April 2022 REVIEW


Industry panel taking questions from attendees, chaired by Declan Curry, Retra Conference Chair


Panelists:


• Paul Hide, CEO, AMDEA • Robert Hughes, Chairman, Hughes Electrical & Retra • Steve Jones, Managing Director, Sirius Buying Group • Paul Tyler, CEO, Euronics UK (CIH)


Q&A 12


Q: When it comes to the issue of manufacturers going direct to consumers, are retailers still relevant to suppliers now? Paul Hide:Yes, and retailers can offer the full solution which no single manufacturer can. You don’t want to compete head-on selling individual appliances because that is effectively box-shifting and that always comes down to price. However, manufacturers cannot build a strong brand in AV or appliances because customers require the touch and feel with these products and that can only be done in a physical environment. Robert Hughes: Retailers are only relevant to the extent that they add value, and that is what the indies do best. We have been there day in, day out through thick and thin delivering product straight into the customer’s home, and that is the one place the manufacturers never want to go. Steve Jones: Retailers are absolutely still relevant to suppliers. It is a very emotive topic and I think some manufacturers forget the role that the independent has played over the years helping to build their brands up. Manufacturers need to be very transparent as to


what they actually want to achieve and if going direct is the route they want to take, I would make sure that they don’t undervalue and underestimate the power of the independent. Paul Tyler: Our members take the brands’ technology and they understand what the consumer needs and they bring the two together. What would the manufacturer do without that? Yes they have the all-important product but they also have the retailer’s margin, so they do have the advantage in this marketplace and my fear is that they don’t exploit that. Our members will always play their part doing


the selling because it’s what they are great at and they help consumers on their shopping journey.


Q: If a retailer isn’t clued up on using social media to help promote their business, should they just hire a young person? SJ: We encourage our members to get on social media as much as they can; it can’t be ignored these days and should definitely be a part of any retailer’s business and marketing plan. It is a skilled art so if they’re going to do it then do it properly and spend money in the right places.


Steve Jones, Sirius Paul Tyler, CIH ertonline.co.uk


L-R: Robert Hughes, Paul Hide, Steve Jones, Paul Tyler It’s important that retailers’ activity doesn’t feel


too corporate and that the personality of their business comes through because people will connect with that. Also look for ideas and examples from other companies to get a flavour of things to try. PH: Social media isn’t just used by young people – retailers have to bear in mind that all their customers will use it in some form or another. It’s so important to tell stories about their business and how they support their customers and their local communities – give examples and share pictures and this will encourage engagement. And by all means if they are not an expert in


this area, they should employ someone who may be and explain about who they are targeting and what they are trying to achieve.


PT: I agree, I don’t think retailers should just grab any member of staff to be responsible for the company’s social channels, because there can be a danger of personal opinions making their way into content and that can tarnish the whole business image. But social media certainly aids the sales channel


with omni-channel activity to guide the consumer to the website or the store. There is the question around direct sales from


within social media; for example, TikTok is an important platform now to appeal to a very specific generation, so retailers need to consider all these elements of social media to be relevant in today’s age. As a buying group we have a responsibility to


make sure we are pushing our members in the right direction and plying them with the right tools for their business.


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