RETAILER FOCUS FEATURE


ProCook


Daniel O’Neill, founder and CEO of kitchenware retailer, ProCook spoke to Housewares Magazine about the business’ plans for 2023 as it looks to expand its retail portfolio.


What is new from ProCook this year? Daniel O’Neill: We are continuing our plans to expand our retail portfolio further as we’ve found it’s a great way to build our brand, and with many customers returning to bricks and mortar it makes sense. We’ve recently opened our 58th store at the Bentall Centre in Kingston in February and looking at other locations for FY24. We have some fantastic new knife, tableware and cookware ranges on the horizon and possibly most excitingly we’re entering the small kitchen electricals market. The ProCook Cookery school recently celebrated its first birthday and


we’re looking forward to building on that this year too. We have learnt so much in the first year of running the school and have reached an exciting stage where we feel confident to explore pushing the format as much as possible, so expect more content, more classes and more delicious food!


What are consumers looking for in their cookware? Daniel O’Neill: Customers are still looking for longevity, quality and performance, but increasingly people are becoming savvy about choosing cookware that fits their lifestyle. Although buying cookware sets often comes with a cost saving, it can lead to you not having exactly what you need for your kitchen. ProCook wants its customers to be able to get exactly what they need


at great value prices, so we now allow customers to build their own sets, choosing pieces and materials that suit their needs. ‘Build a Set’ offers a similar saving as our standard sets. It really works well, especially in store where people can easily visualise how they will use different cookware pieces.


as opposed to doing multiple washes a day in a smaller washer.” “On the other hand, we typically say that a refrigerator will use the most amount of electricity in a household as it is required to be powered 24/7, to avoid defrosting and risking any foods or liquids going mouldy or past their best. There are, however, many ways in which you can reduce the energy consumption on your fridge or fridge-freezer, without having to switch it off. For example, by ensuring your refrigerator appliances are set to the optimum settings or not leaving the door open for longer than necessary. It may sound simple, but many homeowners don’t know how much energy any of their appliances generate – in fact, lots of people are causing more damage than good when it comes to switching up their household chores and appliances in their efforts to cut down on energy bills. Some may be cutting back on dishwasher usage to prioritise washing by hand, yet if that requires multiple bowls full of water with a lot of dirty pots, the dishwasher can be the better option,” he adds. Transparency


With the cost-of-living crisis, how will you adapt your offering to suit consumer needs? Daniel O’Neill: We’re certainly looking at our cost price carefully. We’ll work hard with our suppliers to try to reduce prices where possible and limit increases to protect our retail prices to customers. We’ll also review our supply chain costs and look for efficiencies.


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“Businesses can absolutely provide help on the cost-of-living crisis on its website and through its customer service to ensure support is available when needed. By providing transparent information on energy usage, costs and energy savings, consumers will have more trust and loyalty to these brands and will likely return to purchase later down the line,” says Bhatoye. “Unfortunately, the cost-of-living crisis is not going away any time soon, and we predict that in 2023, consumers will be looking for even more support from businesses in the year. In order to stay ahead of the


You received a certification as a B Corporation last year, how will you continue your environmental practices this year? Daniel O’Neill: Our B Corp certification was an incredible milestone, and a recognition that came off the back of the hard work of everyone at ProCook to make the company more sustainable. Alongside our sustainability goals and the roadmap we are creating to reach Net Zero emissions, our membership of B Corp provides a stringent framework by which we can measure ourselves. It’s more than just an accreditation - it is informing our ongoing strategy. This year, as previously, our main focus will be to continually work on


reducing our carbon footprint. Within that there are lots of moving parts including our goals to move to 100% plastic free packaging, and our move to a new office and warehouse space which is much more energy efficient.


What were your highlights of 2022? What will you do differently this year?


“Right now, it is our number one priority to help the nation to understand how to best use their appliances.”


Daniel O’Neill: B Corp certification was obviously a huge highlight in 2022 but we were also ranked among the UK’s Best Workplaces which was a fantastic achievement. We broke ground at our new HQ and have been watching the building come together. We hired a new CMO, Angela Porter, who has brought her considerable expertise to take us to new heights. Each year brings new challenges so it’s hard to compare, but I feel that this year we’re in a strong position to build upon our successes from 2022 – we will still be focused on helping people discover or grow their passion for cooking through the quality of our range and the amazing value it offers.


What are your goals for 2023? How will you achieve them? Daniel O’Neill: A big challenge for us this year is managing the move to our new HQ & warehouse. Our operations and logistics teams are working tirelessly to make it a smooth transition. We have a similar focus as last year in terms of strategy –strengthening our core pillars within the business, refining our customer offering and getting the word out about ProCook to a wider audience – we’re still the UK’s best secret.


curve, retailers and suppliers should use their voices of authority to put out clear, concise, and transparent messaging to their customers, to let them know that there’s support there for them. Consumers understand the importance of analysing energy usage on their appliances and will be making much more considered purchases than in previous years. Therefore, businesses should be prepared to work collaboratively with consumers to help them understand energy usage and find the best solutions for their purchase needs. It could also be that shoppers look more towards high-street retail purchases, feeling more peace of mind and confidence shopping with the support of a sales assistant,” he concludes.


January/February 2023 | 29 March/April 2023 | 29


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