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Monday February 5 2018 THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM, BIRMINGHAM
RICHARD GILBERT Senior Head of Foodservice at Eddingtons, headquartered at Hungerford in Berkshire On the road I
n March, housewares supplier Eddingtons acquired selected assets, including stock and IP, from fellow
distributor Gilberts. Richard Gilbert, the managing director of
Gilberts, joined Eddingtons with immediate effect to head up its expanded Foodservice Division. Family firm Gilberts was founded in the
1950s when the company began to import catering equipment and cookware from across the globe to meet the needs of both foodservice customers and consumers throughout the UK. Richard spent 38 years at Gilberts. He starting
in stores and packing before moving up through outside sales, then marketing and purchasing, before taking over the running of the business in 1998 following the retirement of his father, John Gilbert. At the time of the acquisition
announcement, Richard said: “In challenging economic times there is real merit in pooling resources, and I’m delighted to be joining the Eddingtons team who I’ve known personally for a number of years. “I’m excited at the opportunity to head up an
expanded foodservice business and look forward to continuing to work with our customers and suppliers.” Two months on, Richard updates us on his
new role:
How do you spend an average day? Working through and prioritising early emails before setting off for customer visits or to the office.
What brands do you represent? Tried and trusted Eddingtons brands such as Lodge Cast Iron, Epicurean Cutting Surfaces,
and Eddingtons’ own innovative ranges of trolleys, bar and glassware. In addition, many of Gilberts' brands have
been transferred across including: Rosseto (food display), Gustav Emil Ern (chef’s knives), Kisag (cream whippers) and Zassenhaus (mills).
Which of ‘your’ products do you use? I’ve always tried products before introducing them into our ranges. Epicurean cutting boards, Gustav Emil Ern knives and Valira Aire pans are among my favourites.
Best aspect of your job? I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of introducing new ranges to current and potential customers. So, after spending many years doing a desk job, I’m looking forward to getting out a lot more.
And the worst? Getting stuck in traffic.
What do you do outside work? I try to keep active by managing my daughter's football team and helping to coach my son's team; playing cricket; watching sport; and spending as much time as possible with my family.
Biggest issue facing the housewares industry? The continuing loss of independents on the high street, resulting in a lack of real choice for the consumer and a concentration of big brands in big stores.
Biggest challenges facing retailers and suppliers? The fallout from Brexit continues. Suppliers have had to absorb a lot of additional costs
resulting from the weakness of sterling, as retailers have put pressure on suppliers not to increase prices.
And the biggest opportunities? There are millions of consumers who could be educated to cut down their intake of ready meals in exchange for preparing and cooking fresh meals for themselves. Whenever I have the opportunity to show an
overseas supplier a snapshot of our industry, I always take them to a supermarket first. They are usually staggered when they see
metre upon metre dedicated to meals you can pop in the microwave or oven - something you very rarely see overseas. This naturally reduces our opportunity to sell housewares. If anyone has a magic formula for how to address this trend, please let me know!
What advice would you give to someone starting out in the housewares industry? If you’re starting a shop, ensure you make it a real destination and create a sense of theatre. Due to price comparisons on the internet,
impulse purchases will drive sales. So having something different, in visually stimulating surroundings, will help to part consumers from their hard-earned cash.
Eddingtons’ Epicurean cutting boards and Gustav Emil Ern knives (transferred from Gilberts) are among Richard’s favourite products
Fifteen Years Ago this month in Housewares Magazine….
• The 2002 Housewares Business Centre (HBC) Datapack reported that the UK housewares market was worth £1.47bn at rsp excluding VAT in 2001 – up 7.5% on 2000 by value and even more by volume.
• May trade show Exclusively Housewares in London was booked out, with 80 suppliers due to exhibit, including latest signings Kenwood and Brabantia.
• To commemorate Arthur Price’s centenary, the supplier gave away a £15,000 Land Rover Freelander in a competition.
• William Levene was targeting football fans with a World Cup promotion on its Ken Hom woks and grill pans.
• KitchenAid revealed that it had trebled its UK sales of stand
mixers in the past year, from 4,000 in 2000 to 12,000 in 2001. It estimated that around a third of sales were due to the influence of TV cook Nigella Lawson, who used the product on screen.
• Edinburgh department store Jenners (now part of House of Fraser) won our Mystery Shopper report on the Scottish capital, beating Frasers, Houseproud of Morningside, Ross Cookshop, Grays of George Street and Studio One Cookshop for combining ‘an excellent range with friendly service’.
• Trevor Mottram cookshop in the Kent town of Tunbridge Wells announced plans to almost double in size by taking over the adjacent 1,300sq ft premises.
Source: Housewares Magazine May 2002
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