MERCHANT FOCUS: JEWSON
L-R: John Carter, CEO STARK UK; Neil Grindley, Regional Managing Director, Emma Paton, Jewson LOT host
invoices, the website and welcome packs. Over the coming weeks and months, the new brand will come to life in branches, too, on promotional materials and bulk bags – made from 30% recycled materials – to property refurbishments and vehicles. “Branches are benefiting from a
comprehensive investment programme, ranging from light-touch improvements, offering a better, healthier and persistently safe working environment, to substantial refurbishments and new purpose-built ‘Branches of the Future’, offering the UK’s tradespeople with a fundamentally different builders’ merchant offering,” Carter says. This isn’t just cosmetic change, he stresses, the investment reflects real transformation at the company. “Something we think has changed at Jewson in the last 12 months is that we’re extremely clear about who our target customer is – the small to medium builders, carpenters, roofers, landscapers and more – and we’re showing them we now offer a demonstrably better service than anything they’ve received before.
“We’ve spent a lot of time speaking to our customers, finding out what they want and need from us every day; the things that would make us their first choice when it comes to their merchant. For example, we know it’s now an expectation to have a one-hour window to pick up their resources and materials – that’s how our customers manage their day, so we’re changing to begin offering that. We know they want an extensive range of products – everything they could need for a project in one place, so we’re changing to offer that too. “As our strategy progresses, customers will see we have seriously ramped up our service levels in response to what they’ve asked for. Our strategy has never been complicated – it’s about doing the right things, better. Better starts today, and tomorrow will be better than
that. As we continue building, we know we’ll become great – but it’s a journey.” Ultimately, he continues, the thing that makes the biggest difference is people. “We know our branch managers are the heart of our business, and we have a great network of support functions who are fully focused on helping our operational colleagues to succeed. We’ve brought our colleagues with us on the rebrand journey; they’ve been engaged in the process at every step, and we feel our rebrand reflects who they are and the service they’re proud to deliver.
“In the last 12 months we’ve welcomed a wealth of new branch managers into Jewson, all of whom share the similar characteristics of ambition, pride, a genuine interest in others, and with an entrepreneurial spirit. Moving forwards, we want our branch managers to own their proposition, to have the belief they make a difference being front and centre of the success of their branch. From there, the cycle begins. The best managers attract the best colleagues, and they offer the best service. That level of service is recognised when the customer comes back to buy again.”
The aim was not just to add a new logo and paint-job to the branches, rather to embark on a programme of developing a new branch concept, what the company is calling its Branches of the Future. “We have a great opportunity to create something that we believe is truly unique and valuable, with the backing of STARK Group. We’re not copying anyone else in the market; instead, we’re carving out a new Jewson; there is a wealth of features that are being implemented, solely with the customer in mind,” Carter explains. “For example, the layout of branches will change to improve the navigation for specialist trades like roofers, carpenters and landscapers, positioning their entire product assortment
May 2024
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close together for efficiency. We’ll be increasing from an average of 3,000 SKUs to nearer 9,000, providing customers with everything they need under one roof. And that roof is important – our drive-through loading bays and service areas will be covered so customers and materials are no longer exposed to the British weather. On top of that, comfort is key too – meeting areas, high quality food and drink, technology charging bays and more will ensure customers feel like the branch is their own. “We’ve also made a commitment to listen and learn from customers when they start using our Branches of the Future – feedback on how we can improve further will be taken on board and implemented, because we want them to be the very best there is out there. We want customers to be excited when they arrive and be excited about coming back again. “Previews of our first significant refurbishment project, and our first purpose- built branch, were shared at Jewson Live On Tour and we will be revealing the full scale of these developments in due course.” Carter believes that the move reflects a positive transformation for customers and the industry. “It’s a clear demonstration of our commitment and ambition to successfully deliver our STARK UK Trust in Better strategy and to become the UK’s leading builder’s merchant.” BMJ
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