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NEWS<br />
12<br />
Consumers Prefer<br />
Independents<br />
INDEPENDENT ELECTRICAL<br />
RETAILERS SCORED HIGHLY<br />
IN A RETAIL SATISFACTION<br />
SURVEY CONDUCTED BY<br />
CONSUMER MAGAZINE WHICH?<br />
INDEPENDENTS WERE PLACED<br />
FOURTH IN THE SURVEY OF 77 UK<br />
RETAILERS, WHO WERE JUDGED<br />
ON CONVENIENCE, CUSTOMER<br />
SERVICE, EXPERIENCE, PRICING<br />
AND PRODUCT.<br />
Many consumers said<br />
they were impressed by<br />
independents’ “excellent<br />
knowledge of products and<br />
good customer service.” The only<br />
retailer ranked higher in the<br />
survey than independents was<br />
John Lewis, who achieved second<br />
place.<br />
Further down the table, Argos<br />
ranked 33rd, with Tesco and ASDA<br />
close behind in 37th and 38th<br />
place. Comet, Currys, PC World<br />
and Currys.digital fared badly,<br />
with rankings of 66, 70, 72 and 74<br />
respectively.<br />
Which? concluded that the<br />
results showed consumers<br />
are prepared to pay extra for<br />
quality service and an enjoyable<br />
shopping experience.<br />
The findings have been<br />
warmly welcomed by the<br />
electrical retailers’ association,<br />
retra. Bryan Lovewell, Chief<br />
Executive said: “We are delighted<br />
with the findings of the Which?<br />
magazine survey. It shows what<br />
independent electrical retailers<br />
have known for years - that<br />
expertise and a commitment to<br />
good customer service are key to<br />
building lasting relationships with<br />
consumers.<br />
“We urge the industry to<br />
take note of these results and<br />
seek to engage with the UK’s<br />
independent channel at every<br />
opportunity. With their support,<br />
independents can only improve<br />
on these achievements, which<br />
will be for the benefit of all<br />
concerned.”<br />
Armour Aims to Aid Independents<br />
ARMOUR HOME HAS ANNOUNCED AN IMPORTANT NEW INITIATIVE AIMED AT<br />
HELPING INDEPENDENT RETAILERS DURING THE CURRENTLY DIFFICULT TRADING<br />
TIMES.<br />
The company – which took over AV furniture brand, Alphason Designs in<br />
February 2006 – is offering its independent customers additional financial<br />
credit if they open a new account with Alphason. The dealer’s credit limit on<br />
their new Alphason account will be exactly equal to that of their existing Armour<br />
limit. This means, if they have a 20K limit with Armour, they’ll also enjoy a £20k<br />
limit with Alphason.<br />
Likewise Alphason’s customers, who<br />
do not currently deal with Armour,<br />
are being offered the same deal in<br />
reverse. It they open a new Armour<br />
account, they’ll receive an instant<br />
credit limit equivalent to their<br />
Alphason limit, as well as access to<br />
Armour’s comprehensive range of<br />
brands including QED, Systemline,<br />
Goldring, Grado, NAD and Tivoli.<br />
Armour’s Managing Director, Glenn<br />
McClelland said: “We appreciate the<br />
Armour welcomes retra to its Bishops Stortford premises.<br />
Left to right are: Alphason Designs chief operating officer,<br />
Chris Emerson; Retra CE, Bryan Lovewell; Retra Alert<br />
Editor, Jerry Yates; and Armour MD, Glenn McClelland.<br />
market has slowed recently, not least<br />
for the independents, so we hope<br />
that by providing dealers with instant<br />
credit facilities such as these, we are<br />
giving them more flexibility to expand their businesses and make much-needed extra<br />
margin. This is another example of Armour’s constant striving to enhance the ‘Total<br />
Service’ we provide for our customers.”<br />
Breakfast in America Keighley<br />
NEIL RAMSDEN, PROPRIETOR OF THE DEN IN KEIGHLEY, CONTINUES WITH HIS SERIES<br />
OF VERY SUCCESSFUL PROMOTIONAL MUSIC IN THE LOCAL PUB NIGHTS.<br />
November 2007 saw the culmination of the Yorkshire retailer’s 21st Anniversary<br />
celebrations and The Cricketer’s Arms, also in Keighley, provided the venue<br />
for an evening of Jazz with Creme Anglaise, fronted by ex- Supertramp<br />
saxophonist and long-standing customer of The Den, John Helliwell. The renowned<br />
line up also included Ben Bryant on drums, Geth Griffith on double bass and guitarist<br />
Mike Walker.<br />
The ticket-only event attracted a<br />
capacity crowd who enjoyed two sets<br />
of outstanding music and the odd<br />
beer or four.<br />
Sound was handled by Neil Ramsden<br />
using Chord Company’s Cream<br />
Instrument leads and speaker cable.<br />
At the end of the gig John Helliwell<br />
publically observed ‘’It’s like playing in<br />
a giant hi-fi’’. Internationally acclaimed<br />
guitarist Mike Walker has now<br />
officially endorsed Cream instrument cable in partnership with The Den.<br />
A number of hi-fi products were ordered by customers during the course of the<br />
evening and Neil Ramsden pronounced himself ‘’extremely satisfied ‘’ with the entire<br />
event. He added that The Den will continue to sponsor more live music in 2008.<br />
The <strong>BAJ</strong> ISSUE <strong>50</strong> | 2008
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