Drumming up eco awareness


Paul Mead, Retra board member and managing director of Michael R Peters, on celebrations, conference highlights, sustainability, social media and selling direct.


Retra is celebrating its 80th birthday this year. The party started on the eve of the Retra conference, with food and drink in abundance, but, more importantly, it was all about the people.


Upcycle We then took a different view. Looking at the huge amount of washing machines that were going to the scrap yard on a weekly basis, we decided to upcycle some, to see if there was a market for a fire-pit-cum-garden-incinerator. It’s early days, but we have a waiting list, Splashing the info


on our A-frame outside the shop and having one in the window, complete with old oven shelf, frying pan and plastic eggs, has created a real talking point. They are £35 a pop, with a donation going towards our local hospital, and they are really starting to sell well. This then prompted us to push the sales of greener washing machines that are A-rated and use less energy, which is very topical, with increased energy costs. So, we made a green washing machine, linked it to the Beko and Blomberg brands, which use recycled plastic bottles to make the outer drum, and posted it on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Euronics has recently supplied us with some window banners, posters and in-store POS to promote saving energy and water, as sustainable materials. It’s certainly got some customers asking questions and being


more conscious of eco-friendly products. Underestimate


What a great turn out from key manufacturers and Retra


members, all enjoying a beer, catching up and putting the industry to rights.


It was peculiar to be meeting old friends face-to-face again,


rather than over Zoom. The next day was the conference, which had a great spread of


presentations from Google to GfK stats. Sony and BSH both gave interesting presentations, and the


retail and industry panels answered some challenging questions. Chatting to others in the industry is always a winner during the breaks and lunch.


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I am sure over the coming months we will focus on other elements of our business to make us greener and save money


Challenged Howard Saycell challenged the industry in his opening speech, with regards to sustainability and a greener future. This got us thinking on a more local level with our business. We upgraded many of our store lights to LED several months


ago. We have not taken the plunge to install solar panels, but it’s certainly on the radar. We did look to replace one of our vans with an electric


version, but, sadly, when we crunched the numbers, it really didn’t make sense. I am sure over the coming months we will focus on other elements of our business to make us greener and save money.


Social media was another point that came up at the Retra conference.


Don’t underestimate how well you can build your brand locally


by using platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and TikTok. We are no experts but have had sales results just by posting


things that we think are the norm, but customers may not be aware you stock or indeed service. A simple example of this was when we posted a TV on a trolley


stand. Another business viewed the post and ordered two trolley stands, stating that they didn’t realise we sold them.


Selling direct A hot topic also raised at the Retra Conference was manufacturers selling direct to customers.


I have always been against this and believe that manufacturers should manufacturer and retailers should retail. Many manufacturers already sell direct to customers. How successful this is, we will probably never know. I guess one of the hardest pills to swallow is how independent


electrical retailers invest in a brand as it starts trading, achieve great sales, only for some global decision to be made where the supplier then decides to cut us out of the loop. Voucher offers and exclusive models undercut what is available,


and, inevitably, our customers start to think we have lost the plot. This could result in a nail in our coffin. Please treat us with the respect we deserve – we have invested years in building both our brand and yours. Together let’s make sure that your business partners are sustainable and have a level playing field to work on.


Retra Board Member 31


Retra Board Member


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