bira Member magazine - July/August 2018

THE MEMBERSHIP MAGAZINE OF THE BRITISH INDEPENDENT RETAILERS ASSOCIATION ISSUE 19 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

In fine

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Comment

Train your team to new heights bira CEO Alan Hawkins says tough times merit investment in people

Cover photograph: Ian Macaulay

TOO MANY BIG retailers are dominating the news reports with the wrong sort of headlines, with House of Fraser among the largest. A closure programme for half the group and a CVA with creditors, especially landlords, show a company struggling hard to find a way forward.

I know nothing in detail about HoF, but along with many large strugglers it can’t be all down to poor management or a lack of realisation that a traditional business model wasn’t working. There are intelligent men and women at the top of these companies and they haven’t gone awry overnight.

What is wrong is that the cost base that the high street has been asked to shoulder is unrealistic, which is why bira puts rates at the top of its agenda for action. There are over 400,000 rateable retail premises, with the clear majority occupied by independents, and unless action is taken very soon the tipping point for the high street will be reached. bira’s call for a £12,000 rating-free allowance, not a £12,000 cliff edge, would

IN THIS EDITION ISSUE 19 JULY/AUGUST 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 JULY/AUGUST 2018

halve rates for the typical store. We are talking with government on how to make that change revenue-neutral for them.

Independents don’t grab the same bad headlines as the national groups because the individual job losses indie closures bring are small, but the cumulative effect is the same.

Knowing that consumers are buying on-line is one thing. Meeting that challenge is another.

You can end up with two levels of cost and a consequent negative effect on your profits. bira’s view is that the high street needs to be on a level playing field with newer types of retailing. Then consumers may make different but fair choices.

Rant over! It was clear from our conference on 10 May, nevertheless, that independents have the brightest future on the high street as they are not the squeezed middle. They have a high ratio of owners to staff, in some cases 100%! They make quick decisions, differentiate themselves, and have product knowledge and service levels second to none.

news for 2 Trade bira members

Great British High Street Awards reboot, shop theft and staff assaults increase

To make themselves even better, I would urge them to use one final piece of the bira jigsaw, that is our training initiatives and in particular the world-class Oxford Summer School (OSS). The three courses the OSS runs have different objectives, so talk to MD Dominic Prendergast about which one would suit you.

The Foundation School is about getting to know you as a person, the Academy more about specific retail skills you will need in a variety of areas, and the Masters is especially suitable for more senior staff or business owners looking outside their own business to where retail is going and the appropriate strategies it requires.

All centre on high-class individual training.

Waiting for the level playing field may take some time. In the meantime, make your company the very best it can be with you and your staff at the top of your game. bira’s OSS could be the best idea you haven’t tried yet. If in doubt, speak to an independent who has been.

The results for all three are consistently rated in the high 90s for delegate satisfaction.

it's good a in store in 6And night from him…

13Dilapidations: hidden clause 9Success North Yorkshire On the eve of retiring, Alan Hawkins looks back on 33 years with the trade association

Investment and vision keeps Barkers of Northallerton moving ahead with two stores

Make sure your lease doesn’t mean you have to pay to improve your shop’s condition

shift?

21Seismic Then step it up!

Counterpoint diva Frock Flogger says the trading conditions demand greater effort

style in boosts 16 InEastfineAnglia 15#WDYT indie's sales Keith Scarrott Shoes joined the digital revolution with the Maybe* platform

There’s only one premium menswear brand sold at Trotter & Deane – its own brand

Last Word: 32The Bob Jarrett bira’s long-serving utility player is hanging up his boots – and he means it this time!

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TRADE NEWS

Battle on the fairway ON WEDNESDAY 18 July at The Welcombe Golf Club, Stratford-upon-Avon, bira and the British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA) will meet in the third Tussle on the Turf golf match.

Retailer and supplier teams of four are invited to participate.

Bragging rights are with BHETA, which won the second event last year.

The gauntlet has been thrown down for independent DIY, hardware and cookshop retail members to regain the honours from the DIY, hardware and housewares suppliers of BHETA. bira president Surinder Josan will lead the retailers attempting to regain the trophy they picked up in the inaugural challenge two years ago. Apart from victory over 18 holes, the objective of the initiative is to forge tighter relationships between the two associations and their members and to better understand each other’s needs for mutual benefit.

The Welcombe is a par-70, 6,288yard championship course that rolls across the hills of Warwickshire to provide a tricky round for players of all abilities. More information on entering a team can be found at bira.co.uk/event/ bira-bheta-golf-day-2018/

A fine refurbishment at Bakers & Larners of Holt THE REFIT OF the food hall at Bakers and Larners of Holt, Norfolk is the latest significant milestone in the department store’s distinguished 250-history. The £0.25m investment in the 4,500 sq. ft department, which was opened on 15 March, has been warmly received by customers.

“Our food hall and fine wine department, being nationally recognised, deserve and justify this investment, which puts them in the upper echelons of food and wine retailing in the country. The newlyrefurbished store, with the customer service team, are surely the benchmark by which others should be judged,” said Michael Baker, whose family has been involved in the business since 1770.

Appointed MD in 1974, Michael oversaw the modern redevelopment of the store building during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The latest investment has added a clutch of new features. Home to more than 1,100 unique wine varieties and a cellar dating back to the 17th century, the fine wine department is one of Norfolk’s first providers of the Enomatic wine-tasting system, which allows customers to sample the store’s finest vintages. A new addition is the bakery and patisserie department, which freshly-bakes goods in-store daily. New shelving, flooring, ceiling fixtures and an upgraded air conditioning system were part of the thorough refresh and redesign.

Help us with our survey

As it approaches its 30th anniversary this summer, new bira member David Neill Mica has embraced the world of ecommerce with a transactional website, davidneillmica.co.uk.

Brothers Mark and Jordan Hidgcock took over the business, in the main street of Ashbourne in Derbyshire, from their father David in January 2017. The 13,000sq ft store trades on two floors.

“We like to describe ourselves as a modern

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old-school DIY and ironmongery store, offering good value for money and excellent service,” said Mark. “Since we took over we have slightly modernised the store, improved the layout and have added new products, such as home electricals like toasters and kettles. The main reason for the ecommerce website is to offer our customers more stock online and market ourselves to a wider audience. It’ll be a useful price comparison tool for customers too.”

Working with the National Hairdressing Federation, National Federation of Retail Newsagents and the Federation of Private Businesses, bira is spearheading a national campaign to find out how and where consumers shop. Anyone can complete the survey and we are asking members not only to complete it themselves but to also share it far and wide among their customers and networks. Members have been emailed the survey but their customers can also complete it at bit.ly/healthofthehighstreet.

Printed copies are available upon request via bira.co.uk/health-highstreet-survey-request/ The surveys must be completed and returned by the end of July.

JULY/AUGUST 2018

TRADE NEWS

Is yours the best high street in the country?

THE GOVERNMENT-BACKED GREAT one winner from each nation). The High Street of British High Street Awards, which aim to the Year accolade goes to the winner. celebrate the best retailing communities across Applications will be judged on four pillars the UK, have been revived this year after last being of success: Community, Customer Experience, run in 2016.

Environment, and Digital Transformation.

The GBHS Awards, which began in 2014, have Entrants for the Champion Award will be judged been relaunched with support from Visa after last across all four pillars. Entrants for the Rising Star year’s break. bira is also supporting the initiative. award will be able to select a pillar against which At the official launch on 20 June, government to enter an initiative. Applications will be awarded officials encouraged the public bonus points for an entry that clearly These and local businesses to get behind demonstrates Leadership, Impact, their local high streets in order and/or Innovation. awards to “drive local economies, share A centrepiece of this year’s success stories and empower local will shine a light activities will be a Great British leadership, and create community on how important High Street Week commencing on pride”. Past president Vin Vara our high streets 16 July. Entries for the awards close attended the launch for bira. on 15 August and the shortlist of Alan Hawkins said, “We are are to local contenders will be announced on really happy to support these communities 10 September. Public voting closes awards, which will shine a light on 31 October and the winners will on how important our high streets are to local be announced at an awards ceremony in November. communities, as well as celebrate the wonderful Previous High Street of the Year awards went and resilient retailers on them.” to Belper in Derbyshire (2014), Bishopthorpe Road The categories cover the Champion Award, aka Bishy Road in York (2015) and Hebden Bridge, which identifies the best high streets by country. In West Yorkshire (People’s Choice 2016). all, 26 will be shortlisted, with one winner each from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. For more details on how to enter the revived The Rising Star Award is for the most ambitious awards, visit thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk/ high street by country (three per nation shortlisted, high-street-of-the-year-award

Daniel of Windsor in double celebration SET TO CELEBRATE its 100th anniversary of trading this summer, Windsor department store Daniel also fully embraced the festivities surrounding the Royal Wedding on 19 May. As well as decorating the store with miles of bunting and thousands of flags, it also offered commemorative products like Royal Scot specialedition glassware and When Harry met Meghan mugs.

Daniel MD Trudy Durkin said: “Prince Harry and Meghan’s decision to marry in St George’s Chapel has had a huge impact on Windsor. The world saw Windsor just the way it is - a beautiful historic town with the magnificent royal residence of Windsor Castle.

“We installed celebratory royal wedding windows congratulating the happy couple and we had television screens across the store to ensure everyone had live coverage on the special day.

