have seen are optimistic.

The ones who have made their store a destination are not finding things so tough,” said Paul Hooker, commercial director of Manchesterbased giftware distributor Joe Davies. The company, which celebrates its centenary next year, had one of the largest stands at the show and was offering at least 2,500 new products.

As a first-time exhibitor, we were very pleased with the show as we found the northern-based stockists we came looking for Ian Wells, Beautifully Handcrafted In Cornwall

A satisfied first-time exhibitor was Ian Wells of Beautifully Handcrafted in Cornwall, a producer of environmentally-sensitive wax candles and diffusers. With wife Liz, Ian offers independents the opportunity to stock the products under their own label. “We don’t charge any extra for this ‘white labelling’ design service as

we are looking for long-term relationships with out stockists,” he said.

“We have been very pleased with the reaction at Harrogate. We found the northern stockists we came for and we have already re-booked for the next show.”

Among buyers, Chris and Debbie Beards of Mantons Cards on the Isle of Man (see p13) were making their first visit to the long-established show in the Yorkshire spa town and Chris liked what they saw: “As we hadn’t been before, we didn’t know what to expect, but we were glad we had devoted three days to it. There was a lot to interest us, both in cards and more importantly gifts.”

With 18 years’ experience at the event, Robert Britton, area sales manager for East Anglia and the East Midlands for Portmeirion Group, summed up the show: “It has been a challenging year for all retailers and they are being a bit more selective and more clever in their buying.

The ones with a good EPOS system are homing in on what they know has performed. Footfall was OK, but you never see the crowds that used to attend shows. We were pleased with the quality of the buyers.”

Smart steps to protect data In its latest piece, online expert Vend lists ways you can protect against hackers and fraudsters.

1. Beef up physical security Failing to secure equipment may lead to tampering and leave you vulnerable to breaches.

To prevent that, be sure to: lR egularly inspect your POS equipment and credit card terminals for any signs of tampering. lE nsure your POS, card terminal and screens are positioned for maximum privacy. l I nvest in surveillance. This will allow you to monitor store activities 24-7 and will give you recordings you can revisit if necessary.

2. Secure your store network You’ve worked hard to safeguard your hardware and software; now it’s time to ensure your store’s SEPTEMBER 2018

network is also protected. Here’s how to do it: lR un your POS system on a separate network from guest Wi-Fi. lA void using a network name that would easily identify your store. lH ave your network audited on a regular basis to prevent remote access.

3. Keep your software and apps in check Applications and software can certainly help you run your business better, but if they’re not managed properly, they can leave you vulnerable to data breaches and hacks. To avoid that: lK eep your programs updated. The newest version of an app or solution contains the most updated features and security measures, so it’s less vulnerable to hacks and breaches. lU ninstall programs or plugins you’re no longer using - fewer apps means less risk of attacks. lK eep your devices safe from viruses, worms,

and malware by installing an antivirus program.

4. Ensure your staff uphold your security standards Your employees play an important part in upholding retail security, so see to it that they’re knowledgeable and well-trained in keeping your store secure. Here are a few tips: lT rain your employees on your store’s security practices and policies. l I f you have several employees, create separate IDs and login information for each person to get into your POS and other programs.

Data security isn’t something you can just “set and forget”. Technologies and standards are constantly evolving, and there’s always a new threat to security. The best way to stay secure is to constantly keep an eye on your business and the industry.

25

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SEPTEMBER 2018

PATS TELFORD PREVIEW

Animal magic On 23-24 September the pets industry will be heading to PATS Telford to see a massive selection of new products and old favourites from more than 200 exhibitors. Here we give a small preview of the biggest edition in its 10-year history Poppy’s Picnic

(Stand H11) Making its PATS debut this season, Poppy’s Picnic, the Wiltshire-based raw dog food company, has entered three of its products in the show’s celebrated New Product Awards. The natural dog food is prepared by hand by 4th-generation butchers and frozen for convenience. Its entries are: Complete Meatballs (in Chicken & Bone, Lamb & Bone and Beef & Bone flavours); Enhanced Mince, which includes a herbal supplement to support immunity, joints, digestion and energy levels; and Puppy Expert Follow-On Paste, in a chicken recipe, which fills the gap for a product between the mother’s milk and adult food.

