July/August 2026 ertonline.co.uk


The positive reaction reflects something Mr Bicknell believes has been missing from many town centres in recent years. “People do appreciate a good independent


retailer,” he says. “You can visit so many high streets now and see the same types of businesses everywhere, but what you don’t always see is those independent retailers who offer something different to the high street, and gives the town its character.” While he acknowledges that retail remains


challenging, particularly following the pandemic, Mr Bicknell believes the company has remained successful by focusing on what it does best rather than trying to compete purely on price. “The internet has given us a fantastic shop window,” he says. “We’ve got brands that customers can buy online, but we’ve also got brands where you really need to come into the store and experience them. That’s where we can offer something different.”


That experience starts the moment customers walk through the door. Rather than creating a traditional retail environment filled with rows of products, Sevenoaks has designed the Sutton Coldfield showroom to encourage people to spend time listening, watching and asking questions. “We’ve got a dedicated stereo and home cinema demonstration room, so customers can properly experience different systems,”


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Mr Bicknell explains. “We’ve also created a lounge area towards the back of the shop with comfortable seating and different audio solutions, so it feels more like somebody’s home than a showroom.” Towards the


front of the store sits a


headphone bar, allowing visitors to compare different models while listening to streamed music or vinyl records. “We’ve got a streamer there, we’ve got a


turntable, and customers can even listen to records if they want to,” he says. “For someone


who’s never experienced hi-fi before, hearing a record played on a good system can be great fun.” The layout has been carefully considered


to make the store feel open and welcoming, particularly for customers who may never have visited a specialist hi-fi retailer before. “We’ve worked hard to make all of our stores friendly and inviting,” Mr Bicknell says. “The front of the shop is very open with a large glass window, so people can see what’s going on inside. We don’t want to block everything out with products. We want people to look in, see the records, see the headphones and feel like they’re welcome to come in.” That welcoming atmosphere, he believes, is crucial if the industry is to reach a wider audience.


“Our industry probably hasn’t always been the best at inviting people in who don’t already know about hi-fi,” he admits. “But our customers are music lovers and film lovers. They’re simply looking for a good solution, whether that’s a pair of headphones, a turntable or a complete home cinema system. Our job is to help them find what’s right for them.”


Backing the high street While the showroom itself has been designed to encourage customers to spend more time exploring different products, Mr Bicknell is quick to point out that the biggest investment isn’t in fixtures and fittings – it’s in the people working there. >>


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