p42-43 Know Feature mar20 17/3/09 17:26 Page 42
knowledge high street
ttglive.com
Agency shop tie-ups
Share options
pay dividends
In the current climate, sharing retail space with an established retailer could bring you
much-needed cost savings and stimulate joint marketing initiatives. Olivia Hemmings
talks to three agents who have done just that to find out what the opportunities are
otherwise. For example, one of their regular
COFFEE
clients came to us at the end of last year to
BOOKS & COFFEE
Elaine Carr, manager at
Nigel Armitage, managing director,
Premier Travel, Newmarket
book a two-week holiday to Malta which
Millington Independent, Leicester
came to £2,000. The central divide also
means we still have our side of the shop
Advantages window for our displays, and they have the Advantages
We have been established other half for anything they want to put up. We have been renting
here for 10 years but two space on the first floor of
years ago, after high Disadvantages Waterstones, alongside
increases in rent, we The biggest intrusion was when the shop Costa Coffee, for five
decided to look to rent was being refitted. The builders were noisy years and I would do it
out part of our floor and there was dust everywhere. It was chaos time and time again.
space. We decided on a coffee shop because at the time, but fortunately it only lasted a The advantage is being able to mix with
there weren’t many in the area so we hoped month. other types of business and benefit from the
it would bring in more business as well as Now the only issue that arises sometimes different footfall they bring. We’re an expan-
reduce the cost of bills. is when the coffee shop gets very busy with sion of Costa’s coffee lounge where people
We work together in other ways too. They parents whose children run around. We relax and dream about holidays! The set-up
display our brochures with their newspapers have a toy box in our office which they’re offers customers a shopping “experience”,
so that customers can browse our material quick to find! providing a sort of one-stop-shop.
when they sit down. In return we display The cafe’s set-up means that by law it It definitely helps being affiliated to well-
their menus in our office. doesn’t have to provide toilets. However, we known brands like Waterstones and Costa be-
Now, when our customers are deciding allow their customers to use our staff toilets cause some of that reputation rubs off on us.
whether to go ahead and book, we suggest if they need to. As they are in our back We are also able to run joint initiatives
they pop “next door” to think about it over office, we always have to accompany them which are mutually beneficial. For example,
a coffee. It’s much easier to encourage them because our personal items are kept there. we have done a few promotional travel film
back to confirm a booking when they are nights where we’ve put up a screen and
still on the premises, than when they leave Verdict: Sharing space with another outlet invited customers to find out more about
altogether. is definitely a good move for independent a destination. Costa has stayed open and
Both premises are accessed by the same agents to help with costs. Premier Travel benefited from this custom too. We’ve also
door which is in the middle of the shop paid for the refit of the shop in order to printed leaflets which Waterstones gives out
front. That means we get their clients walk- retain complete control over all the elements. to customers when they purchase a book.
ing through our office which sometimes I would recommend that others thinking of From a cost perspective, we probably save
attracts custom we wouldn’t have got setting up this way do the same. between 30-40% on rent. And, of course, we
42 20.03.2009
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76