The March issue of ERT is out now!

You can view the March digital issue of ERT here.

Editor’s comment:

This month I am excited to bring you two articles with recent ERT Awards winners – with Meena Toor from Humax and with Allan Will from Booth in Scotland.

Meena (pictured below right) has been with Humax for 11 years and built up some very strong relationships with independent retailers across the UK in that time. In her current role she is up and down the country every week visiting electricals stores and gaining valuable insight into the highs and lows of the retail market on the front line.

“With all the negative industry news at the moment, it can be hard,” she told me, “but I think times are changing and if you’ve got a positive outlook then things can only ever get better.”

Positivity is key, according to Meena, and I definitely agree. Taking a different look at electrical retail is more crucial now than ever! It won’t be any help simply worrying about the lack of footfall on Britain’s high streets today – consumers haven’t gone away, they’ve just changed their shopping habits and the retailers that are thriving now are those that are adapting to these changes and offering something truly unique in store.

One retailer that is embracing change and offering a unique sales proposition is Booth Scotland… The retailer won Best Independent Consumer Electronics Retailer – Large in October and despite it being quite a shock when his name was read out at the Awards, Alan Will tells ERT that he and Trevor Booth (Director) have been shouting from the rooftops and showing the trophy to nearly every customer that walks through the door, which is fantastic to hear!

In terms of its CE offering, Booth Scotland has some of the best product displays in the industry, with plenty of space in the store for customers to explore and investigate (pictured above). Talking about his television displays, Allan told me: “You can move around properly and appreciate these products from the right viewing distances. And this is one of the things that sets us apart.”

The retailer is driving a ‘shop local’ message this year and it has several techniques for attracting local custom from the small market town where it’s based (and in the next biggest town there are several CE retailers and chain stores). As part of its marketing, Booth Scotland produces a regular leaflet publication that is distributed to thousands of homes in the local area and Allan reported that it’s an extremely effective marketing tool.

And talking of local marketing, we have a special dedicated feature on the subject this month which you won’t want to miss. There are expert views on why independent retailers should support their local communities, and comments from retailers themselves on their own unique activities to help drive local shoppers into their stores. Even a mix of simple yet targeted branding exercises can be extremely beneficial and yield a significant response, particularly if you’re also associated with local good causes.