COOPER & ELMS Retailer Profile
manufacturers. Mr Cooper is also prepared to try newer brands where he believes there is a market, but what happens if a product goes wrong matters just as much as getting it onto the shopfloor. “It’s the backup service,” he says. “If a customer has an issue, they’re going to ring us. It’s value for money, quality and backup. That’s always the thing.”
Being independent also gives him the 18
“The engineer will help in the shop if we’re short and then he’ll get out on the delivery van,” Mr Cooper explains. “I’ve gone out on the delivery van sometimes. It’s how it works. We can help each other out.” There is plenty of loyalty within the team too. One engineer has worked with Mr Cooper for 23 years, while previous employees have stayed for long periods before retiring. “You’re trying to find those who are going to suit our business, who are customer-focused and who will complement our team,” Mr Cooper says.
Feeling the heat
One thing you cannot plan quite so easily is the British weather.
When I visited Cooper & Elms, the country was in the middle of a spell of hot weather and fans and portable air conditioners were disappearing almost as quickly as Mr Cooper could source them. The retailer had even started keeping a list of customers waiting for air conditioning units. “We had a small supply come in last week, but they just went within a couple of hours,” he says. “We were just working our way through the list.” Mr Cooper has seen demand for air
conditioning gradually increase year-on-year, but adding a second store has made judging stock levels more complicated. “How many do I need now?” he asks. “It’s the stock planning and things like that. It’s still a little bit of a learning curve, knowing how many are needed to cover both places.”
There is, however, an advantage to being small enough to respond quickly when something suddenly takes off. “If there is a heatwave or something is in high demand, hopefully we can make a phone call to our suppliers and have some more here in a day or two,” he explains. “That’s a key strength of being independent.
We can react quickly.” Away from seasonal products, washing machines and dishwashers remain among Cooper & Elms’ biggest sellers. The retailer supports Euronics-exclusive brands including Blomberg, Schönhaus and Sensis, alongside a wider range of
freedom to change course. “We can pick and choose what we want to do. If it’s going to give me issues, we don’t stock it anymore.” TV remains part of the mix, with Sony performing particularly well. The average screen leaving the shop is considerably larger than when Mr Cooper began his career. “When I first started out it was a 21-inch,” he laughs. “The market for bigger TVs is always on the increase, but I’d say around 50 inches is probably the most popular size now.”
Behind the shopfloor During my visit, Mr Cooper took me through to
showroom, where Cooper & Elms continues to carry out repairs.
Its engineer handles brown goods alongside
products including microwaves and vacuum cleaners, while the business works with trusted local engineers for appliance repairs it does not undertake itself. >>
the workshop behind the King’s Lynn
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