LANDSCAPING
ONE STEP BEYOND S
BMJ talks to independent merchant Beesley & Fildes, and supplier Digby Stone, about their evolving partnership and how a proactive approach is helping to drive sales across the landscaping market.
even years ago, independent builders merchant Beesley & Fildes began working with Digby Stone, kickstarting a partnership which has
helped both businesses to grow and navigate challenging times.
The strength of the relationship has seen Beesley & Fildes steadily expand its Digby Stone product range. More than 25 natural stone and porcelain paving products are now available in branch and online. The range is targeted to meet the diverse needs of customers in the regions served by the merchant’s branch network, including Liverpool, Merseyside, Cheshire and Greater Manchester. As well as providing high quality products at the right price, Digby Stone seeks to develop long-lasting working relationships with its distributors by focusing on mutual trust and respect. “As an independent brand, it’s vital we forge strong partnerships with merchants,” says Joe Wareham, trading director at Digby Stone. “We do what we say we’re going to do and seek partners that adopt the same ethos. This ensures open and honest lines of communication that benefit both parties, including an understanding of how we can help each other to deliver successful outcomes.”
Building loyalty and sales As part of this collaborative merchant strategy, Digby Stone has recently launched a new Global Rewards Club. The scheme provides loyalty points to landscaping contractors who purchase products via merchants. Points can be exchanged for prizes.
“The Global Rewards Club is a vital part of our pull strategy to help merchants drive sales of our stock,” says Wareham. “We don’t just sit back and expect merchants to sell without any kind of support. Instead, we find ways to influence the end user and loyalty schemes are highly effective in achieving that aim.” To maximise sales and the effectiveness of the Global Rewards Club, Beesley & Fildes
Stocking up
A proactive approach has also proved critical to achieving certainty of supply during the Red Sea crisis and in response to wider economic uncertainty.
“We try to stay one step ahead of what our customers need and potential challenges,” says Beesley. “We work very closely with the Digby Stone team to get a thorough understanding of lead times, when we need to order, and how price points may fluctuate in the weeks ahead. We share our forecast and then using all information available to us, develop our own strategy to make sure the right products are on the shelf at the right time.”
reciprocates by investing heavily in branch displays and online marketing. “We’ve always had a strong focus on landscaping, so have a lot of experience in displaying products and understanding what works from a marketing perspective,” says James Beesley, commercial director at Beesley & Fildes. “We’re proactive and seek to create an impact with large displays that showcase a wide variety of products rather than a more limited range.
“We’ve also invested in improving our website to drive sales and promotions, which has enabled us to expand our geographical reach and sell Digby Stone products nationally.”
This proactivity saw Beesley & Fildes travel to India to tour Digby Stone’s porcelain and natural stone factories, visit the quarries and meet the team. This experience also helped to identify a new product which is proving popular with the merchant’s customers. “During our tour, the new Fusion premium sandstone was laid across the floor and we knew straight away, that if we were to replicate that display in our branches, we could generate strong sales,” continues Beesley. “It’s been a great success and led to a significant number of orders.”
September 2024 A supplement to builders merchants journal
“As we’re a vertically integrated supplier, we manufacture the majority of our products ourselves,” adds Wareham. “This provides us with more control over our supply chain as well as costs, which makes it easier for merchants to plan more effectively and meet customers’ changing needs.”
Forward thinking
Both businesses are keen to continue to evolve the partnership and grow the product range available through Beesley & Fildes. “As a business, we never stand still,” reflects Beesley. “We’re always looking for ways in which we can keep expanding our offer, improving our service and strengthening relationships with our partners. Landscaping is key to this and with the support of Digby Stone, we know there’s the potential to further enhance this part of our business, including targeting more products towards customers nationally.” “Beesley & Fildes’ long history and plans for the future are massively reassuring for us a business,” adds Joe. “The team is very open to new ideas and that makes them an ideal partner for us. We’re looking forward to exploring these ideas in the months ahead and generating opportunities for further growth.” n
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