NEW 28-29 Housing Units.qxp_Grid 11/12/2023 12:24 Page 1
RETAILER FOCUS: HOUSING UNITS
Having celebrated its 75th anniversary and record sales in 2022, Oldham-based Housing Units was named as a finalist in the Best Department Store – Independent category at this year’s Excellence in Housewares Awards. PH sits down with marketing manager, Amanda Hastie, and accessories buyer, Tim Hart, to find out more about the business.
Inset: Housing Units is based in Failsworth in Manchester.
FULL HOUSE H ousing Units began life as a builder’s merchant, before diversifying into the home department store it is today. Accessories buyer, Tim Hart explains the transition: “Originally, they had a shop selling wood chips and a shop selling fireplaces and a shop selling screws or whatever, and all these different units were linked together. “That's where the name came from. And even though it doesn’t apply and hasn't for about 30 years, it’s what we’re now known as, so we want to keep the same name. We only went into furniture probably 30 years ago and that's when it started to evolve. “The change started more with housewares and knickknacks and the owners soon realised there was a big market for ‘this other stuff', so it grew from there.
Inset: Housing Units offers a range of brands at different price points in the housewares department. Left: Tim Hart, accessories buyer, Housing Units,
Housewares has always been a factor in the business from very early on and then Christmas and areas like that have started small and the next thing we know, we're doing a full-blown department on it.” While many retailers shut up shop completely over lockdown, Housing Units was able to use the time to invest in its online presence. And the work paid off. 2022 saw a 42% increase in sales to £35.5 million. Tim comments: “Last year we had the internet working strongly and we paid for it. We got behind it and put our PROGRESSIVE
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money where our mouth is. “This year is slightly different. We have been hit by the cost-of-living crisis but it's meeting expectations this year. It's not anywhere we didn't think we were going to be.” Marketing manager, Amanda Hastie, adds: “2023 is probably more indicative of the retail landscape. Whereas last year