DermOpt

(Stand: B59) Many bira members are dog groomers and the grooming seminars at PATS Telford are always popular. Among the exhibitors targeting grooming salons is Perfect Pet Skin, which collaborates with Dr Harley Farmer. At PATS it will unveil The DermOpt Dog Grooming Kit, which includes one each of the best-selling, highly-effective and proven products: 500ml Shampoo, 500ml Coat Care Spray, 500ml Foam Dog Wash, one pack of 56 Cleansing Wipes and 500ml Anti-bacterial Foam Hand Rub. Special deals are available to PATS visitors, including the opportunity to purchase the products at trade discounts of up to 25% with no minimum order or commitment.

Laughing Cat by Fold Hill Foods

(Stand R43) Building on the success of its Laughing Dog range, Lincolnshire-based Fold Hill Foods is introducing Laughing Cat this season. Ovenbaked on its family-run site in Boston, the limited-ingredient recipes, in both fish and turkey flavours, are free from added grains, cereals, gluten, soya, dairy and sugar, as well as having no added artificial colours. The range will be available in 375g recyclable bags. Strongly backing the natural pet food trend, Fold Hill is one of the few manufacturers in the UK to oven-bake its entire range of dry food.

Norfolk Industries

Scruffs

(Stand B6) Supplier support is greatly valued by indie retailers and pet bedding specialist Scruffs does better than many in this area. Its dedicated display packages and new FSDUs (free-standing display units) earned it Pet Product Marketing’s Retailer

Recommended Awards 2018 for POS & Shop Fitting of the Year. Across the range, Scruffs offers 14 FSDUs for both function- and fashion-based products, including pet mattresses, blankets and drying mats. This year, in time for the heatwave, the company added a Cooling collection.

Unipet International

(Stand E5) Once regarded as a winter activity, feeding wild birds is now enthusiastically done all-year-round. Some 73% of those who put out feed do so because they enjoy seeing the birds in their garden; it is a super way for families to reconSEPTEMBER 2018

nect with nature. Responding to customers’ requests, Unipet, Europe’s leading suet wild bird food manufacturer, has introduced a 150-bulk box filled with its new Sunflower Suet Balls. They contain kibbled sunflower hearts and are a bright yellow colour that is attractive to many wild birds.

(Stand H21) Environmental responsibility is a hot topic in the pets industry. Norfolk Industries has embraced the trend with its new plastic-free bedding products for small animals. Including paper flakes, recycled paper and cotton bedding, these products are sold in paper bags, with paper labels and so contain no plastic or polythene.

Petlife International

(Stand E40) Pets are increasingly included on a family’s Christmas present list. For this year, Petlife International has designed three seasonal options of its Vetbed. Its stand is likely to be a jolly location as the company is celebrating 25 years in business in 2018. As usual, discounts on certain lines will be available at the event.

27

Product news September

JML’s Finishing Touch for a flawless face

Comfort and maximum mobility from Snickers Workwear

On-trend lunch boxes from Black + Blum

The new comfort fabrics woven into Snickers Workwear’s latest designs for trousers, jackets, rainwear and accessories deliver enhanced freedom of movement as well as improved ventilation and close-quarter mobility. The clothes, such as the Workwear 6241 Comfort Stretch Work Trousers and the 2880 FZ Hoodie seen here with the Solid Gear Phoenix GTX Safety Boots, have a slimmer tailored fit for better allround looks and protection against snagging.

Snickers remains the optimal choice for craftsmen and women who need to get the job done.

Trend agency Scarlet Opus has recognised Black + Blum’s award-winning stainless-steel on-the-go collection as part of its Eco 2.0 trend for 2019, highlighting environmental awareness by the consumer. Black + Blum’s lunchboxes, food flasks and water bottles were praised for being perfectly designed. The stainless-steel lunch box here is the hero product, being 100% plastic-free. It is the first completely leakproof stainless-steel lunch box on the market. It can also be used as an oven dish to bake in or a storage container for frozen meals.

01484 854788 info@snickersworkwear.co.uk snickersworkwear.co.uk

020 7633 0022 sales@black-blum.com

The Finishing Touch Flawless is JML’s bestselling product of the year, with nearly 1m units sold since March. With its 18-caratgold-plated hypo-allergenic head, the facial hair remover looks like a lipstick so it can be used anywhere, anytime. Dermatologist-approved, it provides instant and painless results, with no redness or irritation. Its slim, discreet design, including an inbuilt light, and its high-tech, precision micro-blade technology enhances a flawless face, every day. The RRP is £19.99.

