Shopfloor TAKE A TOWN


Hills Electrical, Station Road, Portslade


This large-fronted store is situated at the


Sales skills: 4/5


Store presentation: 5/5


40


bottom of the main high street in Portslade, just down from Portslade train station. I was looking to buy a vacuum cleaner. Inside the store, I was greeted by Declan, who asked me if I wanted any help. He asked me if I was looking for a specific vacuum cleaner and if I has considered a cordless product. I explained that we had always bought vacuum cleaners from supermarkets, but I was looking for a more reliable machine. Declan presented a Shark model (IZ380UK), which was priced at £269.99. He said that the cordless model features a 50-minute runtime, while the Flexology Wand reaches under low furniture. He added that the Shark model comes with a crevice tool, an upholstery tool, charger and accessory tote bag. Declan finished his presentation by


Total score: 9/10


Declan attempted to close the sale, but he did not demonstrate the cleaner. The store was well presented.


telling me that the Shark model comes with a one-year guarantee, with an additional four years of cover available once registered.


Audio-T, London Road


This store has been part of the local Hi-Fi scene since 1980, previously trading as Jeffries Hi-Fi before joining Audio T in 2002. My daughter was leaving for university and as a present, I wanted to buy a turntable to complete her much loved hi-fi system. Inside the shop, I was greeted by Jake, who asked if I needed any help. He started his presentation by presenting a Rega model (Planar 1), priced at £329, which


he said is one of the easiest ways to begin building a proper vinyl system.


Jake said the factory-fitted Carbon cartridge, preset RB110 tonearm and plug- and-play balance weight remove many of the adjustments normally associated with setting up a turntable.


Moving to the second product, Jake


presented another Rega model (Planar 2), which was priced at £525. He said the turntable, with the RB220 tonearm, 10mm glass platter and precision brass bearing provide a stronger mechanical platform than the Planar 1.


Sales skills: 3/5


Store presentation: 5/5


Total score: 8/10


Jake was on good form, but he did not attempt to close the sale. The store was well presented.


Robert Dyas, Western Road


Robert Dyas has a long and fascinating history stemming back over 150 years; in 2012, the chain was bought by former Dragons’ Den investor, Theo Paphitis.


I was looking to buy my first air-fryer. Inside the store, I counted 13 air-fryers piled up/ Mark approached me and asked if I needed any help. He started by asking about my living situation and I said that I live with my wife and two teenage daughters. I explained that we had never had an air-fryer, so I was open to his recommendations.


Recognising that a family of four would need


Sales skills: 4/5


Store presentation:


4/5


Total score: 8/10


more capacity, he recommended a nine-litre model from PROCHEF (Double Drawer Air- Fryer), which was priced at £49.99, with a 65 per cent saving on the usual price. Mark mentioned that the 2,000W power output and two independent drawers, allows for efficient meal preparation without the need for sequential cooking. He also showed the removable trays that are designed for easy cleaning.


Mark did a good job. He listened to my needs and suggested a suitable product, but he did not attempt to close the sale. The store display of lots of stacks of products was not aesthetically pleasing to the eye.


Currys, Sussex House Business Park, Old Shoreham Road


This store is located just off the Old Shoreham Road, a major, heavily congested arterial route running in and out of Brighton and Hove. I was looking for a washing machine.


Inside


the store, I headed to the home laundry area, with no approach form any of the employees I walked past.


While I browsed, I counted that there were 48 washing machines on display, ranging in price from £269 for an 8kg Beko model (BM3WT3841W), to £899 for a 10kg Bosch model (WGH254A0GB). With a growing family, I thought a 10kg


model would be a good buy. The Bosch model was A-rated for energy, had a 1,400rpm spin speed and its quick wash could clean a 4kg load in 30 minutes.


I wanted to find a comparable washing machine by capacity. A 10kg Beko model (B5W51041BDW) was priced at £399. According to a sticker on the machine, it had a 1,400rpm spin speed and could do a 28-minute quick was for 10kg, or a 14-minute quick wash for 2kg.


Sales skills: 0/5


Store presentation: 5/5


Total score: 5/10


I was unable to assess the sales skills in this visit. In this day and age, staff should be primed to approach every customer, instead of watching them walk out. The store was well presented.


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