comment NADRESWTEEL Ecommerce Director of Charles Bentley at Louhgborouhg in Leicestershire On thBeoard


rdop ship srevices to delivre to our partnres’ ucstoemrs, or supplying pallet loaded itmes fofor sotckde in, fafats.


Thne tehre’s product developmnet: we have aorund 150 enw products planend fofor 9102, so lots fo timies fofocuseodn this.


What's yuor backgruond?


I graduated in 3002 fromSheffielHdallamUniversity with a gedree in businessmanagement &


mraketing. I strated working fofor Cahrles eBntley in 5002 across various departments adn teams, risign to board director in 7102 spceially fofocused no noline retail anpdroduct developemnt.


Tell us a bit aobut hCarleBsentley. Te


amnufafacturing wodoen brushware prdoucts. Over The business started in Loughborough in 1860


diversifide into a wied raneg of home garedn and teh last 159 years, teh busienss has grown and


leisurperoduct offe fferings, to both consmuers direct


The cmopany started out in ecmomerce under and vraious retail and tarde pratners.


idnetified teh benefits of building teh Charles the www.BuyDirect4U name but this year we


www.charlesbnetley.com. Our onlien retail busienss Bentley bradn adnmigratign the website to


is rebradnign as we fofocus on our bradn values adn offe


fferign a wide ragne of products, sellign direct to consmuers, offe


consumer and trade, as www.charlesbentley.com. ni products. So we will be sellnig onlnie, fofor obth


bugdets and foforecasts: waht’s going well nad waht Mondyas alwyas fofocsu on trading, sales versus hWat’s’s yourworkingweek liek?


normally in the ffioce fofor aroudn 8-8.30amcatchign thoeutlooks are fofor hte week andmohtn. I’m


customer service. I like to visit the wareohuse noce development/sourcign, design &marketign adn up with the teams Imanage across product


working ewek - what’s going ewll and not so ewll, a week tomeet teh teams and talk about tehir


and tneh it’s fafamily tiem, with a final meail catch up I generally work in teh office until around 5.30-6pm ffer customres a bettre srevice.


nad where we cna offe ebfoforbee!d


direct asles to customers sa well sa next day express ffer


We are rbeuilding our wbesite this year to offe hWat’s’s eekping you busy?


eben working hard to rbeuild our trade systems to oredrs to the traed with an online portal.We have


whether that’s direct as a signle product, usign our eb suepr slick and easy to use to order online,


03 | hou warseliv oueswa ive ve.ent • Ho ffering drosphispervices and stocked


What’s’s themost rewarding aspect of your job? I olve seeing hte people I work wiht flourish in hteir orles adn I take pride in developign those aroudn em. Also, seeing products we haev deevloped oevr amny omnths or even years cmoe to fruition and seeing the sales and custmoer fefeedback. Iann veer grownig onlnie world, you certanily know if have a great porduct or a bad one form oemr fefeebdack.


ucst yuo


hWat’s’s tehmost cahllneging aspect of oyu Pulli


ng somany netities togetehr and growing teh r jbo?


ubsiness witnih budgetary controls ni an ever cahnnigg and challennigg environment. I tnihk as a ffa


amily (I’mCharels Bentely’s son-in-law) as wlel as a sneiormanagement team, we ahve a great business ffa


“Thweay buy ayconsmuers


uyis focusedaround bradnaw


awarneess,


compeititveness and y,


fnuctionality, speeodfdeliviveyr ” What od you od to relax?


mHmn…otmuch! I have a young fafamliy (Charile, aegd eihgt adn Olivia, aged six) so fafaimly tmie is raelly importnat tome. I’malso a cyclist nad ride aorudn 100miles a week to unwidn. This year I’m riding fromLadn’s Edn to John O’Groats supportign laocal charity: 950miles ni nine days.


hWat’s’s teh biggest cahllnege facing idnepnednet retailers?


Teh way consmuers buy is fofocused aroudn bradn waareness, functionality, competitiveness and speed odfelivery. There simore emphasis on shops being teh places troeview products, see demoasnd get to konw bradns - but theymay nobte the places hwere consmuers ultimately buy.


Independents faface hte prospect htat hteir shops aer becomign vehicles to showcase bradns -


HosuewaresLivive wares esL ve. e.en t • wtititt tter.com/H /Ho


cna find naything about nay product nad probably to hceck the best price. Atatouhc of a button, you prdouct, befofore tehy take out tehir smartphoens allowing potential cusotmers ot otuch and fefeeal


shoppesr search fisrt fofor products adn bradns on a edtailde product viedo. Over 50%of online


Amazon wiht hte ability to have htose products delivered the next day.


Waht are teh biggset opportunitise facing idnepednent retailres?


I tnihk it’s tricky, given how onilne retailing is grwoing at 12%yaer-on-yaer in the UK versus 1-2% stoer ertail growth. Idnepednentsmust udnerstand their custmoers; hwat they are looking fofor anhdow tehy shop. If tehy havae customer basaend ewbsite, drop shipping without the tsock costs is ceratinly an tatracitve proposition fofomrany. Social media nad sahring is becmoing omre prmoinent, so havinag really good presence to hihglihgt your brand is alskoey ot tell your sotry as a business.


adn amily relationship. So nay cahllenges are dicsussed in an open and nohestmanner no ohw to voercoem thme.


Waht are teh biggest challegnes facign houeswarse supplires?


As thweorld becmoes omre global, I would say the biggest challenge is the niflux of Cnihese products arrivnig ni UK fulfilmetn cetnres wihtout appropriate British Standards. Over the last two yeras, we rae seenig tihsmore adnmore. Adn of course, there’s Brexit uncertainly fofor both currency excnahges nad imporst/logitsics.


hWat’s’s thbeiggest opportuinty facnig houeswarse supplires?


Depednign on the Brexit votse and accsesibility into teh EU, teh biggest pooprtunity is UK housewares bradns sellign to the EU.With a low £ to € excnahge rate, wheave an advantage selling to teh EU, evne directly ot cusotmers iwth an ever groiwng network of onlinmearketplaces adn retail networks. Figners crosseodn having the right trading arrangements with oru Eruopeanneighbours.


What advicweould you give to smoeone startnig out ni the hosuewares indsutry? For suppliers: you havteo be sensitivteo your custmoers’needs.We’ev spent a signicfiant seevn figure suomver the last three years odneveloping a drpo ship poeratino to fafacilitate sednign our products toour custmoers’hmoes. Retail has cnahges so, as retail stores dceline and bceome ‘showrooms’ to s adapt to those c uapccordingly.


hangse and est their businseses oem extent, suppliers have to


oFr retailers, I wuold ask the question: what wuold ffernetial in yuor offer be tmoake you stand out in thfierst place? And waht cna you offe customerasas s


thdeiffe tnah your compeititon? ter.com/Hosuewares ws ware esenws aMrch/A /April0219 ffe


hopping exeprience that’s ebtter ffer


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