In-store entertainment was provided by face paintJULY/AUGUST 2018

ers and magicians, alongside food tastings and samplings of our commemorative Prince Harry and Meghan special-edition Letterbox wine.

“Our in-store bakery Heidi created mini-replicas of the wedding cake as well as the Megharryccino capuccino, which featured the couple's images on it.”

Promoting bira's services at Exclusively Housewares THE ADVANTAGES OF bira membership and the opportunities for independent retailers were extolled in a panel session at Exclusively Housewares (12-13 June, Business Design Centre, London), where the association was participating for the first time.

National membership manager Julie Holden (above) and web & digital media manager Paige Hylton joined forces to present the opportunities available to retailers to grow their businesses.

Julie said: “The show was a great opportunity for bira to share its retail expertise. Our speaker session was incredibly well received and we had some really engaging questions from the audience. We were joined on stage by members Claire Leigh from the Two Ducks giftshop in Woking, Surrey, Graham Glodek from Amy’s Housewares, which has five stores in north London, and Jason Maughan from bira direct supplier Denby.

"They were able to share their experiences of being an independent or working with independents, which was of great value to the audience.”

Members were able to benefit from £100 off orders over £300 (ex VAT) at the show when they purchased from a bira direct supplier. Christmas stock and spring/summer 19 lines were on offer.

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TRADE NEWS

OSS course is sold out THIS YEARS’ OXFORD Summer School Foundation programme at St Hugh’s College is a sell-out, demonstrating that even in tough trading conditions retailers recognise the importance of developing their top talent. bira member attendees will include Holland Hydroponics, Hurley, Morleys, Sugar & Ice, Gardner & Scardifield and Helen Winterson.

OSS MD Dominic Prendergast commented: “This year we celebrate the seventh Foundation programme and I’m delighted we have sold out. Staff development can have a hugely positive impact on a business, helping your people feel valued, enhancing team engagement and driving high performance.” bira members get an exclusive 25% discount on OSS programmes, so if you’re considering places for the Academy 2018 (18-24 August), please get in touch by the end of July via 0121 446 6688 or info@ oxfordsummerschool.co.uk as this programme is expected to sell out too.

The Academy is desig ned to enhance a store manager’s understanding and management of the five key retail resources: people, money, merchandise, marketing and retail channels. The content inspires delegates to consider how they can successfully enhance their own performance and the commercial performance of their team.

The bira team sees the future of DIY retailing at Media Market, Barcelona

Global event gathers hardware and DIY industry THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION of Hardware and Housewares Association (IHA) met in Barcelona on 10-11 June, immediately followed by the sixth Global DIY Summit of which it is now part. bira, in the form of Alan Hawkins, Jeff Moody and new president Surinder Josan plus IHA representative Vin Vara, was there to represent UK independent hardware and DIY retailers.

The visit began with a number of study tours, firstly to big-box players (Lero Merlin, Bricomart and Bauhaus), followed by a visit to a shop of the future called Media Market. With very little stock, the shop instead has 36 product selection screens with the option to either take home the product then and there or arrange next day or home delivery.

The final visit was to Servei Estacio, a seven-storey family-owned DIY, craft and hobby store.

Keighley retailers ask town to shop local IN JULY INDEPENDENT businesses in Keighley, West Yorkshire, are encouraging consumers to shop local with the chance to win up to £1,000 in vouchers to spend with town-centre retailers. bira member Graham Benn of DIY Solutions (right) is involved in the Keighley “Shop Local” campaign, which was set up in 2016. The initiative involves consumers collecting a series of stamps from local indies. During the monthlong event, Keighley BID provides each business with posters, banners, radio commercials, social media, videos and press ads to promote the activity.

BID manager Paul Howard said: “We are lucky to have so many brilliant

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independent retailers across the town centre. Many shoppers are passionate about supporting small, local businesses and we want to reward them for doing just that. The great thing about this competition is that the winners can go back and spend their vouchers with their favourite independent businesses. The businesses are then reimbursed directly by the BID, so participating businesses receive the increased sales revenue from visitors getting their cards stamped as well as the spend from the winning vouchers.”

For more about the campaign, see discoverkeighley.co.uk or search for Discover Keighley on social media

The Global DIY Summit was attended by 1,100 delegates, including 330 retailers, from 50 countries. A speaker from Home Depot USA made the keynote address but there was something for everyone under broad headings of cooperation in the supply chain, next generation DIY, and home improvement around the world. Veronique Laura of Kingfisher flew the UK flag amongthe speakers.

Alan Hawkins said: “It was sad to see the UK drifting down the growth leagues while Brexit uncertainty slows our economy. However, there was plenty of thought stimulation and ideas for the British contingent. There was perhaps too many ‘big business’ issues for our independents but as they say, keep close to your friends but even closer to your enemies. But we are all part of the great home improvement industry.”

50 years not out After 50 years of service covering more than 14 different roles in eight stores, Richard Ball is retiring from East Anglian home furnishing specialist Glasswells. Having started as a Saturday boy in Bury St Edmunds in 1968, Richard, 65, has managed stores across the region including Saffron Walden, Sudbury and Norwich. He joined the board as buying director in 2012. MD Paul Glasswell said: “Richard’s adaptability has played such a big part in the success of Glasswells. He has always shown great willingness to take on a new role, even if it might have been alien to him. He has then used all his experience to become an expert in that role. He has gained an awful lot of respect from his colleagues.”

JULY/AUGUST 2018

TRADE NEWS

Retail crime rising THE ONGOING RISE in shop theft and assaults gle day. There were 1,433 incidents of assaults and against retail staff has been highlighted by official threats per 1,000 wholesale and retail premises in figures for the past year.

2017.

Some 378,725 shoplifting incidents were reportIt was found that 14% of wholesale and retail ed to 42 police forces/constabularies in England and businesses experienced anti-social behaviour (ASB) Wales between April 2017 and March 2018, a 4% in the past 12 months, with ‘Youths on the street’ increase on the previous year’s total of 365,783). topping the problem list. This is followed by ‘people The Metropolitan Police had the highest num- feeling intimidated, being threatened or verbally ber of shop theft offences at an astounding abused’ at 39%.

46,840, the equivalent of 128 incidents a Some 62% of victims of ASB said it had day in the capital. West Midlands Police had a negative impact. In all, 34% of ASB shop theft incidents a followed, with 19,851 incidences report- day in the Met Police victims felt it had a financial impact on ed. Next was West Yorkshire Police, with area, or 46,840 a year business, 32% believed it had a negative 18,491 reports – a 3% increase from the impact on custom, and a further 29% said previous year. it had a negative impact on employees.

Dyfed-Powys Police had the lowest increase in abuse of Cas Paton, MD of OnBuy.com, comnumber of shop theft cases, with 1,861 and assault on retail mented: “It may be the government needs staff in 2017 reported, but the force saw the highest to revisit its stance on the leniency of some year-on-year increase at 21%. of the sentences for behaviours like those The figures were gleaned from data listed, or put stronger, firmer measures in derived from data.police.uk by online of retailer victims of place to reassure staff they are protected, anti-social behaviour marketplace OnBuy.com. In a second say it affects business and consequence is on the cards for those study of the depressing statistics listed in who act out inappropriately.” a Home Office report, Crime Against Businesses: Anti-shop theft campaigner Neil Mackay, of Findings from the 2017 Commercial Victimisation Mackays of Cambridge, attended a meeting with Survey, which was released in May, OnBuy found MPs on the topic at the House of Commons on 6 that abuse and assault of retail staff increased June on behalf of bira. “I am delighted to say eveby 25% in 2017, while threats toward retail staff ryone seemed to like the idea of ditching the word jumped by 38% the same year. Approximately 250 ‘shoplifting’ from the lexicon. There were loads of retail staff are victims of violent assaults every sin- nodding heads for that idea,” he reported.

128

25%

62%

Congratulations to Karen DuttonHodgkins, owner of Pets Pantry in Warrington, which was named as Retailer of the Year in the recent Warrington Business Awards. She has run the shop for 38 years. Seen here with her husband and business partner Gary Hodgkins, she told bira magazine: “It’s quite the accolade for us to win this award when we were up against all kinds of retailers, not just independent ones. We have the award on display in the shop and we’ve invited our customers to have their photo taken with it and their favourite member of staff, which they’ve been sharing online.”

Beware the bogus BT email MEMBER S SUBSCR IBED TO bira’s emails may have received one in May claiming to be from BT. This was not sent by bira and a detailed review of how this happened has been conducted with our email provider. No member data was taken.

Robert Jarrett, bira membership and marketing director, said: “We take the security of our members’ data very seriously and we have stringent policies in place with our partners to ensure that your data is safe. Be assured that none of your data was stolen. Our email provider has put further protections in place to avoid this reocuurring.”

If you unsubscribed from the email you will have unsubscribed from all emails from bira. If you would like to be added back on to our mailing list, contact membership@bira.co.uk

JULY/AUGUST 2018

Sandown Park Racecourse was the venue for the summer outing of the bira Five Counties branch on 7 June. Overall, the group’s betting ended on a plus on the evening and no shirts were lost.