07776 145916 James.Thompson@jmlgroup.co.uk

Battery-operated LED lights The Tri Bright battery-operated LED lights from JML take “stick-anywhere” puck lights to the next level. With no wires and no installation needed, they are fully remotecontrolled and include a dimmer and a timer function. Just press the timer button on the included remote control and they’ll all turn off after 30 minutes. Ideal for saving battery life, they work as a great night light for kids or adults. The RRP is £19.99.

07776 145916 James.Thompson@jmlgroup.co.uk

If You Care = quality with integrity If You Care kitchen and household products from Eddingtons are deliberately crafted to have the least environmental impact and the lightest carbon footprint possible, while simultaneously delivering the highest quality. All products are made from sustainable, renewable or recyclable resources, and so are FSC-certified and compostable. With no added chlorines or toxins, the packaging is made from unbleached Totally Chlorine-Free (TCF) or Processed Chlorine-Free (PCF) cardboard with only vegetablebased inks for printing and non-toxic glues for fastening. All claims are backed by third-party

28

certifications. The range includes baking cups, parchment papers, coffee filters, sandwich bags, aluminium foil, sponge cloths, rubber gloves, food waste bags and firelighters.

01488 686572 sales@eddingtons.co.uk

SEPTEMBER 2018

Would bira members like your products?

CONTACT SIMONE ADAMS ON 0121 446 6688 EXT 259 OR EMAIL SIMONE.ADAMS@BIRA.CO.UK

The advanced Copper Stone Pan Using cutting-edge non-stick technology, JML has created Copper Stone Pans, a range with unparalleled heat distribution with class-leading levels of durability and scratch-resistance.

Beautiful copper toning and finish, and a handsculpted, wood-styled Bakelite handle, gives Copper Stone Pans a professional, high-quality look that will wow family, friends and guests.

There are frying pans in three sizes, plus a wok and a griddle pan. The RRP for the range run from £19.99 to £29.99.

07776 145916 James.Thompson@jmlgroup.co.uk

Toast in 60 seconds with the Turbo Toaster

The Kenwood Turbo Toaster is so fast, toast is ready in just 60 seconds. Its Turbo Toasting patented technology makes it twice as fast as a regular toaster. This Kenwood appliance comes with a matching kettle that looks great and boils a 1-cup measure in just 60 seconds too to make breakfast a very speedy affair.

0844 800 8055 sally@epeinternational.com

Kenwood Duos bridge the Kenwood Chef generations

ActiFry Genius XL gives delicious low-fat results

The Kenwood Duos campaign aimed to make the Kenwood Chef relevant to a new audience.

Cross-generational duos tell their personal stories and share recipes that focus on the appliance’s faithful service over many years. Influential advocates and their relatives ensured different target group were hit. For an older demographic, Raymond Blanc was featured with his son Oli. To engage a younger audience, Binky “Made In Chelsea” Felstead and her mother Jane appeared. Micro influencer Milly Millbank and her mother Jane engaged an online audience of foodies.

Add ingredients to the Tefal ActiFry Genius XL’s bowl, choose one of nine automatic cooking programmes and this smart healthy fryer does the rest. It sets the temperature and cooking time, and even knows when to stir. The programmes cover Chips, Rolls, Breaded Snacks, Meat & Vegetable Balls, Battered Snacks, Chicken, Desserts, plus two “1-meal-in-1-go” programmes, Wok andWorld Cuisine. All of this can be done with little to no oil, thanks to Tefal Dual Motion technology that combines hot air circulation and a stirring paddle to deliver perfect results.

0844 800 8055 / sally@epeinternational.com

0844 800 8055 / sally@epeinternational.com

Personalising the bean to cup service with De'Longhi Dinamica

The De’Longhi Dedica impresses the coffee taster at Which?

Coffee lovers can create their perfect personalised drink at the touch of a button, with the new De’Longhi Dinamica bean to cup range (ECAM350.75.Silver and ECAM350.35.

White). Whether an espresso, flat white, skinny latte or creamy cappuccino, the new Dinamica range delivers the perfect barista style coffee every time. The top of the range, ECAM350.75.

Silver option features the “LatteCrema” System

by De’Longhi, which combines stylish design and technical expertise to create the perfect creamy cappuccino with dense milk foam at the ideal temperature.

