MERCHANT FOCUS: T.H. WIGGANS IRONMONGERY
I’ve spoken to other former employees and the owner for advice. Everyone I’ve spoken to has been excited about what I’m trying to achieve. Trade Door Handles hopes to build on that expertise and the lessons they learned, combining them with the opportunity Carlisle’s new infrastructure offers.” Among the new team is a specialist with extensive experience delivering ironmongery schedules for large-scale projects including schools, hospitals and hotels, bringing a project management capability that opens the door to contract work at a scale the business has not previously offered.
Changing market, same service T.H. Wiggans is a trade-first business, working closely with joiners, builders and contractors of all sizes. Alongside architectural ironmongery, the business supplies screws, fixings, adhesives, abrasives, hand tools and internal doors to both trade and retail customers. Its long-standing supplier relationships reflect a commitment to professional-grade products. The company has stocked Reisser screws since the manufacturer’s early days in Germany, and Klingspor abrasives since before German reunification.
The product landscape, however, has changed considerably, as McInnes explains: “When I first started 20 years ago, door
“Like any small business, cash flow is a risk. If we were to take a few thousand pounds’ worth of our most popular lines in, a small business usually couldn’t afford to do that.
handles came in polished brass or antique black, with about four designs. Nowadays there are a million designs in a million colours, and every manufacturer has its own variant of each. What I’m finding is that a lot of tradespeople are sending their customers to source handles themselves, because they don’t have the time to sit with clients and go through it all.
“My father used to say that if a retail customer came into a hardware store, they’d be told to buy through the tradesperson. Nowadays we see mostly retail customers coming in for door handles. That’s where I see the business growing, especially online. The Kendal shop now acts as much as a showroom as a trade counter.”
With branches serving as showrooms, customers can experience products in a way that an online platform alone cannot replicate. “You can pick up door handles from anywhere,” he continues, “so we created a place where tradespeople can send their customers to really get a feel for the products.
July 2026
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
It takes the hassle off the trades. We don’t exist without the tradesperson, so we’re always there to help them.”
That same ethos extends to the online operation. McInnes takes a hands-on approach to customer service, personally reviewing orders and reaching out when something doesn’t look right.
“People are changing the way they buy,” he says. “Like a lot of other small companies, we’ve had to diversify for the marketplace. This is where Trade Door Handles came about. The online model is just an expansion of what we already offer locally; a quick, professional service.”
“I’ve been emailing or calling customers who’ve placed orders. As a small company, we can take a bit more time over each order. We can see when people are ordering the wrong thing, whether it’s about what goes with what, or flagging that certain finishes won’t match aesthetically. The same conversation I’d have with a customer in the shop.
“A typical day sees trade customers coming through the door for consumables; nails, screws, fixings. But our goal has always been great customer service. Retail customers tend to buy once; trade customers buy repeatedly. The online side tends to be more retail-led, but it means we now have tradespeople around the country ordering from us on a regular basis.
“My goal is to understand the marketplace, understand the distribution, and provide a good service, online and in person. With a new location and a growing customer base, we are in a strong position for continued growth. As a family business, it is important to me that we keep building something that can be passed on to the next generation.” BMJ
19
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
