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Whenever a tool retail company achieves this kind of success there always seems to be a common factor, which is not just listening to the customer’s requirements with regards to the products already on sale, it is to be listening to their needs beyond the immediate transaction and allowing that to shape the actual nature of the business, rather than just the products it offers. Electro South West is probably the clearest example you could come across of how this approach can work
When Martyn and Tracey Clapp founded Electro South West in 1986 the company operated solely as an electro plating works (hence the name) plating a variety of items for engineering companies around the Bridgwater area. Martyn, was just twenty five years old and the Electro site was just100ft2 and part of an old wire works, without even basic facilities. For a company we know today these were certainly humble beginnings.
But the company was soon to take the first step in its evolution to what it is today; as a result of requests by customers for Electro to supply fasteners ready plated, it started to source and plate a variety of fasteners and deliver them.
Once this move had been made the company started to find other lines that its customers needed which led to a natural progression of supplying fixings and fasteners, hand and power tools, PPE safety gear, abrasives and allied products separate to the plating services and has grown to a position where Electro’s supply of goods represents 98% of its turnover, with plating being retained as a facility for customers other than a mainstream product line.
Not surprisingly Electro was developing a growing reputation, and the company had to relocated, moving to it present home -Wylds Road. At that stage the unit it occupied was 3200ft2, within three years the business had outgrown it.Electro South West now occupies a space, which including its mezzanine floor is 10,000ft2.
In more recent years the company was approached by the THS Tools Group and became a member, which has lead to continued growth in the product lines available from world renowned suppliers, allowing Electro South West to become more competitive in a keen market place.
The company’s approach also includes stocking the widest range possible whilst also offering additional expertise in some areas. For example Electro is planning a special bosch day to mark status as a bosch specialist, approved by bosch.
“Power tools such a competitive market,” Martyn explains. “It Seemed to bring benefits to major in a single company. We now stock a full range from the blue professional series, this makes life easier, having said that Electro can supply any other manufacturer.”
The company makes a point of stocking many specialist products that are difficult to find elsewhere, such as special fasteners.
Martyn says this has helped bring in customers: “If we put ourselves out to stock ‘hard to get’ products it helps with sales of mainstream products.” This approach marks out companies like Electro from the larger operators, who will only focus on products that are guaranteed to sell at a high rate. By taking this alternative approach Electro has found another way to compete successfully, and to provide excellent service to its customers.
The company stocks products from all the leading brands in their fileds: Bibielle, Marcrist, Rhodius, Draper, Flexovit, Belle, Hitatchi, Metabo, Mikita, SGB, Lyte, Everbuild adhesives, Sealey, Eclipse magnetics, Fein, King Dick, G&J Hall, Starett, Trend, Facom, C.K, Clarke, SDMO, and many, many more, ensuring that whatever the customers requirement is Electro can match it with exactly the right product, in function, quality and cost.
The company has established a very high reputation throughout Somerset and surrounding counties, under taking contracts for both large and small businesses, selling products at keen prices with service being of paramount importance and quality is never compromised. The company’s success was, and still remains, attributable to a firm commitment by all staff members to customer satisfaction.
On a typical day Electro South West is visited by 100 customers. Some come to browse. Almost all of these customers have been gained by word of mouth, however adverts also play a part in Electro’s plans, for instance when there is a special promotion to publicize.
So Electro South West proves that by putting the customer first an independent business can really get it right.
– A visit by Brian Hall, Editor
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Airstream Communications