INDUSTRY COMMENT: BHETA
BHETA BRINGS INDEPENDENT RETAILERS AND SUPPLIERS WORKING TOGETHER
With the demise of nationals, such as Homebase, Wilkos, and Wyevale, there are now many UK locations with no national bricks and mortar retailer for DIY and garden products. While this may push some consumers online, the Internet is not always the ideal place to make these kinds of purchases, says Will Jones, Chief Operating Officer of BHETA.
opportunity to touch and feel, maybe test, and pretty much every DIY or garden product benefits from advice from an informed salesperson. So, it’s no surprise that here at BHETA we are seeing more and more of our supplier members building or refreshing their relationships with independent retailers.
W
For some brands the indie channel has always been part of the mix. But for others, the market’s many recent changes have been a wake-up call about the need to revisit a route that may have been neglected or viewed as of less importance.
BHETA on an independent retail ‘mission’ BHETA is therefore on something of a mission to enable its supplier members to get in-depth understanding of how best to work with DIY and garden independents. Playing to our strengths as sector specialist, we are providing stats, advice, and information and crucially helping to create partnerships through networking.
A key part of this
is finding case study examples of such relationships working well. One such is the relationship between retailer, Masseys DIY in Swadlincote, Derbyshire and DIY supplier and BHETA member, QEP.
What an independent retailer needs and can deliver Masseys DIY
(
www.masseys-
diy.co.uk) is a fourth-generation business. It was founded in 1947, when present owner,
Andrew
Massey’s great-grandfather spotted an opportunity to sell paint to DIY decorators in amounts appropriate to individual projects. This he did by decanting from larger trade- oriented volumes into former treacle tins, which proved perfect for his customers. The business now sells
32 DIY WEEK APRIL 2025
hether for aesthetic or technical reasons, many DIY and garden product sales need the
catalogues cannot be overstated. Product samples, photographic and promotional assets, B2B retail ordering portals. Sensitivity to the implications of minimum orders, credits, incomplete orders, inappropriate delivery formats, product, pricing, and promotion. In BHETA’s view, these
Andy Massey
26,000 DIY and garden products and while it has a successful online presence, Andrew points out that 95% of its sales are via its spacious bricks and mortar premises, purpose-built in 2014. Andrew’s take on the specialness of independent retail for both customers and suppliers is a combination of experience, knowledge, personal service and trust. To deliver that to customers requires real partnership with suppliers. Even where a wholesaler is involved for logistical purposes, retailer/supplier partnership is vital, leading to long term trading relationships. Independent retailers are reluctant to swap to other brands and the role of a high-quality supplier field sales representative cannot be underestimated.
Key requirements from suppliers Market aligned pricing with mutually sustainable margins based on proper understanding of the typical indie’s cost-base. Good stock levels delivered in a timely manner, which takes account of key sales periods. A dedicated point of contact that builds a relationship. Sales training, ideally at the retail outlet or via video. Marketing support including packaging and promotion suited to the independent environment, which can include video / TV screen. The importance of printed
requirements all boil down to the principles of good channel management and good communication – on a retailer-by- retailer basis, but with fundamentals in common. It’s also a lesson in reviving the concept of a field sales force!
What independent DIY and retailers can offer suppliers Potentially a more adaptable and personal trading relationship with less bureaucracy than a typical national account. They can move quickly with decision-making and stocking, in some cases even offering the opportunity of trialling a new product or promotional idea and giving valuable feedback. They are hands on, collaborative, able to pivot quickly according to circumstance or in reaction to a new trend, and they make particularly effective salespeople in sectors where consumers yearn for advice. Independent retailers can also offer better margin, assuming the supplier does the same with mutual benefit being key to the relationship.
QEP – a successful supplier to independent retailers BHETA supplier member, QEP, which includes brands such as Vitrex, Plasplugs, Kraus and Homelux is a great example of how a supplier can work best with an independent retail customer. The company has been trading with Masseys DIY for over four decades, and Chief Executive Officer, Paul Boyce very much endorses Andy Massey’s recipe for a successful supplier / independent retailer partnership. He comments: “We really value
Paul Boyce
our relationship with Masseys. It is all about working collaboratively to ensure Masseys always has a great selection of QEP products in stock, and regular visits from our dedicated area sales manager ensure ongoing support, with all needs met promptly. “We also assist Masseys with a range of marketing resources, including printed brochures, website content, point-of-sale materials, and special display units. In turn, Masseys’ proactive and enthusiastic approach to new product development gives the company a distinct competitive edge in the marketplace.” BHETA is doing a great deal to help its supplier members get the best from the indie channel’s undoubted potential and the partnership between QEP and Masseys DIY is certainly an illustration of how well it can work. The association is keen to foster more such relationships, providing information, advice, peer- to-peer examples and networking opportunities. We
would welcome more suppliers who would like to discuss independent retail alongside other routes to market.
For more information on BHETA retailer networking, market data supply, and lobbying / legislative advice, please contact BHETA Member Services on 0121 237 1130 or via www.
bheta.co.uk.
www.diyweek.net
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