April 26th, 2012
GfK has confirmed that, after four years, Digital Switchover continues to have a dramatic positive impact on Consumer Electronic sales. Sales of set-top boxes within the London TV region were more than six times greater during week 14 (w/c 1st April 2012), than the same week last year. The early Easter sales were partly responsible, but the vast majority of the uplift was attributable to the Crystal Palace transmitter switch from analogue to digital. The full press release is available on:
http://www.gfkrt.com/imperia/md/content/rt-uk/press/gfk_press_release_ongoing_death_of_analogue_rejuvinates_sales_of_set-top_boxes_19.04.12.pdf
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April 26th, 2012
The UK economy is now back in recession having shrunk by 0.3% in the fourth quarter of 2011 and by 0.2% in the first three months of this year. The Office for National Statistics said yesterday that output of the construction sector decreased by 3% and the production industries decreased by 0.4%. In contrast, output of the services sector (which includes retail), increased by 0.1%. However, yesterday’s figure is an early estimate that will be revised at least twice in the coming months.
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April 23rd, 2012
Millers Music are the current Music Industries Association Retailer of the Month, and our software is music to the ears of Miller’s present Managing Director and owner, Barry Robinson…
Miller’s Music in Cambridge may be the second oldest music retailer in the UK – they date back to 1856 – but they certainly have their fingers on the pulse of technology. In the early years, Miller’s Music were leaders in new technology selling early gramophones and the cylinders for them. They produced the first truly portable gramophones which were sold in their hundreds to the forces for use in the trenches during the First World War. Over one hundred pipe organs were made in Millers’ own factory and many are still giving good service today.
After The Second World War, the company was sold by the Miller family and was bought back only in 1953. By this time, the company was retailing all musical instruments and was a leader in the new field of electronic entertainment. It was also a leader in the new field of electric organs and was also selling a wide range of record players, records, radios and televisions. The link with television went right back to the early days when Millers exhibited the first working television in Cambridge! Today the £3-million turnover company employs the latest state-of-the-art retail software from Cromwell Business Systems to help it run smoothly. And has done for the past 30 years…
In fact Millers were Cromwell’s very first customers before they even registered with Companies House. Miller’s present Managing Director and owner, Barry Robinson – and the great, great grandson of the founder, Albert Tubelcain Miller – was running a Pick system at the time. And it was giving him and all the other users a big headache. Along came an IT expert who offered help and eventually even loaned his son to learn the business. And so Cromwell Business Systems was born. As was Open-Retail, the successor to the previous disastrous Q-Retail Miller’s were running. In those days Millers sold AV equipment and Cromwell went on to become the number one software specialist in that market place. However, Barry continued with the system even when his business went “music’ only in 1996.
Says Barry: “Cromwell has a well tried credit and rental system and the stock control is excellent too and provides all we need”. Millers have ‘several thousand’ rental and hire purchase accounts and says Barry: “I don’t know of any other system which offers credit management.” Open-Retail can set up Direct Debits without the Bank’s involvement which cuts down on paperwork and postage; involves less mistakes – not least on the Bank’s side; releases staff to do other things; provides faster option than Bankers Orders; and provides faster debt information. So while Millers’ origins are in the past, they are very much up to speed on technology to run their business more efficiently. And on a more down to earth note they know exactly where their business is at any given time. Says Barry: “By being able to get management accounts I can find out exactly how we are doing in any given area. And in these difficult times, this is particularly important.”
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April 21st, 2012
“People buy from People” was the key message to independents from Big Red Sales director John Reddington at last week’s Retra Conference in Newcastle.
John – a previously unbilled speaker – stepped in at the eleventh hour when marketing consultant Richard Hammond was unable to attend due to illness. Referring to an earlier presentation from Gfk”s Nigel Catlow about an increase in online sales John told a packed audience: “Despite some of the retail statistics that have been presented to us I still believe that a big percentage of the retail spend is handled by the silver surfers, and I still believe that those people prefer to shop where they have an experience and an involvement rather than just tapping on a keyboard.”
And to illustrate his point he referred to a previous long past national retail conference where the then CEO of Dixon’s had told delegates he was going to close down Dixon’s high street stores as they weren’t profitable compared to Internet retailing. Immediately after Charles Mayfield, chairman of John Lewis told the conference his organisation’s philosophy was to open more stores adding, “We believe in people selling to people”. John continued: “So Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s fast forward to 2012. John Lewis’ retail growth and statistics are the shining light in the multiple electrical outlets retail whereas the other multiples are all having a torrid time.”
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April 21st, 2012
Custom installation distributors AWE Europe homed in on lost wall bracket opportunities in the marketplace at last week’s Retra Conference in Newcastle.
Said MD Stuart Tickle: “With only 1 out of every 20 brackets being sold through independents you are missing out on £10 millions of brackets sales.”
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April 21st, 2012
Sony’s Consumer Sales Director Chris Bowen told delegates at last week’s Retra Conference in Newcastle that in a significant research campaign his company had run, 27% of consumers claimed to be “confused” when buying in store as a result of which £2.2m sales were being lost. The same research showed that while 50% started the sales process online only 7% purchased that way. More than 93% visited the store with 70% of them making their buying decision there, leaving another 23% who went home empty-handed.
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April 21st, 2012
Opening the Retra Conference in Newcastle last week Gfk’s Nigel Catlow reported a decline of almost 20% in the CE market during the past year. “You may think this is the same speech I made last year but it’s not all bad,” he continued. With the various major events ahead – Diamond Jubilee, Euro football and London Olympics – an estimated 300,000 TVs would be sold by July. He urged independents to look at what they were selling in-store:
“If CE is down you should look at the mix of products you are selling in store. Multiples have expanded more into IT and Photographic to spread their risk,” he added. Retailers should ensure they look at growth markets such as headphones – which were up 30% – and wall brackets, which were “doing very well” he said. And with the anticipated growth in sales of big screen TVs and the subsequent installation scenarios, came an opportunity in sound bars, which were enjoying large increases. And 64% were going through independents. Small Domestic Appliances was another area to watch. Premium priced products such as coffeemakers and food prep products were enjoying very healthy sales he told delegates.
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April 16th, 2012
The Centre for Retail Research has undertaken a study for Kelkoo, the online website, that shows relaxing Sunday Trading laws during the Olympics will benefit retailers by £189.8 million (with 47% of the gains in London and a further 11% in the South East). Clothing and food are likely to see the biggest boost in income but consumers are expected to do comparison shopping (e.g. for electricals, health and beauty and household items) particularly in supermarkets. Outside London and the South East retailers will have to decide how much extra business, if any, they can expect. Full details on: http://www.retailresearch.org/londonolympics2012.php
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April 16th, 2012
Kazuo Hirai, Sony’s new chief executive, has announced how the company will work towards a return to profit after it forecast a record annual loss of $6.4 billion for this year. The strategy going forwards will be to focus on mobile electronics (e.g. cameras, games, phones and tablets), its TV operations, and its medical business. Sony aims to inprove design engineering efficiency and reduce by 40% the number of product models it manufactures. It hopes this will help reduce fixed costs related to its TV business by 60% and operating costs by 30% in the 2013 financial year. Mr Hirai also confirmed that the company could shed 10,000 jobs during the current financial year.
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April 11th, 2012
The Office of Fair Trading has created a free online one-stop-shop to help you understand the law on the Distance Selling Regulations. Well worth a look: http://www.oft.gov.uk/business-advice/treating-customers-fairly/dshome/
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