Among the jolly punters were Caroline Gordon (branch treasurer & ex-bira president), Colin Thompson (branch chairman), Cliff Elliott (deputy chairman and ex-bira president, Crossy’s Home Hardware, Esher, Surrey), Laurie Elliott (Crossy’s Home Hardware), Steve & Chris Neale (Crossy’s Home Hardware) and Mick Belton (social secretary and Belton & Slade, Wandsworth, London).

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A CEO REFLECTS

And it’s goodnight After 33 years with bira and its various predecessors, including 12 years as a CEO, Alan Hawkins is heading for retirement in September. Apparently he won’t miss all the emails…

“THE INDEPENDENT RETAILING sector has Princess Royal in attendance, as well as Sadie Chalkley, a reasonably healthy future. Independents are local, the association’s first female president. The Tower of can react quickly to changes and they offer a unique London and the largest cruise ship on the Thames were customer experience. Not every consumer wants to shop hired for the evening celebrations for the hundreds of online or just chase price reductions.” international visitors. “Scary” is how Alan remembers it.

Alan Hawkins is in reflective mood as his long career As well as his day job, Alan has been treasurer of with first the British Hardware Federation and latterly the DIY industry’s charity Rainy Day Trust for 10 years the British Independent Retailers Association comes to and has also, as an ambassador, regularly supported the a close. He graduated from being auditor of the former efforts of the wider-reaching sector charity, Retail Trust. body to be its managing director. He then oversaw the Alan has hardly had a gentle transition to retirement merging of the BHF with the British Shops & Stores as the past few years have seen the necessary but diffiAssociation in 2009. He was made CEO of the combined cult task of reducing bira’s offices from two to one. The body, which was renamed bira, in 2012. closure of the Banbury base and the concentration of “While I shall be sad to go, I think it is the right time the association in Birmingham saw a reduction in staff for myself and for the group. All assonumbers, which was not a joyful situaciations benefit from new impetus tion. Yet bira is now on a solid financial and energy and I can’t imagine a more footing, owning the three buildings at challenging and invigorating role for Bristol Road – occupying two and With all the services 225 my successor to take on. I am leaving renting out one. bira in a strong position. With all the bira offers, I don’t “We still have around 75 staff and services we offer, I don’t think we are think we are their salaries account for two-thirds of missing anything for independent our expenditure,” Alan explains. “We missing anything retailers. And, with 6,000 businesses owe it to the membership to be as effiin our club, we have as many members for independent cient as we can be and no department as similar trade bodies. But, of course, retailers here would ever regard themselves as you could argue that we should have over-staffed. An issue for us is that more than 50,000 members. Is bira the best-kept secret with so many different activities – bira bank, bira direct in independent retailing?” buying group, publishing, Oxford Summer School – we He reflects ruefully that the same old issues – rates have teams of specialist people who cannot easily work and rent, red tape, parking, planning, rising staffing costs across other divisions.” (and the weather!) – still dominate bira’s strategy agenda, In a message to bira members, Alan urges them to as they did back in the mid-1980s. The internet and social make the most of their membership, to become more media have brought fresh opportunities and challenges. involved in the running of the association and to become Having worked under 33 presidents, including 11 recruitment agents to find new members. “It has become while CEO, Alan has met many of the biggest characters harder to find members who can give up some time in the business and has made many friends. The for bira,” he admits. “It’s clear that many independent memories he takes away with him of conferences and retailers work very much in the business, rather than on awards ceremonies – always with his charming wife it. It would be so good if each member could recruit even Madeline in support – are extensive and he will maintain just one more independent to our ranks. With average friendships with many members even when the golf subscriptions being around only £200, it cannot be the course has taken preference over budget meetings. He is cost that prevents people from signing up. If people use not looking for invites yet as the lessons have just started. our services properly, they will easily get back 20 times Highlights from the social side of the calendar include their subscription.” the annual conference that, until 2009, was invariably Marking his own performance, the outgoing CEO held abroad. Foreign travel was also involved in attending laments that he would like to have been out of the office the International Hardware Association conferences meeting members much more, but the traditional chores around the world – China and the USA among the venues. of admin have, he points out, been made even worse by In 2009, Alan was mine host as the BHF organised the scourge of never-ending emails. It is clear that he is the IHA conference in London with BHF patron The glad to be leaving his bira Inbox behind.

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THE HAWKINS FILES 1952 B orn in Birmingham 1974 BSc Economics at Bristol University 1978 Qualifies as chartered accountant 1980 Sets up own accountancy firm with British Hardware Federation as one of its largest clients 1985 Joins BHF as FD and MD of BHF Finance (bira bank) 1992 Made group deputy MD 1992 Building at 225 Bristol Road, Birmingham purchased (recently followed by 225a and 227) 1994 BAGMA merged into BHF 2006 Appointed group MD to succeed Jonathan Swift 2009 Oversees merger of BHF and British Shops & Stores Association (bssa) 2012 Oversees formation of British Independent Retailers Association (bira) 2012 Named CEO of bira 2016 Closure of Banbury office planned 2017 New group head office in Birmingham opened

JULY/AUGUST 2018

A CEO REFLECTS

from him‌ Clockwise from main photograph: l Alan

welcomes guests to the official opening of the new HQ

l in

Jersey, the study tour took in a vineyard

l looking

for Princess Anne

l lecturing

l working

l at

in New York

hard in Marbella

the BAGMA Climmar conference at Edinburgh Castle

l with

JULY/AUGUST 2018

the Constable of the Tower

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BUSINESS PROFILE

Success in store Constant investment and reinvention over 30-plus years has ensured Barkers of Northallerton is an upbeat and contemporary department store business

A salon feeling is created on the main womenswear floor

JULY/AUGUST 2018

READING THE NATIONAL press recently about the problems at House of Fraser and to a lesser degree Debenhams, one would think the department store sector was virtually dead and about to be buried.

A trip to Barkers of Northallerton in North Yorkshire, however, reveals a somewhat different view on the prosperity and relevance of department store retailing. Its imposing original store is the dominant retailer on

the affluent market town’s high street, while its Barkers Home store just half a mile away on the edge of town is a stunning example of confident specialist retailing.

With the young four th generation of the Barker family now well-established in the management team, the company is constantly planning for the future and eager to tempt in yet more prestigious brands that, as other bira members will ď Ą

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BUSINESS PROFILE

Main store: 198-202 High Street, Northallerton DL7 8LP Home store: Yafforth Road, Northallerton DL7 8UB Founded: 1882. Home store opened 1994 Size of store: 38,000sq ft. Home: 60,000sq ft Staff: 210 on own payroll (158 full-time equivalents), plus about 40 concession staff.

Hours: Main store: Mon-Sat 9-5.30. Sun 10-4 Home: Mon-Sat 9-5.30. Sun 12-4 Major brands include: Barbour, Boss, Clarins, Ercol, Gant, Himolla, Samsonite, Stressless, Ted Baker Annual sales: £21m (Main store £11.5m, Home £9.5m) bira member since: 1987  barkers.co.uk  @barkersnorthallerton  @Barkers198_202 @barkersnorthallerton

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

BARKERS

know, often have an unsympathetic attitude towards independent operators.

Charles Barker is chairman of the company founded by his grandfather William in 1882.

After being apprenticed to a drapery business, William eventually bought it, secured the freehold and began running his enterprise in a prudent manner that his descendants still follow.

Charles, who joined the firm in 1967 at the age of 16, admits that under his father Leslie the place had more than a touch of Grace Brothers in Are You Being Served? From the early 1980s, however, the company has used its cash reserves expertly to improve the main store and to create the stunning out-of-town furniture unit.

“In the 1980s we started to get concerned about being left in the past,” says Charles. “We knew what we were doing, but we had very scant information about what other people were doing.

After we joined AIS at the end of the 1980s we began to get a better picture and we started visiting other AIS-member stores. We were very impressed with what Oldrids in Boston, Lincolnshire had done to create its Downtown furniture store. In 1994, we built what we then

called Barkers Furniture store on a field at the edge of town.”

In the intervening 24 years, the original 20,000sq ft unit has been extended twice to its current 60,000sq ft and renamed Barkers Home. Moving furniture out of the 38,000sq ft high street store released space that allowed departments to be moved round. As in most large stores, that process seems never-ending.

In the past decade alone major projects have included remodelling the cosmetics area in 2010, adding a very smart bistro at one end of the store in 2012, totally redesigning the main restaurant in 2015, creating a Shoe Gallery in the middle of the ground floor in 2014 and adding a premium footwear offer via a Kurt Geiger concession in February of this year.

The most recent 20,000sq ft extension of the Home store cost £2.5m, the bistro and restaurant cost around £0.5m each and the cosmetics hall was more than £300,000. All of this was financed without a bank overdraft.

Guy Barker, Charles’ 29-year-old son, has been running the main store for around three years. Charles’ nephew Ian, 48, who has been JULY/AUGUST 2018

BUSINESS PROFILE

with the company for 33 years, is in charge of the Home operation. There are five buyers for the main store and three more in Home. All the buyers work on the shop floor.

The target customer is reasonably affluent and appreciates better quality and fair prices.

“During the week, our customer is predominantly female, 50-plus, the sort of person who likes to visit one of our restaurants before or after wandering round the store. We also have a lot of young mums coming in," Guy explains. “At the weekend, there’s more of a young family-oriented crowd. For the past year on Sundays, for example, menswear has been our best performing area.”

