Business

Bargain buying for the budget-conscious

Andrew Diprose is the founder and editor of dorsetbiznews.co.uk, the No.1 business website in the county with more than 25,000 unique users

SECONDHAND SUCCESS: Jo Spolton and, left, Sam Turner of Rumage

Jo Spolton and Sam Turner are on a mission... to make buying secondhand a badge of honour. The Dorset duo are cofounders of Rumage, a website which makes it easier to buy secondhand. That’s because it gathers information from 15 sites to find the bargain for you. Originally launched as 2Hand in 2018 to help people make their money go further, the venture rebranded to Rumage earlier this year. While secondhand marketplaces have boomed in recent years, it seems the online experience is turning people off. According to research by Rumage, only one in five people look at more than three websites when buying secondhand. Two in five say they would buy more secondhand if if was easier online and nearly half liked the sustainability of secondhand shopping. But many gave up and bought new if a secondhand item was not found within a fortnight. Now, though, with the cost of living crisis testing many household budgets to the limit, buying secondhand is expected to become even more popular. Jo, a mum of two and the CEO of Rumage, said: “I want to help people find what they need and remove the stigma of secondhand. “I want to make it a badge of honour to grab a bargain. “Something to be proud of and shout about. “I’m on a mission to make secondhand a viable first choice for everyone.” Jo, 50, and Sam, 53, who is chief marketing officer, said that with so many platforms offering secondhand items, Rumage gave people more of a chance to make moneysaving choices by bringing them all together. But it also has a positive impact on the environment as extending the life-cycle of a product puts less strain on the planet and slows down the rate of consumption. Using Rumage, a simultaneous search can be made for secondhand products – from bikes and appliances to clothes and home furnishings – across a diverse range of marketplaces. So far Rumage is connected to 15 sites but working behind the scenes on many more. The service is free. No payment is taken for items shown on rumage.com. Instead Rumage displays what’s on offer and enables users to find what they need without the hassle of searching all the sites individually. All transactions happen outside of Rumage which gets its income from agreements with many of the linked sites. Commission is earned when an item is purchased. Rumage also has several free guides to secondhand

New partner for ‘busier than ever’ law firm

by Andrew Diprose

Expanding law firm Frettens Solicitors has welcomed a new partner. James Hammersley, right, becomes the eighth new partner in the last three years and his arrival follows a period of rapid growth, promotions and new starters at the Christchurch-based firm. The experienced solicitor will head up Frettens’ wills, tax and trusts team in Christchurch. Fellow partner Lee Young heads up the Ringwood team. Matthew Fretten, managing partner, as a whole are bigger and busier than they’ve ever been. “Attracting a new partner of his expertise and experience is a real coup for us and, I believe, shows how we are now seen as a genuine alternative to the large regional firms in the area.” James joins Frettens from a large regional firm, where he was a partner and head of team. As well as advising clients on wills, powers of attorney and probate, he can also provide advice on technical tax and estate planning matters.

Rubicon celebrates Ruby anniversary

Wholly employee-owned recruitment consultancy Rubicon – one of just four in the UK – has traded successfully for 40 years and is celebrating its Ruby anniversary. Lloyd Banks, original founder, and current managing director of Rubicon People Partnership said: “We’re understandably proud of this. “As well as supporting local businesses with recruitment and staff solutions for 40 years from May, we’re also within a couple of weeks of celebrating Rubicon’s first full year of 100% employee ownership.” Rubicon’s senior management team shares more than 130 years of specific recruitment industry experience.

Airport flying high

by Andrew Diprose

Bournemouth Airport is celebrating the start of the holiday season with no fewer than nine sunshine destinations restarting this month. The airport’s largest operator, TUI, has just launched its summer season with the choice of getaways ranging from relaxing in Rhodes to kayaking in Kefalonia. Bournemouth Airport is offering a total of 33 destinations in 16 countries. It has had a successful recruitment drive in preparation for the peak season. The first week of May has seen the start of six TUI services to Greece and Spain including Crete, Corfu and Zante, Kefalonia, Menorca and Rhodes. Later this month TUI starts flights to Ibiza and Antalya and Dalaman in Turkey. Steve Gill, MD of Bournemouth Airport, said: “This really does mark the start of the holiday season for us and we’re delighted that TUI is once again offering such a diverse range of destinations from Bournemouth. “Passengers have an excellent choice available from their local airport and we’re already seeing many bookings back to pre-pandemic levels and in some cases even better. “We’re looking forward to a busy 2022 and can’t wait to welcome passengers back.”