AP TAYLOR: ROSS TAYLOR ERT INTERVIEW


January 2023 ertonline.co.uk


The Dunstable repair centre


14


Q: What about the rise in online shopping – how has this affected the amount of returns seen in recent years? RT: There are certainly a lot more appliances coming back now with no faults at all, and the ease of online returns means that some people may send something back even if they don’t like the colour. In that particular case, we offer a put-back service where the item goes straight back into the manufacturer’s stock so they can re-sell it and they don’t lose out. I


think people are a lot harsher on the


performance of home appliances now, knowing that if it doesn’t match up to their expectation and the price they paid they can simply take it back. And that obviously impacts the retail sector – whether it’s in store or online – because the customer needs to be fully informed about why a product has got a certain price and the benefits they should get from it. Full transparency at this stage minimises any surprises once the customer gets home, especially if it’s possible to try it out before it’s purchased.


Q: How are you developing your business to reflect the ways in which the electrical retail market is changing? RT: In the past year we have expanded our retail operations and become a key partner for companies looking to move slow end-of-line stock; it’s a good solution for them because it releases cash flow and for us we can still offer excellent value products to the end consumer. So in that sense we don’t necessarily compete with anyone – our business model is totally different. We are selling over one million brand new and graded appliances a year through AP Taylor.


As well as that, we started working with Sirius Buying Group about 18 months ago, which came about through Neil Drain, our Retail Project


Consultant. We knew that Sirius would be able to offer us a regular supply of brand new stock, especially on the SDA side, and that we could provide them with our unique services in return. I feel that we have done very well under the radar in recent years but it’s so important that we develop our key relationships within the industry now. And we knew how focused Sirius is on white goods and SDA so it was the obvious direction for us to take.


Q: What about expanding your business more generally, perhaps in the retail side; do you have any plans? RT: I’ve heard many of the big retail brands talk about product refurbishment; Asda is a prime example as it’s just started selling refurb products in some of its flagship stores. So we are taking this opportunity to engage with more companies about our services because there are millions of products being returned across all categories every day, and AP Taylor offers the most efficient way of dealing with these.


Garden power tools, such as hedge trimmers and lawn mowers, and fitness equipment are growth areas for us at the moment. Some of these products can be quite technical and mechanical with a lot of parts involved, so if we can monitor the quality and iron out any returns issues, it’s a win-win for everyone. We are also working with a range of new start-up businesses – including a growing number of ‘e-tailers’ – across the UK to handle their returns and overstock and generally provide support. I would really like to develop our retail proposition for new and existing brands because we really have a unique offering and I want AP Taylor to be the best service provider in the industry. It’s a really crucial time for our business and we have got some very exciting things planned for this year.


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