Kidswear is being added next year following the success of the kids offer in the Joules concession. Linens are being moved from the high street to Home, where they already have a large presence. Being family-owned, Barkers makes strategic changes quickly. Charles mentions how useful the bira group trip to New York in 2014 was to pick up new ideas.

While the Barkers preference is to do everything themselves, they use the AIS buying group in some areas. Within fashion, the split JULY/AUGUST 2018

between own-bought and concessions has moved in recent years from 40:60 to 55:45.

Whistles will be a new concession this autumn.

Conversely, in Home a rugs concession was closed recently as the company believes it can do a better job itself.

Like many bira members, the company has tried selling online but has decided that it is a lot of work for no reward, or in its case, a £40,000 loss after three years of trying. “It’s very labour-intensive and as we sell only other people’s brands, there are always 50 or more other operators offering what we’ve got at a lower price,” says Charles.

The family are sorry to hear of the woes of House of Fraser, but three of its stores due to close – in Middlesbrough, Darlington and Skipton – are within Barkers’ wider catchment area. It might well be that department storeloving HoF customers decide to make a trip down to Northallerton but Charles, Guy, Ian and their buyers are hoping that some of those elusive premium brands might now look on their fine independent department store with a bit more well-deserved interest.

Clockwise from opposite page: Part of the impressive latest extension of the Home store; the store has dominated the high street since 1882; Ian and Charles Barker; the main restaurant was upgraded in 2015; Charles and Guy Barker on the first floor of the main store

We have stopped selling online as there are always 50 or more other operators offering what we’ve got at a lower price 11

PROPERTY LAW

Dilapidations THE HIDDEN LEASE CLAUSE

Don’t get caught out with the bills for updating your property at the end of the lease, warns ex-bira president Gary Gordon

12

WHEN SIGNING A lease, we are always told to seek legal advice.

Your legal eagle must check the terms to see if the landlord, or his or her solicitor, has sneaked in any extra demands in the clauses.

There is one clause, however, that lurk s in ever y lea se dilapidations. This states that on vacating the premises, you must return the property to the landlord in good condition. As it is so standard, its implications tend to

be overlooked by everybody. As are the penalties it carries.

In days gone by, when there was not enough retail space to go around, if you planned to exit, would-be tenants bit your arm off to get you out and assign the lease to them. Mention redecoration and improvements and more often than not they would agree to do it all, as they were going to alter the unit anyway. One could then walk away, with no obligations to the landlord, as another party had signed to take on all the responsibility.

Dilapidations didn’t come into it.

Today, with a large surfeit of retail space, there are empty units in every location. Now landlords are petrified of being left with a messy unit they will have to redecorate themselves or offer over-attractive terms to an incoming tenant to get them to take it on.

So, the dreaded dilapidations clause is being enforced regularly.

The problem arises if you are moving to a different location for footfall or size reasons, planning to retire, or if the business is struggling and you intend to wind up. If you have not lined up a party to take over the lease from you, the landlord risks having an empty unit, so the dilapidations clause will be used so he or she has it returned in pristine condition.

The clause basically means you must return the unit to the landlord in the condition in which you received it. If it was a mess when you took it over, however, that may well not count! It should be in a useable condition, so a tenant can start retailing in it at once. If you have been in possession of the unit for a long time, the landlord could insist it be brought up to date before you hand back the keys.

In one case I know of, a successful business leased the whole building. As they retailed from the ground f loor only, the two upper f loors were somewhat ig nored. On wanting to leave at the end of lease after 30 years of occupation, they had an injunction set against them insisting the building be brought up to date, including improving the upper f loors, retiling the entire roof and rewiring the whole JULY/AUGUST 2018

PROPERTY LAW

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We correctly returned a unit to a landlord at the end of the lease. On their instructions, however, it had to be returned as a clean empty white shell and be totally rewired. That cost me a large five-figure sum, which I was not expecting.

Oh yes, you will also have to pay the surveyor that the landlord selects to list the dilapidations.

So, how does one reduce or nullify the risk of large costs when vacating a property? Be ready before you even sign the lease or exchange contracts. When inspecting the property, look carefully at what is there, how good a condition everything is in, and how up-todate everything is. Outdated electrics and fittings can result in a replacement cost at lease end.

Carefully consider the situation and look at what work should be done so the unit is offered in up-todate condition. An aged property with modernisation implications could be a costly misadventure into retailing.

If you are keen on the unit due to size and location, think about what costs you would be prepared to pay, either to update the unit now or at the end of the term. If there are serious problems, immediately tell the landlord’s agent that there is work not done that should have been. Give as comprehensive a list as possible for them to consider.

The best strategy, despite the cost, is to employ a surveyor you know or has been recommended to fully survey the unit to look for every fault they can. The more ammunition you have the better.

JULY/AUGUST 2018

And a professional’s report carries weight.

If you are keen on a site that does not come up to standard, you must negotiate some form of deal, such as a rent-free period or reduced rent for a period or for the entire lease term. Any reduction will depend on the amount of work needed in the unit. Haggle forcefully to obtain the reduction you want (and more if it is possible) to cover the costs you envisage needing to bring the unit up to scratch.

Additionally, take lots of photographs. Ensure that your camera shows the date on each image, and have your solicitor attach them to the lease. The landlord is likely to resist this because in case of legal action damning visual evidence could destroy his case. If the landlord refuses, have your solicitor note this formally and have him keep the images with your copy of the lease.

Also, have a set of the images sent to you by registered post to prove the date. Do not open the envelope; just store it in case it is needed to back up any case.

So, you finally decide to take the unit to fulfil your retailing ambitions. Hopefully it is with a deal from the landlord that compensates you for the cost of any work needed to bring the unit up to speed.

Then do your best to keep it up to date, so the costs do not hit you at the end. If there are any arguments as you are ready to leave, you have visual evidence to defend yourself in any dispute with the landlord.

Good luck!

All you need is your membership number to start buying today.

Visit www.biradirect.co.uk/about-the-service to find out more.

Just some of our giftware suppliers Arthur Price Boxer Gifts Burton McCall Classic Candel Creative Tops Dartington

Docrafts Enesco George Heathcote & Ivory Heath McCabe Joseph Joseph

See the full list of suppliers available to you when buying through bira direct:

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13

DON’T GET CAUGHT OUT

WITH HIDDEN CHARGES FOR YOUR

CARD PROCESSING BIRA AND GLOBAL PAYMENTS HAVE BUILT A TRUSTED WORKING RELATIONSHIP OVER 17 YEARS AND AS PART OF THIS RELATIONSHIP ONE THING YOU CAN BE SURE OF IS THAT GLOBAL PAYMENTS PROVIDE TRANSPARENT PRICING.

NO HIDDEN FEES

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

Preferential rates

No setup fee (normally £150)

Access to a cashback facility

Next day crediting* with cleared funds if you bank with HSBC plc

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.

Issued by Global Payments, 51 De Montfort Street, Leicester, LE1 7BB. GP588

PROMOTION

#WDYT boosts indie’s sales

Keith Scarrott Shoes in Cheltenham has transformed to a digital business with the Maybe* platform THE #WDYT CAMPAIGN Maybe*, which was featured on page 25 of the June edition of bira magazine, arrived at exactly the right time for bira member Keith Scarrott Shoes, an independent in Cheltenham that designs and creates stylish shoes and boots for women.

The business, which has been going strong for nearly 45 years, is run by Keith’s daughter Sophie Scarrott, who says: “Maybe* came along at the perfect time for us. We didn’t want to get left behind (in the digital revolution) but we weren’t sure if our target market was online. We weren’t sure if our customer was there and would buy.”

Sophie invested money into her basic website and quickly got results which convinced her the Maybe* platform would work. Sophie and her team now present a collection of between six and 10 products for #WDYT every week.

“The benefits of the platform have been huge for us. It provides content and gets reactions to products. This gives us an early indication of how

products are going to sell and great insight into what people think. This has enabled my team to get in an order or reorder much more quickly.

“It also gives us more confidence to introduce new products. We recently asked what people thought of a sports luxe trainer. The feedback showed us the style would be well received.

Having identified it was probably going to work, we brought them to store and we’re now on our third repeat.”

Sophie uses social media comments as digital content. She’s found these customer quotes are much more powerful and compelling than saying it themselves. She’s discovered that people aren’t afraid to interact. Her social media followers are loyal customers and really relate to the company. It’s even enabled Sophie to identify a fashion group with which she can regularly communicate.

“Using the #WDYT campaign and the Maybe* platform has definitely enabled us

to raise awareness of our products. We have customers coming into the store every day and talking to us about what they’ve seen online,” she says.

Connecting the online and offline experience has proven to be a key competitive edge for Keith Scarrott. “We can make the in-store shopping a really nice experience for them. We have great customer service and well-trained staff.

Customers are always very interested in finding out more about our products, such as where they come from and who designed them. We can still add real value by being able to talk this through with them.

“We consider ourselves a digital business now and have seen and continue to see, definite crossover from online to our physical store.”

Find out more about how the #WDYT campaign Maybe* can benefit members via wdyt. org.uk/bira

Disability Confidence can benefit your business “THE HIGH STREET is changing to meet new challenges and opportunities, such as emerging technologies and shifting customer demands,” says Sarah Newton MP, Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work (right).

“But some basics don’t change – great customer service remains key and people remain at the heart of achieving this.

