MERCHANT FOCUS: SOUTHERN SHEETING
Our focus is always on the customer. We do what we do as well as we can and our customers recognise that. It’s the availability of stock that is a big reason why customers remain loyal to Southern Sheeting.”
customers can see exactly what is in stock before placing their orders. There will be further investment into eCommerce soon, improving communication with customers and the search facility, as well as allowing customers to select the delivery day and date of their choosing. Staff retention is high, Hobbs says, with the management, bar one, all homegrown. “Many of our colleagues have been with us for over 10 years, some 15, and there are even one or two looking at 25 years or more. This means the customers get a consistent reliable, personable offering.” Training and development are a huge part of this, Hobbs says, firmly believing that employees are invested in the business if they can see a development pathway in front of them. Staff training tends to be focused on personal development and is a blend of formal training through third party providers such as the BMF, and mentoring from senior managers and directors. The company is currently developing pathway growth plans for key people.
Hobbs says that the changing mix of customers is starting to settle down now and a more usual mix would be 35% trade, 30% resellers, 15% retail, with the remaining 20% a mixture of housebuilders, commercial property owners and facilities management customers. In depth stock is a huge priority for Southern Sheeting, Hobbs says, with the company holding the largest stocks of Etex Cedral Weatherboard, and it is also the south east’s largest stockist of the Etex profiled fibre cement roof sheeting.
“Our focus is always on the customer. We do what we do as well as we can and our customers recognise that. It’s the availability of stock that is a big reason why customers remain loyal to Southern Sheeting, Hobbs says. “We always have stock on the shelf or on the ground, our customers know it and come to rely in it. Plus, we can handhold them through
their project, so they come to rely on us for our knowledge not just of the stock, but of how to use it. We never shy away from investing time up front in order to give the customer confidence in us, the materials we have sold them and their project. For so many customers their project in an important investment for them, and we see it as our role to ensure they get the right product for their job.” He says the company also tries to stay ahead of the game where it can. “Innovation comes in many guises and can be internal as well as customer facing. For example, in the early 200os we were one of the first in or sector to launch a website with our full product portfolio. We were the first company in our niche to launch an interactive mobile App and we were an early adopter of a fully integrated eCommerce and back-office ERP system with live stock quantity feeds.” This means that
November 2021
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Future plans include investments into faster deliveries, Hobbs says the company is looking at an offer of a guaranteed three-days for in-stock orders, starting this, Autumn. Alongside this is a move into new product areas, and digital growth is going to be important, too, he says. “We plan to become a digital first business, which also means we will be able to expand the geographical area. Currently, most customers are from the Home Counties and London, though it also stretches into East Anglia and the West Country at times. “ECommerce is expanding our horizons; currently 5% of revenue comes from outside of our traditional area. We’ve had customers travelling up to 100 miles at time because we can offer them the stock that they need.
“So, as a business we are very focused on setting out our strategies and working relentlessly to deliver them. One always needs to keep an eye on the markets and your customers as they evolve. It’s important you can adapt your plans in line with their changing demands and requirements. That’s how we’ve developed so far and is how we will continue to do things.” BMJ
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