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CAROL BAXENDALE-POTTERMarketing and Product Development Manager of Scott Brothers, headquartered at Holmes Chapel in Cheshire
On The Move
company for 20 years, you build up some great relationships during that time. I will also miss the discount at Christmas! All my family and friends used to get Wedgwood or Royal Doulton for Christmas.
Where were you? I was working for WWRD (Waterford, Wedgwood, Royal Doulton), which was bought out by Fiskars a few years ago. My role was business and product development director for the Royal Doulton and Royal Albert brands. I decided to leave that business after 20 years
to take a bit of a break and have spent the past 12 months prior to joining Scott Brothers having time to myself and getting all those jobs done that I’ve been putting off for years. It also gave us the chance to get a much longed for dog for the first time ever, as we never had the time to devote to training and looking after a puppy.
And how did you get there? I spent 20 years within the Wedgwood organisation doing a few different roles but always within marketing and product development. I started with the Coalport figurines and then moved onto other brands such as Johnson Brothers and then latterly Royal Doulton and Royal Albert. I have always worked within marketing and
product development and always with consumer goods, having worked for Russell Hobbs small electricals, Twyford Bathrooms and Gainsborough Showers. I started my early career at BHS [British Home Stores] as a trainee store manager.
And where are you now? I have joined Scott Brothers as marketing and product development manager. As it is a small company, I have quite a lot of autonomy within this area. The company also has several different brands, so my role is to create a marketing and promotional plan to promote each of these brands. I will also be looking at the websites we own and looking at ways we can improve those.
What will you miss? It may sound a cliché but I will miss the people I worked with the most. Having worked in a
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What won’t you miss? The long decision-making process. When you work in such a big corporate organisation it can often take a long time for decisions to be made. This was one of the reasons that Scott Brothers excited me so much. It’s a relatively lean company and very swift on its feet, making decisions and changes when necessary.
What’s been the biggest change since you became involved in the housewares industry? Having worked in housewares for almost 30 years, I’ve seen many changes within that time: the main ones being the move of production from the UK to overseas and the Far East in particular. Also, the growth of the internet and the importance of having an online presence.
What’s been the biggest achievement of your career? I have been fortunate enough to work with a number of celebrities, such as Gordon Ramsay and Miranda Kerr. A real high point was when we signed up Miranda Kerr for Royal Albert because of her love for the product. The partnership generated double digit growth for the brand when it first launched.
High point of your career? Getting the chance to travel to LA to manage the photo shoot and press launch for the Miranda Kerr range.
And the low point? Probably the most difficult time was 10 years ago when the WWRD organisation went into administration. It was such an uncertain time - not just for the employees but also whether the brands would even survive. I’m glad to say that they did.
During your time in the housewares industry, what products have impressed you most and why? I have always admired Alessi. They have some beautiful designs, but also some fun designs. They really stretch the boundaries.
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Which housewares retailers do you most admire and why? I have always loved John Lewis, not just for housewares but for the range of products they sell. I also love Lakeland. Even my husband enjoys going in there because there is always some innovative gadget that every home must have.
Name one change you would make to the housewares industry. I would like the industry to be much more design-driven rather than price-driven.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in the housewares industry? Stay lean and mean and always aim to be innovative; to create a leading edge.
What do you do outside work to relax? My husband and I recently bought a motorhome, which is enabling us to explore this country more and take the new addition to the family - Archie the dog - with us.
Scott Brothers is the exclusive distributor of Packmate, which claims its vacuum storage bags ‘allow you to store up to four times more in your home. By removing air with a vacuum cleaner, the bags compress clothes and bedding, making it easier to store them’. Packmate is gearing up for the festive season with the launch of its ‘green zipper’ vacuum storage bags. The ‘green zipper’ feature works by having a blue and yellow zipper which turns green when fully sealed, giving the user peace of mind that the bag is completely sealed. For those travelling in search of winter sun or visiting loved ones this Christmas, Packmate Travel Roll Bags (pictured) are specially designed for people on the move. The user fills the bag, zips the top, rolls out the air and packs - with no vacuum cleaner needed. Scott Bothers is also the exclusive distributor in the UK and Ireland of the Honeywell domestic and commercial evaporative cooler range.
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December 2019
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