Best at doing everyday job
In October 2011, Aclands of Bridgwater was named the High Street Retailer of the Year in the D & G annual ROTY survey. Remarkably, Aclands won this accolade for the fourth time, securing this title also in 2003, 2008 and 2009. How did he achieve this? Anna Ryland asks Martyn Acland, the company’s owner.
Martyn Acland’s great grand-father who originally run a bookbinders and tobacconists, then a cycle shop which also sold radios. During the 1940s, Aclands began selling other electrical products. The company has traded from the present location, on the edge of the town centre, since 1932. Martyn began his professional life in London working in Lloyd's Register of Shipping as a statistician. His older brother was destined to succeed his father into retail but when he became ill Martyn joined the family business. By then he was “fed up” with London Aclands remains a family business, with both Martyn and his wife Venetia managing various aspects of the company. On the brown goods side, the company deals mainly with Philips, Toshiba and Samsung. “I try to keep away from the brands which are widely distributed by multiples,” explains Martyn. “I have Samsung in the store because it’s the most popular brand at the moment and it attracts young customers. I occasionally sell Samsung TVs without making any money on them.”
A clands was founded in 1896 by
Among the company’s DA brands are: Bosch, Siemens, AEG-Electrolux and Hotpoint. “We also deal with CIH agency brands such as Gorenje and Blomberg. They are not all over the internet and there is some margin left in these products.”
Customers vote with their feet….
Aclands’ customers live within 15-20 miles radius from the store. The majority of them are 45 plus. Some are very wealthy but the store also gets customers from the local council estate, some of whom come through a rent-buy scheme.
“Our customers are generally very loyal. However I noticed that we are losing customers who used to buy brown goods from us – now they are going to supermarkets for them. “We work very hard to capture youngsters to buy televisions from us but the majority of them buy online or at the supermarkets. Yet, we sell white goods to them. Young couples setting up new homes come to us for their cookers, washing machines or dishwashers. However, once they are over forty they want to be looked after.”
20 The Independent Electrical Retailer March 2012
With 116 years of retail presence in Bridgwater, the Aclands brand is well known. “We are not in the town centre so we don’t get much passing trade,“ comments Venetia Acland. “Since many shops disappeared from our street, when someone comes into the store we know that they’re looking to buy something.”
Customers who made a major electrical purchase voted Aclands the High Street Retailer of the Year in the D&G survey for the fourth time in 2011. It is the highest number of wins by any one store in the survey’s history. How do they get such customer recognition? “Our staff is the most important part of the business,” says Martyn. “They give the customers an excellent service and they have established a personal relationship with them.” Aclands have six full-time staff and one part-timer. “The majority of them have been with us for many years and they work very well as a team. Pay is not the reason why they stay with us for such a long time,” laughs Martyn.
Aclands have two engineers servicing
their brown goods. One of them has been with the company for 50 years. “He is my
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