“Despite the challenges, jobs continue to be created in retail, with more than 90,000 vacancies across the sector. The competition to attract the right people with the right skills is high and employers in all sectors and of all sizes are recognising the need not only to look at all potential sources of talent, but also to understand how to best attract and retain a diverse range of people who reflect the diverse range of customers.

“There are over 7m working-age people in the UK who have a disability or health condition, representing a vast and varied pool of talent that retailers could tap into.

“Some businesses have misconceptions, however, about what employing a disabled person will mean. For example, disabled people don’t always need expensive workplace adjustments.

In reality, many don’t need any adjustments at all and, if they do, these can be inexpensive. In addition, where there is a cost, the government’s Access to Work scheme can provide support.

“Many businesses tell me that they lack the confidence to employ disabled people. The Disability Confident scheme can help where employers are concerned about ‘doing or saying the wrong thing’ by giving them the skills and tools they need to successfully recruit and retain disabled people. “ The scheme has three levels: Disability Confident

There are over 7m workingage people in the UK who have a disability or health condition, representing a vast and varied pool of talent.

Sarah Newton, MP JULY/AUGUST 2018

Committed; Employer; and Leader. The entry level standard is really accessible and, because Disability Confident is a journey, signing up as Committed doesn’t mean that your business has to get everything right first time, all the time. It also provides free support for members, including online guidance, access to members-only social media groups offering peer-to-peer advice, and priority access to specialist events to help organisations progress through the Disability Confident levels.

“I was delighted that my Disability Confident team were able to attend bira’s annual conference on 10 May and talk to members about the scheme. They were struck by how many retailers were already building their know-how to make their businesses inclusive, which was great to hear.

“Becoming Disability Confident can help your business in this endeavour.

A number of small and medium-sized retailers are already benefitting from the support the scheme can give them.

So I urge you to join them and the 6,000 organisations already signed up. It’s free and you can start your Disability Confident journey by going to gov.uk/disabilityconfident.”

15

THE BIG INTERVIEW

fine style

In

Everything in John Deane-Bowers’ premium menswear shops is sold under his own Trotter & Deane label. That’s a great way to ensure exclusivity.

“I WAS LOOKING at the menswear stores around Jermyn Street in London last week and I can honestly say what we do looks outstanding compared with what I saw there,” John Deane-Bowers tells bira magazine from his second store in Cambridge.

He is not being boastful with such a confident statement. It’s simply an honest opinion from a very experienced menswear professional who has created his own view of what quality menswear should be and expressed it through the own-label offer at Trotter & Deane.

As can be seen in our photographs, John’s handwriting is strong on colour and texture. It’s far removed from the playit-safe, lowest-common-denominator approach of most national multiples. He describes the styling as “an Anglo-Italian

16

hybrid”, with the European influence in more sophisticated cloths and softer construction in tailoring coming through more in recent years.

It is highly unusual for an independent fashion shop to sell only its own unique ranges. That is largely because it is a very difficult trick to achieve. Reliable manufacturers that are happy to produce the relatively small quantities a single shop requires are not easy to find. Then there’s the need to have the knowledge of menswear to ensure the production is to the required quality.

When he opened his business in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk in 1991, John was able to draw on more than 20 years’ experience of some of the best independent men’s fashion shops in London. As a school leaver in 1969 he worked for John Stephen, “the king of Carnaby Street”, before moving  JULY/AUGUST 2018

THE BIG INTERVIEW

on to Village Gate, a highly influential chain run by two legends of the trade, Jeff Kwintner and John Simons.

That business proved to be an academy for a number of leading lights of premium menswear. In 1975 John was part of the team that launched Woodhouse, one of the most important London-based mini-chains of the 1980s. He was made a director and remained there until the late 1980s, by which time he was itching to have his own business.

The desire to strike out on his own was a strong one and John felt he had a bold concept. “The real driving force for me was that I’d never been completely comfortable with being told what to do by others. And I also wanted to put myself to the test.” he recalls. “I’d worked with high-profile, internationallyknown brands that had achieved their reputation mainly through extensive and expensive marketing campaigns.

Added to this, their route to market passed through many hands, such as distributors and agents, with margins being added along the way, so the retail price to the consumer was necessarily high.

“I thought there was a chance to bring high-quality menswear directly from the manufacturers to the consumer through my shop. By shortening the supply chain, there would be price advantages that could be shared with the consumers.”

Once he had the idea, he had to find the location. London was far too expensive to consider. A family friend suggested that the affluent market town of Bury St Edmunds might be a suitable spot. So John, who knew nothing of Suffolk, drove around East Anglia to see the hinterland and checked at Companies House the performance of independents in the town. Satisfied that it looked promising, he found premises in the historic end of town and he, his wife Jane, who is an interior designer, and their 5-year-old daughter Ellie relocated from London to Suffolk.

“Another reason I went for it was that if it failed, it probably wouldn’t have been noticed by the people who knew me in London,” John admits.

For reasons John chooses not to reveal, he added to part of his surname to create the Trotter & Deane brand. Right from the start, he had own-label tailoring, sourced from Ireland and Germany, on offer. Wholesale brands like Aquascutum, Crockett & Jones, Polo Ralph Lauren and Gant made up the larger part of the mix and it took fifteen years until

Photography: Ian Macaulay



18

all the brands were phased out and everything was under the Trotter & Deane name.

The original rented unit in Bury was 1,400sq ft. After eight years John took on the lease to the adjacent property and created the current shop of 3,000sq ft across two levels. Just over three years ago, a building to the rear was taken on as a base for the made-to-measure tailoring business operation, to hold stock and to relocate John’s office from the first floor of the shop.

On sourcing, John, who describes himself as a stylist rather than a designer, says a big part of his search for small factories that wanted to work with him involved “a lot of shoe leather”. With his contacts from his Woodhouse days as a start, he has built up a network of highgrade makers, largely family-owned, the identity of which he understandably keeps to himself.

The lion’s share of merchandise comes from Italy, backed by important contributions from Portugal, Spain and Poland. Some shirts are made in Northern Ireland, some hats are made in England and ties are made locally from silk woven in nearby Sudbury, but few UK manufacturers meet John’s exacting standards. “I cannot find makers here that produce to the quality I require,” he says matter-of-factly.

Unlike most independent menswear retailers, John is enjoying a strong suit business and they tend to be of better quality. His made-to-measure service is important and growing. In his early days, he used English tailors for the task, but their traditional British make was too heavy for his style and “was incompatible with what the brand was about”.

He transferred to Europe-based suppliers very successfully.

The reputation of Trotter & Deane was made in its early days by what John calls “a whispering campaign”, otherwise known as word-of-mouth. For 16 years he took a stand at the annual Suffolk County Show to reach the men who might appreciate his updated classic English look. After a time, however, he had evolved his look towards a more European attitude and being at the event became something of a disadvantage as it gave out the wrong message about where the business was heading.

Apart from the strain of styling and sourcing his collection, John had every indie owner’s challenge of keeping the shop running well when he was not on

John Deane-Bowers used 20-plus years of experience in premium London menswear stores when he opened Trotter & Deane in Bury St Edmunds in 1991. It was only in 2017 that he extended to his second store in Cambridge, as seen here.

TROTTER & DEANE 27-28 Abbeygate Street, Bury Saint Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 1UN 15/16 Sussex Street, Cambridge, CB1 1PA Founded: Bury 1991. In Cambridge since 2017 Size of stores: Bury 3,000sq ft.

Cambridge 2,500sq ft Staff: 12 full-timers, 3 part-timers, Opening hours: Bury: Mon-Sat 9-5.30. Sun 11-4.

Cambridge: Tues-Sat 9.30-6. Sun 11-4.

Brands: Only Trotter & Deane ownlabel, plus Trumpers and Gruhme grooming products and fragrances. bira member since: 1992  trotteranddeane.co.uk/  @Trotter-Deane  @TrotterandDeane @trotteranddeane

JULY/AUGUST 2018

THE BIG INTERVIEW

Most of my customers don’t need the clothes they buy from me.

They are enjoying the experience we provide.

JULY/AUGUST 2018

the shop floor. His original team comprised just two local lads as sales staff and he noticed a drop off in performance when he wasn’t around.

Like most start-ups, he soon found out that he was under-financed and the first three years were not easy. Financing own-label collections is not cheap.

Things have been much more comfortable since 2003, when the Coe family, whose own menswear business has several branches across East Anglia (see bira magazine January 2017), bought 49% of Trotter & Deane. The veteran retailer David Coe is John’s chairman and his son William Coe is finance director. The arrangement came about after David read a trade magazine article about the business and called John up to ask if he needed any help.

Like most independents, John has heard the news that he should be racing to sell online. Well, he did it for three years, but he has reined back from it because “quite quickly it became obvious we were spending scarce resources on processing no business”.

One day early on, the website took an order for about £1,000 from a man in Devon. John began to think that the internet was going to be fun – until it all came back again.

“Suddenly one of my members of staff was having to process a large refund. The reason for the return was that the shirt sleeves were too long,” John explains.

“That customer will never buy from us again because he thinks our shirts don’t fit him. If he’d been in the shop, however, we’d have explained we could have our alteration tailor sort out the length within a day or so and he’d have been delighted with Trotter & Deane’s service. That’s the difference between selling online and in the shop. I am quite aware that most of my customers don’t need the clothes they buy from me. They are enjoying the experience we provide.”

