SPORTS-DEC09-P28:SGBGolf_NEW_template 24/12/09 11:45 Page 28
The back page
Arkwright
Trading Intelligence
Shop name: Original Sports
Location: 193-195 Leigh Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex SS9 1JE
The Independent Voice
Owner: Tim & Donna Guppy
Opened: September 2005
Affiliation: STAG
Number of staff: 6
T
here are times when I think customers divulge far too much Speciality: Running, Racketsports, Rugby & Fitness
information, and at other times they completely mislead you. I
began to feel a little awkward when a chap came into the shop
and launched into a story about how his wife just couldn’t get the hang
of it. “I’ve told her,” he said, “If you can’t grip it, give it a good tug,
then relax, you’ll never enjoy it nor be any good at it”. While my mind
was thinking, ‘please don’t tell me anymore’, my lips remained closed.
“So that’s why I’m here, I need something to help her,” he continued,
before pausing. Then he added “Grippo! I think that should do the
job”. I didn’t flinch but wondered what this poor woman had to put up
with at home when he barked the orders. “Would that be a tube or
pot?” I enquired calmly. “Let’s start with a tube. If it works for her I’ll
tell the rest of the bell ringers”. Now why couldn’t he have explained
that at the beginning? Campanology, the next Olympic sport, perhaps?
Virtual friends
It’s amazing how one’s popularity increases with a website. If this
attention translated into my sales figures increasing I wouldn’t have a
problem, but unfortunately the attention comes from other ‘businesses’
with offers of what they claim they can do for me and that, generously,
they’ll only charge a small fee. The number of times I’ve been offered
Original edition: (from l to r) Dan Matthews, Tim Guppy and son Ben
ways of enhancing and optimising my rating - if they could all deliver on
their proposals I would probably exceed the top of the Google tree and Not a lot of people know this about my shop, but...
be propelled into cyber stardom. Our premises was formally an art gallery, and it lends itself perfectly as a
specialist destination sports shop. With high ceilings, specialist lighting
Snookered and a welcoming feel the shop definitely has that ‘wow’ factor. In the
I am glad to see snooker is set to reinvent itself with the help of Barry four years since we opened we have earned an enviable reputation as
Hearn, but it can’t just be a spectator sport. If people are going to be the leading ‘real sports’ shop in the area.
encouraged to watch snooker, they need to be able to play the game
too. Where can young ones, if they do follow the sport, go to emulate How is business at the moment?
their heroes? Tables are often in licensed premises from which General trading is tough. We have a capable and enthusiastic team and
youngsters are banned, and old-style youth clubs are practically extinct, we work hard at establishing links with local clubs, schools and larger
having given up the fight to meet the plethora of rules and regulations employers etc. In other words we are constantly reminding the area’s
that bind their premises and their volunteers. sporting community of our existence.
Tobacco may once have been glamorous but it is no longer an
acceptable sponsor, so it has been replaced by a brand of pies. What’s What has been the greatest success for your shop over the
more, you can win your body weight in them; what an image! How past 12 months?
long will it be until Jamie Oliver objects? Attention to detail and refining customer service is on-going, and this
was recognised this year when we won ‘best retailer’ in the Southend
area business awards.
What recent supplier initiative has been successful recently?
Sadly, I can’t think of one successful initiative this year. This is where
independents, particularly the smaller operators, need help. Running a
small business usually means you have very few people and limited
resources to discuss and implement marketing and promotional ideas.
The brands could do a great deal more to help their stockists.
What will be the biggest challenge for your shop over the next
12 months?
Maintaining income, margin and keeping expenditure under control,
while at the same time keeping a look out for unique opportunities that
will give us that vital edge.
Simply irresistible: Pukka’s Tim Storer (left) with the Leicester firm’s local
www.originalsports.co.uk
snooker pro, Mark Selby
28 SGB SPORT DECEMBER 2009/JANUARY 2010
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