PARTNER PROFILE B
athroom & Plumbing Superstore opened 18 years ago, growing out of an existing plumber’s merchant, Plumbwell. B&PS Managing Director Tony Milbery explains that his father and a business partner opened the latter some 35 years ago, before the opportunity came to open B&PS as a different type of plumbers’ merchant, focussing more on bathrooms in a showroom setting.
Since then, B&PS has grown, helped by its membership of NBG, he says. “We started with one trade counter, and a nice-sized showroom. Over the years we’ve slowly grown, and have been opening a new branch every two or three years.” Partnership of NBG came along about five years ago. Milbery says: “Since joining NBG we haven’t looked back. We were at five branches when we joined, and we’re now up to nine. With the pricing structure we get with NBG and the rebates, it’s helped us massively to expand the business. They’ve given us the opportunity to invest back into the business, which we’ve done over the last five years.“ The branches are all in the south-east, with the Head Office in Croydon; the latest branches opened in Rochester, Tonbridge, and Billingshurst, West Sussex.
Milbery says: “The main way that NBG has supported our growth, and the cultural change that that entails, is the financial support through rebates. Our margins are so much better now than they were five years ago before joining NBG. It’s also a very family-orientated buying group. The people we speak to on a weekly basis are almost competitors due to the proximity of their branches to ours, but we’re all friends. If anyone needs anything it only takes a quick phone call. We all get on really well and we’re all open to helping each other out. It was actually a company only five minutes away from us that recommended us to NBG. It also helps having someone on your doorstep knowing exactly what they’re buying at. Then you know that you have to compete on service and delivery, and all the other stuff that goes into a trading relationship. You don’t get bogged down in price competition.”
Milbery and four colleagues took over the business from his father seven years ago, having all been involved in the company for some time. “So, we had our base set-up with five people who had known each other a very long time, and have expanded from that. There are nine branches and seven of the branch managers were trainees with us. That’s a huge thing for us as a business to show that we’re here for the long-term. We want to give all of our staff the opportunity to progress, succeed and move on
January 2023
MANAGING CHANGE WITH NBG’S HELP
Fiona Russell-Horne meets a Partner using the benefits of National Buying Group to manage its growth.
branches within 11 months of each other does put a bit of strain on the business. For the next year, there will be a bit more focus on the existing business, and there are still things going on behind the scenes. Our website, for example, is due to go live this month.”
through, or even from, the company if that’s what they want to do. There are opportunities for people who do well, want to progress and learn and show initiative. We’re definitely here to help them along the way, and we’ll do whatever we can to aid their progression. We have some branch managers that may seem young but they’ve earned it, and they deserve the role as much as anyone else.”
While most of the branches are inside the M25, the decision to look at locations further afield was down to changing demographics, particularly in the past couple of years, Milbery says. “We want to be in places where there are lots of chimney pots. Over the last 10 years, many places outside of the M25 have become busier, particularly since Covid, with more people working from home. They don’t need to be near industrial areas or train stations for work commutes. Places like Maidstone, Tonbridge and surrounding villages are becoming increasingly busy. When looking at branches there’s a checklist we follow in terms of location, parking, what is around the area. I prefer to be near Screwfix, Toolstation and national merchant branches. In a way, they do the advertising for us, and most of our branches are near them.” In the longer term, Milbery says that the company is planning more branches, however the immediate focus will be consolidation and bedding in of the new ones. “Opening three
He says that the company also wants to ensure that the rest of the business gets the focus it needs. “We are doing a lot of work with our other branches as well, making sure that they get the same level of attention as the new ones. Then hopefully, towards the end of 2023 we should be in a position to start to look again at new branches.”
All branches have showrooms, and cater for most bathroom budgets with strength in the mid-market, though the focus will change depending on location. Some showrooms have more strength towards the upper end of the scale, others are more suited to the entry level products. Milbery says: “We do try and make sure they are attractive to any budget, so that anyone who comes in can find something to suit them and their pocket. Some of our branches are in very mixed areas – you can go five miles in one direction and find million-pound- plus houses, then five miles in the other and find council estates. So, we’ve always had a philosophy of catering to everyone if we can.” This is where NBG really helps, he adds. “If we haven’t got quite what someone is looking for, our strong relationships with NBG Suppliers means we can go and find what that customer is after. You can have the biggest showroom in the world and you’d still get that one customer who wants something different. Our NBG Suppliers have ways of showcasing their products with nice brochures and websites so we can always show alternatives to our customers. It’s all part of the service. Being part of NBG has allowed us to offer that, to manage our expansion thus far, and to plan for the future.”
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