John is planning to re-launch his website shortly as something along the lines of a concierge service, aimed primarily at repeat business from existing customers: “We installed a K3 EPOS system a couple of years ago and while such systems can drown you in data and should be used only selectively, it does capture our customers’ sizes and that information will be essential for us to cut down returns from online sales.”

Last June, 26 years after opening his first branch, John added a second in Cambridge, about 30 miles from Bury.

It was a reflection of his confidence in what he’s achieved since 1991. “I wanted to see if Trotter & Deane could work in a bigger centre than Bury St Edmunds.

Cambridge has most of the menswear multiples, plus multibrand stockists like John Lewis, a Hugo Boss shop and good independents such as Giulio."

Another reason was to increase the size of Trotter & Deane with an eye to succession planning. John, who is 66, would like three of his staff members to consider an MBO of the company in due course, when he is ready to do other things. A one-shop business is hard to sell; two shops are easier and, who knows, there may be more to come.

Trading at Cambridge, which operates on 2,500sq ft leased premises across ground and lower ground floors, has not been without its challenges.

Cashflow was a concern until the past couple of months when John’s favourite marketing method, word-of-mouth, kicked in and suddenly the snowball of recommendations started rolling.

The slightly bumpy start in Cambridge has benefited the entire business. “When I opened in 1991 we were in depths of recession and it’s not dissimilar now I’ve added a second branch. Moving to two shops has been a very good experience. We had become a bit blasé about stock levels as we had plenty of cash in Bury. Now we realise that we could and should have been more efficient in stock and cash management, so the move has been massively beneficial – despite the sleepless nights it gave me for a while.”

Prices for John’s unique Trotter & Deane high-quality products are pretty much in line with other good premium menswear stores and are well below recognised “designer” names. A 3-piece suit made using a traditional half-canvas lining is £795, with a jacket costing £395. Business shirts sell well at £115, with polo shirts at £65. Jeans are around £155, chinos are about £125.

He urges other bira members to be confident about their products and to price them accordingly: “There are lots of opportunities for independents now.

Consumers are well educated and they look beyond the label to consider just the product on its own. People appreciate my brand and the quality of the products. I have never been afraid of asking what I think is a fair price for them. Just recently I’ve been thinking I should put my prices up as we are doing such a good job.”

19

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There’s never been a better time to be a member We’re always looking for ways to increase the value of your membership further. So, whether it’s future-proof ePOS or cost saving waste management, we’ll support you.

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03/05/2018 17:48:58

JULY/AUGUST 2018

COUNTERPOINT/FROCK FLOGGER

Seismic shift?

Then step it up!

Our trusty correspondent has seen recessions before, but today’s changes in shopping habits are much more than a downturn in trade. Time to get creative

JULY/AUGUST 2018

AS I APPROACH my 40-year anniversary of working in retail (it was that or go down the mines aged 14!), I look back over the various recessions I have lived and worked through.

Our last drift in trade started in 2008 and I clearly remember my business partner saying to me that if we didn’t do something different we would run out of money. So we sat and looked at all our options and decided that we needed to diversify and become more of a mini lifestyle store and try and create theatre around the shopping experience.

We took out a major bank loan and developed into areas I had no experience or understanding of, including shoes and running a café (obligatory pitstop on any shopping trip, he told me).

At the time of opening the café bar I read an article by the legendary A A Gill on the top 10 reasons not to go into hospitality. It was too late at that stage, but I ceremoniously ticked off eight of the reasons not to go there.

I now know why! Staff turnover is like a revolving door - the kids can’t handle hangovers like we did - and chefs need a chapter all on their own. A GP margin of 70% is a dream and food wastage is enough to keep a food bank operational for weeks.

It did the trick, however, and we became a destination. The secret though is how to remind the cafe that they are part of the greater good of fashion retail and tell customers they cannot leave without a thorough walkthrough of the store. A TV screen and a looped show of images from around the store works well and our social media department (me in a morning over a coffee...) can take new photos on my smartphone and easily create an up-to-date snapshot of the store. Download these on to a USB stick and into the side of the TV and off we go.

I do not profess to be an expert on this but guidance from staff (and small children) have helped me learn enough to keep the content fresh and ever-changing. The social media is targeted specifically at the demographic of the customer.

That is, it’s cheeky and a bit risqué at times for the

young brands and café bar and more grown-up if talking about mother-of-the-bride. One size cannot fit all and the key is to follow the trends and insights.

This isn’t a recession though. There is no light at the end of the tunnel other than an oncoming train with digital revolution and AI written all over its engine. This is a seismic shift in shopping habits and lifestyle choice. Just like with GDPR, are you ready?

Never more than today do we need to give the good lovers of credit cards and internet shopping a reason to come out into the high street. Their expectations of instant gratification, choice and refund policies are determined by the everincreasing march of internet sites that skilfully make you believe you are a critical customer.

Step it up, folks! Consumers need a reason not to sit working from home and to get out their Fitbit and walk the street. Our town has created its own hashtag and every shop is asked to use it in all their social media. We are creating our town website on which we can all update our own details. We are combining together and offering joint promotions and events covering a week or weekend. My store just got a whole heap bigger as we now have wee videos of all our shops on Facebook. We are becoming more powerful collectively than I could dream of in isolation.

We have created a village Facebook page to try to harness our local shoppers, combining local news and events with our own promotions.

Just like in our store, it’s all about teamwork and with World Cup fever among us, we are hoping we won’t all be on the plane home too soon. It’s all to play for.

Have your say Would you like to share your views and experiences with the bira community? We welcome contributions like Frock Flogger’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

21

 Get ahead with hands-free lighting When only a head torch will do, Draper Tools has customers covered with its 3W COB LED Head Lamp (Stock No 66018). It’s fitted with a comfortable adjustable head strap and produces an ultrabright 130-lumen 20M beam of light, making it ideal for outdoor activities and working in poorly-lit conditions. Featuring three light functions (full/half/red), the head lamp is simple to operate with a convenient on/off button.

Illuminating ideas from Draper Tools

Whatever your customers are looking for in lighting, Draper Tools can help you offer them a comprehensive range of commercial options. See these selections and many more online at drapertools.com or speak to your Draper Tools rep.

 Pocket-sized portability For something small and convenient for everyday use, Draper Tools produces an LED Aluminium Pocket Torch (Stock No 65983). This is a compact aluminium torch with a single 3W LED, producing a powerful 70 lumen beam. It features an easy touch on/off button at base, beam focus feature and pocket clip.

Ready-fitted with an AA battery, it comes in assorted colours in a counter dispenser.

 Maximum

waterproof durability

The Draper Expert range is designed for tough or outdoor working conditions, when something durable is needed to illuminate the darkness. In particular, the high-quality Draper Expert 5W CREE LED Waterproof Torch (Stock No 51754) is sure to impress customers. Its robust ABS plastic IP66 case is waterproof and shockproof, while delivering a 265-lumen strong white 350M beam of light.

 Ultimate

versatility in a worklight For working in darker conditions and evenings, Draper Tools offers a versatile 3W COB LED Magnetic Worklight (Stock No 66016), which also features 3 LED lights on the end, turning it into a handy torch when needed. It comes fitted with a softgrip-finish on/off push button, a useful tilting bracket and strong magnet on the base. Producing 150 lumens as a lamp and 12 lumens as a torch, this great all-round worklight comes in assorted colours in a countertop dispenser.

A bright lighting idea from Jegs Sturdier than traditional bulbs, these traffic signal-grade lamps make a great replacement for the incandescent filament lamps that have been in use for so long. They are normally used in traffic lights and other commercial lamps. The pearl-finish 60W & 100W GLS lamps emit the familiar warm white light of

22

traditional incandescent bulbs. The B22d bayonet cap will fit existing light fixtures, making it easy to find a direct replacement for current bulbs. Grab yours now for just 0.69p per unit or 0.49p for 100+ units while stock lasts.

01702 421 666 / sales@jegs.co.uk

Would bira members like your products?

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

The monstrous throw-and-catch missile FunSLINGER is the throw-and-catch game that sees the specially-designed soft-foamcovered Whissile fly over monstrously long distances, much further than could be achieved throwing a ball by hand. Each of the netted racquets has a cradle built onto the upper edge that the Whissile is loaded into. Then, with just a flick of the wrist, it can be sent whistling far through the air with great accuracy. Cost £10.41. RRP £19.99.

Product news July/August

07776 145916 James.Thompson@jmlgroup.co.uk

The cool way to relax with Chillmax For a more restful night’s sleep, or a cooler, more comfortable seat, Chillmax Pillow is the answer. Its inner gel reacts to body temperature to absorb excess heat, drawing it away from skin to produce a natural cooling effect for up to three hours. Use it as a pillow or a seat cushion to help relieve the discomfort of overheating. Chillmax can be inserted in to a pillow case or cushion or placed on top for maximum cooling. The portable size means it can be taken wherever hot nights or uncomfortable prolonged sitting might be a problem.

Cost £5.20. RRP £9.99.

07776 145916 James.Thompson@jmlgroup.co.uk

Cool down your personal space Arctic Air turns cold water, via a special filter, into cool, clean air. It humidifies, cools and even purifies personal breathing space so users can stay cool and breathe clean, cool air. From the bedside to the office, Arctic Air will keep a user’s personal space as cool as they need.