“The Dedica’s espresso was rated highly by our expert coffee taster. He found it had a pleasing richness and thickness to the brew. The cappuccino was also very good. The milk was heated to the right temperature, with plenty of bubbles, resulting in an overall very pleasing drink.” That is how consumer magazine Which? summed up the De’Longhi Dedica Style EC685, which is designed for people who love making coffee the traditional way but don’t have the space in their home or worpkplace for a large ground-coffee machine.

0844 800 8055 / sally@epeinternational.com

SEPTEMBER 2018

0844 800 8055 sally@epeinternational.com

29

DON’T GET CAUGHT OUT

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Everything you will have to pay is clearly presented on your service schedule and Global Payments will answer all of your questions about your fees, so there are no nasty surprises when your bill arrives each month.

As well as being clear on pricing you’ll also get access to other membership benefits should you switch to Global Payments including:

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS No separate authorisation fees

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Terminal rental fees waived for the first 3 months if you’re new to Global Payments

LOOKING TO SWITCH? Give Global Payments a call on 0800 731 8921** quoting BIRA

*Maximum limit applies, call 0121 446 6688 opt.1 for more information. **Lines are open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday except Bank Holidays Global Payments is HSBC’s preferred supplier for card processing in the UK. Global Payments is a trading name of GPUK LLP. GPUK LLP is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2009 (504290) for the provision of payment services and under the Consumer Credit Act (714439) for the undertaking of terminal rental agreements.

GPUK LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England number OC337146. Registered Office: 51 De Montfort Street, Leicester, LE1 7BB. The members are Global Payments U.K. Limited and Global Payments U.K. 2 Limited. Service of any documents relating to the business will be effective if served at the Registered Office.

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Festive offers to maximise your Xmas sales and profits The membership magazine of the British Independent Retailers Association Published 10 times a year by bira publishing Editor Eric Musgrave 07702 628848 eric@ericmusgrave.co.uk Design Alan Bingle 07949 024737 alan@forty6design.com PA, senior communications & PR officer Kate Godber 0121 446 3730 kate.godber@bira.co.uk Multimedia sales executive Simone Adams 0121 446 6688 Ext 259 simone.adams@bira.co.uk All advertising and editorial enquiries editorial@bira.co.uk Printed by Stephens & George, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales

bira, 225 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7UB Tel 0121 446 6688 Fax 0121 446 5215 www.bira.co.uk bira national president 2018-19 Surinder Josan, All Seasons DIY, Smethwick CEO Alan Hawkins CEO-Designate Andrew Goodacre Finance director Beverley Long Commercial director Jeff Moody Membership & marketing director Bob Jarrett

bira membership magazine incorporates bira alert, Hardware Today, Cookshop, Housewares & Tabletop and Pet Product Focus. If you would like to reproduce anything from bira member magazine, please contact the editorial team for permission.

While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the material we publish, bira publishing cannot accept legal liability for any errors or omissions, nor can they accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers or contributors. Unless specifically stated, goods or services mentioned are not formally endorsed by bira. Views of the contributors are not necessarily those of bira.

All rights reserved. © 2018

SEPTEMBER 2018

While you are likely to have planned your Christmas windows already (we know some members plan a year in advance), there is always an opportunity to hone your skills.

Buying & Merchandising The Buying & Merchandising course encourages participants to think about what they buy, how they buy it, and how to minimise lost sales. By reducing markdowns, improving sales and stock turn, you can improve the return on investment.

This course re-visits the principles for identifying which products to buy (including styles and quantity) and enables you to focus on your key suppliers to enhance profit margins and reduce Visual Merchandising markdowns.

The Visual Merchandising course looks at how you Who should attend: Owners, managers, buyers and display products in your window and in-store. merchandisers You’ll revisit the principles of visual merCourse fee: £165+VAT chandising as well as learning practical (Non-bira members: £210+VAT) Festive offer tips and tricks on how to dress displays.

