Shopfloor
PROFILE: MICHAEL R PETERS
36 Are you being served?
It’s far from a slapstick and innuendo carry-on at Michael R Peters in Bedford! The independent retailer is a serious service provider in both appliances and multi-room entertainment systems. It seems virtually nothing is off limits as the Principal, Paul Mead, constantly explores new and exciting ways to better serve his loyal customers. He chats to Jack Cheeseman.
supporting the local community. When Paul Mead took over the management of business he wanted to expand on the traditional activities but also develop an in-house service operation in both white and brown goods. He has grown the custom install side of the business tremendously since he recognised the potential a few years ago. He tells ERT about some of the stand-out projects
M
that he and his team have completed over the years, accumulating a growing list of happy customers across the Bedford area and surrounding villages. He also considers that the use of his own staff, rather than third parties, for surveying and installation is a major reason for the success of this work because it is more efficient and there are endless upsell opportunities.
ichael R Peters in Bedford is very well known for its imaginative, attention- grabbing window displays and for
However, like all retail businesses, the first 2020
lockdown threw Michael R Peters into unknown territory. Service calls and installs had to stop temporarily but Mr Mead admits “the last thing we wanted to do was stop working!” He reveals that there was still strong demand
from customers so he continued in operation from behind closed doors, yet he states he – and many other similar retailers – felt his business should have been classed as “essential”. “The phone did not stop ringing and business
was constant, which was brilliant,” he adds. “When the likes of Currys and AO were only delivering to people’s doorsteps, we stood out for going the extra mile. How can you ask a 75-year- old to install their own washing machine? So with all the necessary precautions in place we traded through the worst part of the pandemic.”
In November 2019, Mr Mead launched a new
website using the latest platform from Euronics [the buying group which Mr Mead is a founding member of] and this also helped to sustain sales during the early part of the pandemic in 2020. “The timing of the website development was therefore quite fortuitous,” he says. “For us it has been business as usual. We are
just a good old fashioned retailer; we cracked on, we didn’t do anything special, we just made it through. I was conscious of other retailers in our region that had closed completely during the first lockdown but we continued to provide essential services and respond to our customers’ needs.” Mr Mead continues: “I do have to stress how
good our staff were – they just got on with it. Keep calm and carry on, as they say!”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
