RETAILER PROFILE
screws like a classic ironmonger but for example, we sell quite a lot of heaters,” Mark points out. “Around here, there are a lot of listed buildings and buildings with single glazing that you can’t easily put double glazing in. We do really well with spray paints and the chalk paint has been superb,” he adds. “It’s very much in fashion, people buying old furniture and doing it up. There’s no preparation with this stuff, you can just slap it on then put clear varnish over the top. We’ve just added the new colours in. It’s nice and easy to use and it’s sold really well.
Kilner jars a real winner “We always carry a gardening range. Some of the things out the front, in the winter they’ll shift towards the back of the shop but we sell most things all year round. The kilner jars have been a real winner with both the close top jars and the larger ones with the tap on the front. “At Christmas we carry more lights and decorations. We do car- pet cleaner rentals with Rugdoctor. You get somebody into the shop to do the rental, then into the shop to bring it back and they buy the chemicals to go with it, so you’ve got more chances for them to buy. We play to our local market. “Because we keep the electronic sales data it reminds us, this time of year you should be selling more of these items.”
The shifting stock allows
Duffy’s to take advantage of its position within Home Hardware. “The ranges tie in with the Home Hardware promotions that go out and the promotional books they have in store which you can order from too,” Mark explains. “Similarly in summer we do one that’s all outdoor and garden furniture. “My main promotion is the Home
Hardware leaflets. We did an ad in a local paper when they wrote an article about us so we did an advert beside it to highlight the name change.” The promotions encourage looking at a broader range of stock. “The promotions do bring in some lines you wouldn’t normally consider,” he says. “Like the animal- themed garden ornaments; you stick a few in, and they sell! Home Hardware does seem to follow the trends and bring products in that do well.”
It is part of what is an important
relationship for the retailer. “Most of our stock goes through Home Hardware,” Mark explains. “It must be 80 or 90%. Even for the direct orders we use, we mainly invoice through Home Hardware.”
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“We do a lot of special ordering too. That’s where Homelink comes in handy; if we don’t stock it, you can bring the customer and show them a picture and the retail price, and order it for them.”
That specialised service is key to the customer relationship, Mark believes. “You’ll get people coming in and asking questions because they feel they can get advice they might not get in the big stores,” he explains. “A lot of them are looking for a specific product – people coming in with pictures on their phones and so on.
“It can put you off going into shops having people jumping on you...I like to say hello so they know you are approachable”
“People do ask for advice; you never know everything, but we can usually help,” he adds. “If we don’t know, we’ll find out. I don’t like trying to sell too much to people but if they’re buying a clock for example, we’d ask if they need the batteries for it. “There’s nothing worse than getting home and finding out you can’t use it. So we do that, but I don’t like to push it too much. It can put you off going into shops, having people jumping on you. I like to say hello so they know you’re friendly and approachable. If you see someone looking you can help. Just make sure they know you’re there if they need you.” That approach has led to regular customers as well as visitors popping in frequently. “You do get tourist trade,” Mark says. “You hear: ‘Oh I like this shop, we used to have one like this in our town’. Quite often when you offer the loyalty card you hear: ‘I’m here on holiday’ but majorly it’s the same faces. It’s a busy little store.”
Healthy relationship with locals Keeping that healthy relationship with the locals includes keeping abreast of what is happening out there in the community.
One of the younger members of
staff keeps on top of the company Facebook page. “Emma has been here pretty much since leaving school,” Mark says. “She looks after the window displays and did our Facebook page. She’s keen to do that side of things.
“I feel you’ve got to try it. I don’t Can’t stop developing – upstairs space 8 SEPTEMBER 2017 DIY WEEK 15
use social media myself but Emma does and she’s born and bred round here and knows everybody, which is helpful. It keeps the Duffys name out there.”’
It is also important to keep looking at the business and seeing where it can develop. “There’s an area upstairs which is a huge storeroom,” he says. “I know it’s always hard to get customers to go up on a second level but I was thinking of maybe using it as a display space for garden furniture and barbecues. It would be hard with smaller stuff and you’d need a member of staff up there all the time but it would be nice to have, particularly with the furniture. Last year was an awful summer so it’s hard to gauge against that but I think with garden furniture there’s an opportunity. It would be nice to be able to show it off.
“I’ve been thinking about doing car key cutting. It might be out of the question, if it’s too costly to get one of the machines but it’s something I’ve been considering. It would be an extra area of business and another reason for people to come in store.” Giving people reasons to visit is a wider problem for some country towns, Mark adds, thanks to local bank branches closing.
Banking on new trade
“Our last bank in town - Lloyds - closed in July. I didn’t want to see that go,” he says. “The closures have caused problems. I now drive to Bideford once a week to bank. You need banks in towns because that brings people in from the area.” Not one to miss an opportunity,
Mark has applied to have an ATM installed in the shop window. “This has actually resulted in a lot of good publicity for the store,” he says. We have received a great deal of support from custmors and folk in general - and increased footfall in store. We don’t forsee any problems in getting the permission.” Mark keeps an eye on the online
picture, although he doesn’t have plans to make sales through the channel. “The website is pictures of the shop and an enquiry form,” he explains. “From the people I know who have do it, for it to be transactional, it takes a lot of time and money. With the way Home Hardware do it, with click and collect orders sent to the local store, I’d rather do it through them.” It’s another way to get people
into store, after all.’ At a glance
Duffy’s Home Hardware
Address: 3 High Street, Torrington, Devon EX38 8HN Tel: 01805 622 496 Web:
www.duffyshomehardware.co.uk
Selling space: 220 sq metres
Products: adhesives, plumbing supplies, hand and power tools, fixings, cleaning, locks, cookware, electrical, gardening tools, homewares, ironmongery, laundry supplies, lighting and BBQs
Staff: 6
Services: key cutting, Dulux paint mixing, carpet cleaner hire
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