Date: Wednesday 10 October 2018 Save a further Venue: bira, 225 Bristol Road, This one-day programme focuses on 15% when you Birmingham, B5 7UB designing window displays to stop and book both attract customers, how to dress props and shelves so they stand out, and how to Says Michelle Sackett, of The LBD Boutique, Stow-on-the-Wold, optimise shop floor displays to increase sales. who attended the Visual Merchandising Who should attend: Owners, managers and visual course: “All the topics were useful and I took merchandisers some really good advice and display tips from Course fee: £195+VAT the course. Even though I’ve been retailing since (Non-bira members: £230+VAT) 2007, it was still good to get a refresher and revisit Date: Tuesday 9 October 2018 the topics we covered. Also, it is always nice to Venue: bira, 225 Bristol Road, speak with other retailers outside of fashion Birmingham, B5 7UB and pick up extra ideas from them.”

BIRA TRAINING, THE experienced team offering high-quality and cost-effective programmes specifically designed for small- to medium-sized independent retailers, has two one-day seminars coming up in October. The seminars will help you to maximise your festive displays, as well as improve your buying skills ahead of the autumn exhibitions. Plus, there’s a special offer when you book both!

Welcome the newest members to our bira community Accademia Italiana, Marlow, Bucks; Alive and Dirty, Liverpool; Andaa Home, Sheffield, Yorks; Any Old Iron, Aberdeen; Aziz Supermarket, Birmingham, West Midlands; Babbling on Limited, Maidenhead, Berks; Bocchinelli, Kingsbridge, Devon; Bona, Milton Keynes, Bucks; Booze Express, Halifax, Yorks; Boundless Blooms, Bradford-on-Avon, Wilts; Brookes, Marlow and Wendover, Bucks; Caudle Building Supplies, Ware, Herts; Claygate Interiors, Esher, Surrey; Dunbar Value, Dunbar, East Lothian; Elite Aesthetics by Tyra, Derby; Elmers Hardware, Ipswich, Suffolk; Evenlode DIY, Witney, Oxon; F&I Watkins & Sons, Dymock, Glos; First Choice Hardware, London N4; Food City, Middlesbrough, Cleveland; Froggy’s Fashion, Wadebridge, Cornwall; Geminera, Weybridge, Surrey; Gill Lewis, Hundleton, Pembrokeshire; Goodacres, Lytham St Annes, Lancs; H&H Dundee, Dundee; Haven Home Centre, Whitehaven, Cumbria; Hayes of Symington, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire; Istanbul Grill, Maidenhead, Berks; J & B Hardware, Finsbury Park, London; Jopson’s Jewellers, Carlisle, Cumbria; Kates Bridal Room, Clitheroe, Lancs; Kitt, Bridgnorth, Shropshire; Listawood, King’s Lynn, Norfolk; Marjo Fashions, Melksham, Wilts; New River Retail, London W1; North Designerwear, Inverness; Olympia Plumbing And Bathrooms, Wembley, Middlesex; Pantry, High Wycombe, Bucks; Pearson Building, Chesham, Bucks; Powder Cosmetic and Fragrance Company, Thame, Oxon; PPG Architectural Coatings, Batley, Yorks; Prime Steak & Grill, Bushey, Herts; Quality Vitamins & Herbs, Glasgow; R I C Hemmings Timber Merchant, Belvedere, Kent; Remon Coffee House, London NW3; Rex Pet Hotel, Mansfield, Notts; Robert Mitchell Agricultural Engineer, Mauchline, Ayrshire; Runway, Street and Wells, Somerset; Sedbury Catering, North Allerton, Yorks; Smiffys, Liverpool; Sorbon Estates, Beaconsfield, Bucks; Start and Tremayne, Willington, Derbys; The Avenue, Worcester Park, Surrey; The Cake Miller, Birmingham; The Landscaping Centre, Oban, Argyll; The Twisted Lip, Middlesbrough, Yorks; Tick King, Nottingham; Time Bomb, Croydon; Treasured Home Gifts Children, Gourock, Renfrewshire; Universe Of Us, London NW3; Vine, Middlesbrough, Yorks; Wesco Living, Bath, Somerset; Wolff & Grace, London N19; Wotton DIY, Wotton-Under-Edge, Glos.

31

THE LAST WORD Samantha Panton (far left) and her sister Traci collect yet another award for the collection at Roasters in Tamworth, Staffs. Left: (above) Roasters Ventura on the retail park; (below) the George Street interior

housewares shop into a café. Since 1992, we’ve seen all sorts of changes and been through recessions in 1995 and 2008, but the concept hasn’t changed. What we have done, however, is to give ourselves different revenue streams to protect against the ups and downs of trade.

