Business News Business News Latest news from Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce By John Lamb
Selfridges, housed in Birmingham’s most recognisable building, have become the first winners of Greater Birmingham Chambers’ retail award. They received their award at the Chamber’s annual dinner, attended by 1,000 guests at the ICC. The award was created to recognise the huge strides Birmingham has made as an outstanding shopping centre and Selfridges clinched it through the £20 million transformation of its store. The store, home to 100,000
product lines and over 700 brands, made the investment over three years to ensure it would remain among the top shopping destinations in the city. Since the redevelopment, the
business had grown more than 25 per cent and over the past 18 months there has been a significant increase in the number of customers visiting the store for the first time. The store also started
showcasing Birmingham’s community and culture, including art, music, drama and fashion. Adam Hockney, general manager
of Selfridges Birmingham, said: “The overall vision of the store is to be the creative heart of retail in Birmingham. Over the next three years, the instore development, local partnerships and by working alongside the community we will make Selfridges the ultimate retail destination in the city.” Great Escape Cars, who control a
fleet of classic cars, won the excellence in social media prize having grown from £250,000 in 2012 to £500,000 in 2015 with an expected turnover of £750,000 this year. The core business of the
Redditch-based company is restoring classic cars and supplying them for corporate events. They also won a contract to supply a large number of classic cars for a major BBC TV series. Graham Eason, Great Escape
Cars director, said: “Our fleet of cars remain the bedrock of the business because they are a major and appreciating financial asset. “The turnover of my business is
entirely reliant on social media and internet marketing. We do no other promotion – everything we do emanates online. “Our social media is based
around the principles of awareness, engagement, interest and action.”
6 CHAMBERLINK May 2016
Full list of winners
Excellence in international business Sponsor: CH2M
ATP ATRS Ltd: ATP is a Cannock based business which is a re-manufacturer of automatic transmissions and vehicle electronics. The company exports all over the world – exports makes up two thirds of its business, and its products are shipped to some 35 countries.
Excellence in retail Sponsor: West Midlands Forces’ & Cadets’ Association
Selfridges Birmingham: Over the past three years Selfridges has been undertaking the transformation of its store through a £20 million “masterplan” of redevelopment, overhauling its shopping experience for customers. The store is home to more than 100,000 product lines and over 700 brands.
Excellence in social media Sponsor: ADI Group
Great Escape Cars: Their core product is classic car hire and have grown from £250,000 in 2012 to a projected turnover of £750,000 this year. A contract to supply a number of classic cars to major BBC TV series has been renewed each year from 2013 and social media and on- line marketing have been critical in their growth.
Adam Hockney: Vision for Selfridges to be the creative heart of Birmingham
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