ERT AWARDS 2021 Category sponsored by


Turning Point Award Winner


NE Appliances 18


L-R: Giuseppe Capanna from Electrical Safety First; Holly Grace, Ben Gilks and Giles Pushman from NE Appliances; and ERT Awards host Paul Thorne


Managing Director Ben Gilks put his time during lockdown to good use; he decided to completely rebrand his business – originally called Nailsea Electrical – and move to brand new, purpose-built premises in Bristol. It was a mammoth project, which also included launching a new transactional website at the same time! The new 15,000sq ft showroom


opened in May. It is split over two floors and features over 300 working appliances covering built-in, range


cooking and side-by-side refrigeration; plus there’s a full BSH cooking demo area and Live Quooker Tap Zone. The ideas for the displays and the sweeping curves that follow the shape of the building came mainly from Mr Gilks himself. He invested around £900,000 in the new showroom. To compliment the new store, NE’s


online offering has grown substantially as well with sales extending across the country and the retailer’s delivery vans going out almost daily. Mr Gilks’s transformation of his


business – and the reflection of how consumers are shopping for appliances nowadays – is what impressed this year’s ERT Awards judges when it came to the Turning Point Award category. They commented that the business has been “completely turned


“A lot of people thought I was mad! But thankfully it’s paid off”


around” to offer a whole new shopping experience and “a fantastic looking showroom to really draw customers in”. Not only did the retailer win the


Turning Point Award trophy, but it also received the Highly Commended nod in the Domestic Appliances Retailer – Large category. “It’s absolutely incredible to win this,”


Mr Gilks tells ERT. “I have not wanted to win an award for the team more than this one! After all the hard work that was put in by everyone at NE Appliances it was so great to get this recognition. I feel extremely proud of


this achievement and I’m so grateful to ERT and the judges.” Mr Gilks adds that while part of him thought it was a crazy idea to transform


his business during a global pandemic, it was also quite a good time to do it. While retail stores were closed he says it made sense to move his store during this time. “We didn’t just make a few small changes to the business,” he goes on, “but it was a complete remodel. A lot of people thought I was absolutely mad! But thankfully it’s paid off! “And now we’ve been recognised for


this. Our Turning Point Award trophy means such a lot. And when you see how much winning an award means to people on the day, it’s so important that the ERT Awards brings the industry together year after year. We thought the day was fantastic, and we’re already looking forward to next year!”


January 2022 ertonline.co.uk


We would like to congratulate the team at NE Appliances for winning the coveted Turning Point Award trophy!


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