Instead of chemicals or toxic coolants, Arctic Air uses evaporative air cooler technology and filters the hot, dry air in a room to emit cool, moist, pure, clean air. Simply fill with water, plug it into any standard wall socket or USB port and enjoy. Cost £20.

RRP £39.99.

07776 145916 James.Thompson@jmlgroup.co.uk

Snickers controls the climate in warmer weather The onset of summer and warmer weather calls for a change of focus on what is worn on site. To keep professional craftsmen and women cool and dry, Snickers’ new working clothes for the summer uses 37.5® fabric technology that is really good at wicking moisture away from the body.

In the Snickers Workwear FLEXIWork, LITEWork and RUFFWork product families, there are new shirts, shorts and work trousers that are super-light and quickdrying with advanced ventilation. They’ve all got superb, body-mapping designs for an amazing fit, outstanding functionality and long-lasting comfort.

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

23

Evergreen_2018_AD AWOL_BC.pdf

1

04/06/2018

12:29

Sell Lighting & Electrical?

But not using bira direct?

The free to use buying service saves bira members, on average, £1,518 per year when buying through bira.

Also benefit from • pre negotiated terms • reduced carriage • regular offers and promotions • no obligation • instant credit

All you need is your membership number to start buying today.

Visit www.biradirect.co.uk/about-the-service to find out more.

Just some of our lighting & electrical suppliers Brand Essentials Castle Cem-Spec Connect Distribution CPC Dencon

Draper European Lamp Group Jegs Luceco Pik-a-Pak

See the full list of suppliers available to you when buying through bira direct:

www.biradirect.co.uk/direct-suppliers

24

JULY/AUGUST 2018

BIRA PROMOTION

Enhance your sales with Himalayan salt lamps Bob Travers is a man on a mission to spread the word about the restorative powers of salt lamps. And he wants bira members to be among the first to enjoy the benefits of his campaign THE INVIGORATING QUALITIES of sea air are well-known to anyone who has walked along a beach or promenade. Less well-known, says Bob Travers, is that it is actually the salt in the air that makes you feel relaxed.

He wants more people to enjoy the beneficial qualities of natural salt through the salt lamps and other products he sources from the Himalayas. The science is simple: the salt attracts moisture in the air of a room, the lamp removes any irritants from it, then releases salt back into the air. The healthy negative ions improve the general indoor air quality.

Although salt lamps do not cure any conditions, they are regarded by many as relieving the symptoms of a variety of conditions including COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma, psoriasis and eczema. They are also credited with increasing energy levels and improving sleep, concentration, mood and seasonal disorders.

After the health of his 10-year-old daughter, who was seriously asthmatic and had several allergies, improved after he imported a salt lamp from the US, Bob went on a journey

JULY/AUGUST 2018

to discover more about them. The result of his endeavours is a joint venture with a family in Pakistan that mines salt from the Himalayas.

Bob has unlimited access to fantastic items and control over pricing and quality.

He visits the mine every 8-10 weeks to work on innovative products, such as the cooking range, spa range and edible range of Himalayan salt products. Having formed a company called Himasal last year, the entrepreneur wants as many independent shops as possible – especially bira members – to try his products on a sale-or-return basis.

Says Bob: “We are the only totally UK-

We will bring in footfall, excite existing customers and potentially attract new customers Bob Travers, Himasal

based importer with a large stockholding and an unlimited production facility. All our lamps are sold, with literature and maintenance tools, in a retail display unit. From 15 July onwards, we want bira members to work with us on our biggest promotion of salt lamps. We will bring in footfall, excite their existing customers and potentially attract new customers by selling a product that helps people and that people love.”

Bob runs his own retail unit in Barton Le Clay, Bedfordshire, and believes his proposition is right for indies. Himasal’s merchandising team will install, display and manage the stock, which is only paid for when it is sold (subject to a small security deposit).

The offer for bira members includes full training and promotion on the @bobssaltstore Facebook page and other social media to get people into individual stores to pick up a lamp.

The Facebook page carries endorsements from consumers who have benefited from the lamps.

More details are on saltlamps.org.uk. Bob says: “Contact us today on 0333 733 1264 and ask for the bira 100 Package.”

25

It’s never too soon to start planning for the Christmas season ahead – to ensure you maximise your sales during this incredibly busy and important trading period!

Real Deals for You offers a proven combination of fantastic products and exclusive offers from the biggest brands in our industry – plus extensive marketing and advertising support.

It’s also totally focused on driving consumers back to you, the stockist.

What’s it all about?

As the biggest initiative we undertake each year, the Real Deals for You Christmas Promotion has a proven track record of helping Toolbank stockists to achieve record-breaking results – delivering new sales and new customers to participating business owners.

Every year we re-evaluate the promotion based on participant feedback from a detailed questionnaire – and we are committed to providing everything you need for fantastic results in 2018. We are continuing to drive Real Deals for You forward, and our latest promotion is designed to boost sales even further during your most critical trading period.

A huge range of marketing support

We advertise Real Deals for You all year round, and all activity is intended to drive consumers back to the website – where they can find their local stockist, through our handy Approved Stockist search function. Then, during the busy Christmas trading season, we really ramp up our activity and expose the promotion to millions of consumers across a multi-media platform – including TV, print and digital advertising.

What’s more, we also provide all stockists with an incredible range of promotional materials - to help them reach their customers and to drive even more sales. This includes a comprehensive in-store point of sale pack, an array of digital marketing tools and high-quality images – enabling stockists to update their websites and promote the many great offers to their customers.

We also support the promotion with an ongoing and extremely active online and social media presence – all underpinned by our dedicated and personal Toolbank customer service. It’s a complete package, and one which we know our stockists really value.

Our Store 23 High Street Hartley Wintney RG27 8NY Tel: 01234 567890 Email: sales@ourstore.com ourstore.com We have access to thousands of tools & accessories for every trade and task.

Visit us today!

call us on 01322 321460 or email marketing@toolbank.com realdealsforyou.com

PROMOTION

Four ways to compete with Amazon Continuing her top-tips series, Vend’s Francesca Nicasio suggests sales, pricing and product strategies to implement to attract and convert customers online.

WITH THE RIGHT people, marketing strategies and products, you’ll find that going up against ecommerce stores is entirely doable.

1. Emphasise speed and convenience Online shoppers almost always have to wait at least a couple of days for their purchases to arrive (or pay handsomely for overnight shipping).

As a brick-and-mortar retailer, you can use this to your advantage by highlighting your ability to provide instant gratification to customers. When communicating with shoppers, emphasise the fact that they can walk out of your store with their items instead of having to wait or pay for shipping.

When selling speed and convenience, it’s best to market to those who are on your doorstep.

Update your online presence so customers can easily find your store during the research phase of the purchase process.

2. Go beyond commodities Stock up on merchandise that customers won’t find anywhere else. Anything that can be traced to an ISBN or SKU number is mass-produced, mass-marketed, and mass-discounted. Local

retailers need to focus on stocking more locallyproduced items or uniquely-distributed ones, so they aren’t competing on price directly.

One thing you could do is create your own merchandise (see our cover story on pages 16-18 about Trotter & Deane, which sells only own-label).

the bira direct buying group is able to offer such excellent prices to bira members.

Customise offers - Rather than offering blanket discounts, segment your buyers and send them tailored promotions based on their shopping behaviour.

3. Be competitive with pricing Price matching is a possible strategy, but it can also kill your profits. That’s why you need to be more creative when pricing products and crafting promotions. Here’s how: Work with your suppliers - One thing you could do is to work closely with your suppliers and see if you can lower your cost of goods. Can you get a better price by buying larger volumes?

Another option would be to consolidate orders for items or with other buyers. This, of course, is how

4. Go online Finally, recognise that you also need to have an ecommerce presence. Not having a digital storefront means you’re missing out on a lot of potential customers.

Creating an online store is easier than ever.

Many cloud-based solutions provide templates, drag-and-drop interfaces, and other tools to make it simple to set up an ecommerce site.

When setting up your online store, be sure to integrate it with your bricks-and-mortar locations. Select a solution that syncs stocks and customer data across multiple channels so you can view, update, and manage your online and offline stores without having to deal with double entries or discrepancies. Keeping your store data in sync also paves the way for omnichannel services such as click-and-collect.

Stock up on merchandise that customers won’t be able to find anywhere else Francesca Nicasio, Vend

Big discounts on Toyota & Lexus via bira bank Are you looking to buy a new hybrid car, pick-up, van or other commercial vehicle?

Toyota and Lexus are topping the waiting lists for the new September registrations.

28

WITH THIS IN mind, bira bank has secured an exclusive partner discount on all new Toyota and Lexus vehicles. The deal, which was launched at the bira conference on 10 May, covers a large range of vehicles for all budgets and requirements, including the Toyota Hilux (pictured), which was voted Pick-up of the Year in 2017.

For the first time in its 62-year history, bira bank is offering bira members significant price discounts on new vehicle purchases, with savings of up to £8,498 on selected models. Coinciding with the bank’s seasonal discount on vehicle lending rates, this offer gives members a double benefit.

John Collins, bira bank MD, says: “We are delighted to be working with Toyota & Lexus to offer this promotion exclusively to vehicles fully- or part-financed by a bira bank loan. With new vehicle loan rates currently as low as 5.1% APR, members have an extra reason to get themselves on the new registration waiting lists as soon as possible.”

