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It seems that Draper is constantly expanding both in terms of product and facilities.
Draper has recently launched its fabulous catalogue, which is steadily making progress towards becoming an annual publication.
This is very important due to the desire to get Draper products to market even more quickly and effectively. Draper continues to supply branded products from Schröder, Elora and Knipex but the vast bulk of products, constantly being sourced, continue to carry the Draper name.
What is noticeable in the catalogue is a large variety of new and diverse ranges such as a leisure section including; camping lights, warmer/cooler units for food storage and even binoculars. There is a great deal of product diversity. All these will be available through Draper outlets. The great advantage for retailers in buying such products from Draper lies in Draper’s buying power, which helps maintain and improve retailer margins leading to greater competitiveness.
Draper is now adding investment to the merchandising side with compact merchandisers fully stocked with products.
During my visit I was shown a battery merchandiser in a compact counter top unit that can be restocked at a very attractive price.
A similar unit for watering hose connectors is being launched imminently. These connections are in plastic and brass and the unit is useful, particularly during the garden watering season, when sales are constant and individual carded stock cannot keep up with sales.
Draper are also modernising the company’s merchandising stands so that an adaptable range of graphics can be personalised towards individual market sectors. This is of growing importance due to the ever widening range of products on offer from Draper. One interesting area is that caravan shops are coming on-line to take Draper’s leisure range. The graphics on the base of every unit can be adapted to meet such market sectors to give “biographical” pictures to meet the needs of the specific sector. Camping, caravaning and leisure is a real growth area for Draper.
Draper is in a rolling programme of uplifting and modernising the point of sale with an emphasis on what Draper term “lifestyle graphics”. These lean towards the market that the products are aimed at with a much softer look than before.
The new catalogue has in fact provided a catalyst for a review of the way the company presents itself to the world. Many personalisation possibilities exist and some buying groups such as T.H.S. have their own personalised version of the catalogue. Along with many independent stockists.
Technology is a key growth area and when I visited the vast Chandlers Ford operation I was shown some highly impressive aids to storage and retrieval of products. Draper has installed 4 huge carousels costing over £1 million, each of which store massive quantities yet occupy very limited floor area. With literally thousands of small products on offer managing supply is a key to Draper’s continuing success. These carousels are computer programmed so that the operator can key in, for example 25 products and the system will retrieve them using the minimum rotations hence leading to greater time saving effectiveness. It almost works like a giant vending machine!
A further innovation in the warehouse is what is known as a “pick to light system” which enables pickers to pick products faster and more accurately to meet the sales success of the company. Essentially what this is, is a bar-code driven system, which is read direct from the picking note and the system illuminates the specific section so that the picker can go direct to the product required. Further investment at Draper has taken the form of conveyors that link factory areas so that product handling is steadily more and more mechanised.
Coming to product as opposed to systems, Draper has recently launched a whole new range of tool boxes and cabinets which are high specification and are selling very well in the automotive market. Another product that caught my eye was a range of space saving step ladders that really store superbly well. Light weight and wonderfully engineered these steps are a sure-fire winner.
Draper innovation wins out!
One constant theme in Draper is to ensure that retailers can retain a good margin particularly for the independent stockist. Even in highly competitive areas like lawn mowing, Draper have a range that will meet the bulk of the market’s requirements.
The Draper branded range of power tools is also selling well and Draper offers excellent value, coupled with a product reliability backed up by Draper’s extensive tool testing facilities.
Draper is now rightly claiming to be a “one stop” shop for the hardware retailer. Serving all kinds of outlets Draper can meet almost every product requirement for tool and DIY focused hardware products.
Draper’s value range has been extended to include even more products. These are great products for the customer who is restricted on price but does not want to compromise on quality.
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Airstream Communications