When asked about the biggest opportunity for the year ahead, David Conduit, purchasing director of Harts of Stur comments:
“The biggest opportunities lie in ensuring that the customer who walks through your door (or onto your site) leaves happy. For us, that means honest advice (which very occasionally means not making the sale), friendly demeanour, readily available information, either an expert in-store, or the right information on site; product availability; problem solving, and finally, and perhaps most importantly, that they do not feel cheated, either at point of sale or afterwards.”
David reflects: “This is where so many nationals get it wrong, and provides us with the ability to capture and keep that customer. Price is an important part of this, but by no means the only deciding factor, which is another thing the larger and more aggressive retailers, particularly online, do not understand. None of this is that difficult, and many independent retail readers will rightly say that they do this every day. The opportunity is there, but the challenge is getting them through the door in the first place. Learning to engage with potential and existing customers in a way they find relatable is key.”
*David is one of the industry figures featured in Progressive Housewares’ State of the Nation feature in the January/February 2020 issue, commenting on the opportunities for the housewares industry in 2020 and reflecting on the past year. [See pages 38-41]
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