Remember, some pick-up models also offer attractive tax and warranty advantages.

The bira offer is not available via your local dealer, so get in touch with bira bank team on 0121 446 6688 to find out how much you can save.

JULY/AUGUST 2018

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A SIKA COMPANY Everbuild Building Products Ltd. - A Sika Company Site 41, Knowsthorpe Way, Cross Green Industrial Estate, Leeds LS9 0SW Telephone: 0113 240 3456 Fax: 0113 240 0024 e-mail: everbuild.info@uk.sika.com website: www.everbuild.co.uk

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Patio Wizard Half Page.indd 1

31/05/2018 13:57

Arctic Air™ – ‘Your personal air cooler and humidifier for spring and summer 2018!’

Using evaporative technology, it turns everyday cold water, via a special filter, into cool, clean air that will relax you, as well as keep you cool on hot sticky nights. You can now enjoy cool, clean air... anywhere with Arctic Air™!

Huge National TV Advertising Campaign from 2nd July - 19th August C

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• Adjustable – three speed fan

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• Built-in colour changing LED night light

Cost £20 ex vat.

RRP £39.99 40% margin

• USB or mains powered • Freon Free, Energy

In-store package Only £288 (inc vat)

• 1 Bulk Stack Unit with Arctic Air™ TV • 12 units of Arctic Air™ • JML rep to set-up in-store • Free Delivery • Potential profit on just 12 units = £191.88

Efficient & Eco-friendly

Contact James Thompson for any queries and to place orders: James.Thompson@jmlgroup.co.uk • Tel 07776 145916

30

JULY/AUGUST 2018

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 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

JULY/AUGUST 2018

Make the most of your bira website bira.co.uk is your gateway to hundreds of resources to support the running of your business. In just a few clicks you can save time and money, as well source solutions to lots of common retail problems affecting independent retailers.

Invoice Manager Have you signed up for bira direct’s Invoice Manager yet? It’s available to all bira members and provides an easy-to-use tool for accessing your business invoices. As we process your invoices the system automatically updates, so there is no need to wait for them to arrive in the post. You can view, download and print your supplier invoices at any time. And, being integrated into the member’s area means there are no additional logins needed. There is a short application form available at bira. co.uk/invoice-manager-signup to start using it.

Knowledge Hub bira’s Knowledge Hub houses a wealth of resources from GDPR tutorial videos to articles, research, factsheets, legal documents and opinion pieces. There are informative blogs that can offer advice on HR issues and even topics like visual merchandising. Take a look at bira.co.uk/resources/ The magazine Did you know you can also read this magazine online? We’ve made it really user-friendly to allow you to read this publication at the time and in the way you prefer. Whether you want to see the full

magazine as a page-turner or if you prefer just picking the features and stories that are relevant to you, it is all available at bira.co.uk/bira-membermagazine/ Behind the member log-in Logging into the members’ area of the website allows you to explore everything bira has on offer for you.

Here you will find detailed information about the services you have access to and how to sign up to them. You will find the cost savings available with hundreds of suppliers via bira direct. You can also update your contact details there to make sure we are as up to date as we need to be.

If you are unable to log-in, please contact the membership team on 0121 446 6688 (opt 1) to have your password reset.

Welcome to the family

House of Carillon, a women’s clothing store in Weedon, Northamptonshire, joined bira in February.

Owners Catherine and Ian Hopla, said: “House of Carillon prides itself on the personal style advice it provides to customers and for the commitment to have brands that are not found on the high street. We have been trading for two years and decided to join bira to ensure we benefit from its buying strength and qualified advice.”

Find out more at facebook.com/ HouseofCarillon/

We welcome our newest bira members

Anthony Paul Jewellery, in Maidenhead and Windsor in Berks, and Henley-on-Thames, Oxon; B Away on Holiday, Pinner, Middx; Bakedd, Maidenhead, Berks; Cosmetic Doctor Clinic, Windsor, Berks; Craven Heifer Hotel, Stainforth, Yorks; David Neill Mica, Ashbourne, Derbyshire; Day Choice Convenience Store, Moreton, Wirral; Dog Tired Pet Beds, Richmond, Yorks; Excel Education Centre, Bury, Greater Manchester; History and Heraldry, Rotherham, Yorks; Isla Inspired, Street, Somerset; Millercare, Preston, Lancs; P & M Walsh, Altrincham, Greater Manchester; Queen Street Deli, Wells, Somerset; Rosie Cheeks, Slough, Bucks; Rye Health Store, Rye, Sussex; Shoe Emporium, High Wycombe, Bucks; Special Times, Rubery, Worcs; The Really Wild Clothing Company, in Theale, Berks, and Marlow, Bucks; The Scooter Café, in Maidenhead and Reading in Berks; Thorne Hardware, Doncaster, Yorks.

31

THE LAST WORD

After 26 years with bira and its predecessors, Bob Jarrett, bira’s membership and marketing director, is saying a fond farewell to the association (and his Jaguar!).

Q

So Bob, you’ve been retiring for a few years now. Are you definitely going this time?

Yes, definitely! My wife Judy has been very understanding about extending it for as long as I have, but I can’t rely on that support much longer! I did intend to leave some time ago, but I like to make a contribution, so as bira has needed me, I’ve stayed!

Age has not wearied him! More than a quarter of a century with bira and its predecessors has left Bob Jarrett still in good shape and still smiling.

Q

What’s the plan for your retirement?

I’m looking forward to driving fewer miles, the until I injured my knee, which I eventually had commute to Birmingham from Cambridgeshto get replaced. My dreams well and truly came ire has taken its toll. I’m very grateful that bira crashing down, although in truth it probably supported what has sometimes been a six-hour never would have happened. round trip to and from work. My new mode of transport is going to be an aeroplane though!

How did you finally end I have a bucket list of countries up at the BSSA/bira? to visit.

From starting in the legal proI plan on doing an intensive fession to joining the National language course in Italian. I’m Federation of Clay Industries to not sure if my brain capacity will an HR role in a house building cope with this, but I’m going to BIRA MEMBERSHIP AND MARKETING DIRECTOR company, all my jobs have stood give it a go. Golf and cycling are me in good stead for where I am also on the cards. I’d like to do some work in the now. I knew for a senior level role I needed comvoluntary sector too as I’m a big animal lover. mercial and HR experience. I joined the British It goes without saying that I’ll also be spendShops & Stores Association (BSSA) in 1992 as ing plenty of time with my grandchildren Feliccompany secretary. ity (7) and Hermione (9).

Following the BSSA/BHF merger in 2009, Hobbies: I’m a big Fulham fan and a Alan Hawkins gave me the title of professional season ticket holder, so I’ll continue to enjoy What have been your highlights services & special projects director, which was my football now we are in the Premier working for bira? just a sneaky way to get me to do all the random League. (Sorry, John Collins and James I’ve enjoyed being one of the team - I’m not one jobs no one else wanted. I should have known Weavin, the poor Villa fans at bira HQ!) for hierarchy. At times you need to take the lead better! However, it turned out well. My last Otherwise I enjoy walking, cycling and with difficult decisions, but my management “special projects” were the Bristol Road refurreading. style has always been to earn the team’s trust bishment and being marketing and memberMusic: I’m a man of varying tastes from and be open. I have an open-door policy and ship director since last year. blues and jazz to the likes of AC/DC and Rod have always made time for people. There have Stewart. been highs and lows but we always come out Who has inspired you?

Food: I’m a big Italian fan but also enjoy a better in the end. We are stronger because of Lots of people have left a lasting mark, good Chinese or Thai. the lows. especially my co-directors and those I have met Drink: All of it! Although you can’t beat a good You are only as good as those you work with as part of developing the services portfolio. I blended Scotch or a malt when the mood is and that has never been truer than with my predon’t want to embarrass anyone or miss anyright. And a G&T always goes down well. vious PA, Sue Howe, who I have worked alongone out, but I’d like to pay tribute to my friend Car: I’m being pressured by Judy to get rid of side since she started at the BSSA in 2003. I’m Deven Thakrar, former CEO of Ellis Whittam. my mid-life crisis car (a Jaguar XJ8), which also really grateful for Kate Godber’s support He is someone who given a mandate to succeed is my pride and joy! Apparently we need to in recent months. in three years will make sure it happens. economise now I’m retiring! I’m currently As well as the staff, I’ve made a lot of friends (Oxford Summer School MD) Dom Prendeciding what my new car will be. in the independent sector and I am indebted to dergast also is someone that I have looked up to, Best holiday: Cyprus but that might change this community, which has helped me develop with all of his experience and knowledge within once Judy and I start travelling. my career. retail. The OSS is a crown jewel for bira and it Fave film: The most memorable film should be really treasured.

I’ve seen is Zulu. Otherwise I enjoy a But this wasn’t what you always Independent retailers who continue to sucgood thriller. Judy and I have very wanted to do? ceed, despite all the challenges, have continudifferent views on films!

No! I was set on being a professional footballer. ally inspired me too. I’ve served the industry for I played for Luton Town in their junior ranks as long as I have because of our members.

Bob Jarrett

Q

Personally speaking

Q

Q

Q 32

JULY/AUGUST 2018

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Discounts only available when financed by bira bank.

Call David or Frank on 0121 446 6688 to find out how much you can save and arrange your finance today.

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