Q

Samantha Panton ROASTERS, TAMWORTH

The Panton family converted their budget household goods shop into a distinctive town-centre eatery in 1992. Their hometown success in Tamworth, Staffs, has seen them open what is probably the only independent food outlet on a large retail park.

Samantha Panton explains their recipe for success is all about different channels.

Q

On the Ventura Retail Park in Tamworth your Roasters café has Costa Coffee as a neighbour. How did an independent business end up there?

The retail park was developed by a local family called Aucotts and, very unusually, they wanted a local name among all the national chains.

They approached us in 2009 because Roasters is so well known in Tamworth. It was a fantastic opportunity, so we set up a separate company, put together a business plan and opened on 6 October 2010. We believe we were the first independent food retailer to be on a retail park in England at that time.

Q

How did you make your reputation?

Roasters was set up at 35b George Street, Tamworth’s main shopping street, in 1992. The concept was to serve “fast food fresh” as we were inspired by some of the food outlets we’d seen on family holidays in the US. Rather than customers picking up a sandwich in cellophane or a cardboard wrapper, they order their sandwiches and we make them right before their eyes. Everyone now talks about bringing theatre into retailing; we have been doing it since we started. We specialise in roast pork, hence the name, which has nothing to do with roasting coffee beans!

32

Q

Originally you weren’t food retailers…

From 1983, the family business was John’s Bargains, which everyone of a certain age in Tamworth still remembers. It was run by my parents, John and Angie, who’d started out on the markets selling household goods. From the age of about six years, my sister Traci and I would have to get up at 3am every Sunday morning to drive with our parents to Skegness, which had one of the best markets in the country. After we got the shop in town, we’d work in there for pocket money. Sorting out thousands of sheets of Christmas wrapping paper always sticks in my mind.

Q

Why the change to food?

Once the likes of Wilko and Argos came to Tamworth, we couldn’t compete. We had run a small sandwich shop for a couple of years, which did OK, so we closed that down and converted the

Roasters 35B George Street, Tamworth, Staffs B79 7LJ Unit M, Ventura Retail Park, Tamworth B78 3JD Founded: 1992 Staff: 30 (approx. 50:50 full-time v part-time) Hours: Tamworth – M / W / Th 8 – 4. T / F / S 8-5. Sun 9-3 Ventura – M-S 8-5. Sun 9-4.30  roastersrestaurant.co.uk  @RoastersTamworth  @roastersrestaurant

How have you diversified?

We started in 1995 by doing outside catering for private parties, christenings, wakes and so on. We operate across a 25-mile radius. That led us into corporate catering the following year and now 60% of our business out of George Street comes from this. We have about 150 corporate accounts which range from companies we serve three to five times a week to the ones that just call on an ad hoc basis. Since opening at Ventura, we have added a branded van and have started doing lunchtime deliveries to various workplaces. Since last year we have been delivering a two-course lunch four days a week to UPS’ driver training centre in Burtonupon-Trent, 25 miles away.

Q

What are the differences between the high street café and the one on the retail park?

The first thing is that it costs us £2,000 a week just to have our name on the door at Ventura! We are also totally dependent on the footfall at the park. If the stores are quiet, we are quiet. Also lots of people drive a long way to the park and they don’t know us. People are always asking us where our branches are around the country.

Since online banking became popular and the opening of the retail park drew people from the town centre, newer or younger Tamworth residents had not heard of us, despite us trading in George Street for 26 years, so we have to look to constantly attract and appeal to new customers.

Q

Are you still a family business?

Very much so. Dad still does the invoices and Mum still pops in a couple of days, but Traci and I are the driving forces now. She concentrates on the food, bringing in new lines, and I concentrate on running the operation, doing staff training and so on.

Q

What’s given you all most satisfaction about the change in direction?

We have won lots of local awards but being named Tamworth’s Business of the Year in 2017 was very satisfying. And earlier this year we served Prince Edward when he was in Tamworth to unveil a new church window as Roasters did the catering for the private reception afterwards.

SEPTEMBER 2018

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Fax: 0844 583 4848 online: www.supreme-imports.co.uk

Don’t let staff scheduling take over your day

20%

increase staff satisfaction

75% reduced admin time

5% less staff costs

Planday has the features you need for quick and efficient staff rostering: More insight into staff activity Effective employee scheduling Targeted communication Comprehensive business overview Transparent timetracking Fully functional app 130,000 end-users already use Planday Learn more | planday.com