September 2023 ertonline.co.uk


“People still yearn for that hands-on tactile experience in store. For this reason there is a resurgence in high street trading right now, and long may that continue.”


Q&A


Q: So how does it feel to be back? Owen Watters: It’s amazing to be back. It’s also quite surreal because physically I’m back in the same office at the same desk and things are still very similar, but that’s comforting in a lot of ways. In my first week we had a big sales meeting and almost instantly I could feel the blood pumping again just from being in a room with people who share the same passion as I do for this company. And when I re-joined I had a meeting with Martin Naughton, the Glen Dimplex Founder, and his opening line to me was “welcome home”, which sounds really cliché, but it does feel like coming home and this meant a great deal to me.


Q: How has the company changed since you left four years ago? OW: It’s changed in terms of its structure. When I left we were a smaller team with a very hands-on way of running things, and that served us well, but things are certainly a bit more efficient and more robust than before. The pandemic also fundamentally changed how we work as a business. Our head office used to be full of people, but now it’s more about hybrid working and we’ve got people located all over the country and across Europe.


Q: You’ve re-joined at a very turbulent time in the market. How do you think things could improve, and where do you see Roberts’ position in the market right now? OW: It has been a tough time in recent years. The radio market continues to decline in both value and volume, yet interestingly radio listening is at an all-time high and continuing to grow. So what’s evident is that people are now consuming radio in many different ways. There are very few brands operating within the radio space anymore, which is really quite sad. When we had a buoyant market with some healthy competition it kept us all


integrated and kept us on our toes. Now, it’s essentially just Roberts and the nearest competitors are own-label trade brands in the multiples; we don’t have another credible brand in between. As a result, I think radio has fallen off the radar with a lot of


retailers, and that’s one


of the key challenges that I want to address first and foremost; we can stem the flow to encourage growth and make radio a bit more relevant than it has been for the last few years.


Q: How will you achieve that? OW: There are many pillars to it as you’d expect. Re-engaging with traditional retailers is going to be really important. The pandemic is responsible for a lot of consumers being directed mostly to the online space, and I think the industry generally has been slow to return to the high street. We’ve still got a team looking after the independent sector with a comprehensive support team behind the scenes as well. We’re going back to basics in a way – so whether it’s through promotional activity, supporting trade events, or launching bespoke products or campaigns, our mandate is to get in front of retail partners directly, show our support and wave the flag for the independent sector. The other point is about product. Right now


we are working on developing our presence in the smart radio market and making it as accessible as it can be, through all the price points from entry level right up to premium.


Q: Can you tell us about your plans for how you might broaden your product range? OW: We have some really exciting developments that will launch quite soon. This will include one particular complete solution in a really compelling acoustic package that will address all consumers’ accessing requirements. I would go so far as to say we will have the world’s best sounding digital radio, bar none; to call it a radio is a bit dismissive – it’s a sound system that has the comfort of looking like a traditional radio. We’re also going to have a contemporary twist on a classic Roberts product, and that will also be feature packed. Although I can’t say too much more at this point.


Diversification is very much on our agenda. Radio is at the heart of what we do, but we do


Above: The Revival Uno. Right: The Revival Petite >>


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