retailer profile: Crampton & Moore


customer base because of the high retail price of sets, Rob saw the opportunity to market them online, to a more wealthy customer base. “We got into the internet really early, as


a way of marketing the business for these expensive TVs,” Rob said. “We were marketing to well-heeled people who appreciated the convenience of buying online but still wanted excellent customer service. “We got a reputation for supplying top end


TV’s – they were so expensive that few dealers were stocking them.” John Moore retired in 2003 and Rob bought the business from his father, which coincided with his marriage to Mel, and the couple had their first child on the way. In 2010, Crampton & Moore acquired three


Theo Moore, June Moore, John Moore, Rob Moore, Daniel Moore and Mel Moore


“The store needed something more than rows of TVs and appliances”


Crampton & Moore opened its new 6,500sq ſt store – just a stone’s throw away from the junction 36 of the M1 in Sheffield, and Simon King was there to meet Rob Moore, the retailer’s managing director


E


stablished in 1966, Crampton & Moore is a traditional independent


electrical retailer operating from its shops in Yorkshire. The retailer was also an early pioneer in internet trading. Speaking insider the company’s superb new


superstore, Rob Moore, the son of co-founder, John Moore, said: “My father started the business and like a lot of independents, he was a TV engineer. “His partner Roy Crampton was also a TV


engineer and they started buying old TVs, repairing them and renting them. They opened a little shop in Rotheram, and then moved to Sheffield a couple years later.” Rob joined the business in 1990, with two shops in suburban locations in Sheffield,


18 | www.ierdaily.co.uk


catering for local customers. “In the mid 1990s, the company started


to struggle,” Rob said. “TV prices were under pressure, from supermarkets and general retailers who were entering the market.” Then, in 1997, the retailer had a major fire at one of its shops during a bungled break-in. “The lease was up so we decided to close it,


so we were down to one shop in Ecclesfield,” he added “We looked at what we were going to do. The


internet was just getting going and plasma TVs were in their infancy, so I started to market them at £10,000 – we had some really good years with this product and it probably saved the business to be honest.” While plasma TVs appealed to a limited


Winter 2023/24


Panasonic Stores, including the UK’s largest Panasonic Store in Doncaster. The other stores were located in Leeds and Harrogate. “Because we were doing well with Panasonic,


we were asked about Panasonic Stores,” Rob said. “The Panasonic Store in Doncaster was 5,000sq ft and when another retailer ran into trouble we were asked to take on stores in Leeds and Harrogate. We eventually expanded our range and it made sense to change the shops to Crampton & Moore multi-brand stores.” During Covid, Rob said that business was


“amazing”. “We had a large order from 10 Downing Street


for Samsung 43in TVs, we presume for online meetings,” Rob said. “The growing reputation of the business meant that we were dealing with new customers from all round the country.” “When 10 Downing Street opened its new media presentations room, we were asked to supply a LG screen there too. Rob was happy with the strength of the company online, but really wanted a new large store, to showcase the latest product ranges and offer unparalleled availability to our traditional


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