Beat the Competition: Moss of Bath
Beating the competition Moss of Bath enjoys a very unique competitive position. “Bath doesn’t have out of town shopping centres. The city is surrounded by a green belt which is protected from this kind of development and this has resulted in a vibrant city centre. It is not only an attractive place to shop on account of its Georgian architecture but it is the only place to shop.” There is Richer Sounds store down the road but “they attract a different customer to us”. Also the nearby Sony Centre doesn’t take much business from Moss of Bath. Tim Moss is passionate about his business: “My work is not just a job. I really enjoy what I do”. However he argues that a successful retail business is founded on sound margins and the current problems of the electrical industry are destroying that life support system of the independent sector. “I believe that the reason we have been in existence for 49 years is because we don’t give things away. We strive to make a margin – and although a margin has become a dirty word – this is what keeps us in business.” The key to his success is the consistency with which the company offers top class customer service. “We are reviewing our customer service constantly to make it better than our competitors. I cannot beat them on price but I always beat them on service. “We make sure that the store always looks good and our website is up to date. But our staff is key. I often receive emails and text messages from our clients thanking our teams for the service they delivered.”
The indie business Tim admits that the recession is contributing to the decline of the independent sector. The turnover of his shop is down by approximately 15% year- on-year but installations are up by 30%. “I predict that this year less than half of
my turnover will be from the shop, the rest will come from custom install. The independent should look beyond the obvious. Most recently I have done an install job for a prison. “We need to find different ways of securing the business. In my case this is custom install. Remaining positive also helps. There is so much negativity around. I constantly hear from retailers I meet that
October 2011 The Independent Electrical Retailer 25
“There is a difference between shopkeepers and retailers. A shopkeeper opens the door in the morning and sits at the counter waiting for customers. A retailer goes out every day looking for business”
times are really tough. I ask whether they go out to find work and they say they don’t. I ask them whether they network and go to local business clubs – they answer no. They haven’t yet understood the days of waiting for a door to open are gone,” he exclaims. Tim’s wife, Annie Moss, responsible for the company’s marketing and PR, describes a promotion which they prepared when the store had a quiet period in March: “Using our database we offered the customers who bought a TV set from us a sound bar for free – on trial. We have received an excellent response to it, resulting in a high volume of sales.”
Online – a friend and a foe Tim does not compete with the internet. “We point out the negatives and promote the positives. If all a customer is interested in is price I suggest they buy online. If they need the same day delivery, after sales care, knowledge and a five year warrantee I can help them.”
Annie Moss adds: “ We don’t sell online. Our website is just another shop window for us. We regularly update it with news and once a month we put a new blog on
it. We also have a Twitter feed. We have photographs of the installations we conduct – so people can see the range of work we have done.”
The message for manufacturers Tim wishes to see “the proof that manufacturers recognise the expertise of the indies.” He believes that they should be offering retailers an incremental reward structure growing in line with the retailer’s commitment to the brand, including the physical store, demonstration, display and training.
He argues that the highly specified
products should be in limited distribution, as they require skills to sell.” If these products are available from a small number of elite stores, customers’ perception of them would be different. It would be easier to protect the margins. Some companies, such as Sonos or Bowers & Wilkins, won’t tolerate the online discounting and as a results their prices remain the same across various channels and their margins are stable. “Without margins there would not be electrical retailing,” concludes Tim. ■
Tim and Anne Moss
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