Adapting to change... the key to success
With talk of a recession looming and trade conditions being difficult, Stax Trade Centres have managed to report record sales after the first half of their 2007/2008 financial year.
Record sales
After 6 months’ trading the company have reported sales of £40.8m against £38.2m for the same period last year – an increase of 6.8%. With all four branches performing better than last year the board are confident that this trend will continue throughout the remainder of the year resulting in yet another record performance.
Sales across all sections are performing well with significant increases from the Gardening & Seasonal and the Plumbing & Building sections. The ongoing expansion of the plumbing and bathroom range to meet demand has continued to result in outstanding sales.
Adapt to succeed
Stax Chairman, Eddie Brady commented,
“With so much negativity, tales of doom and gloom and talk of a looming recession reported by the press we run the risk of it becoming a self fulfilling prophecy. Here at Stax we refuse to be negative and only talk about a changing market and I believe our ability to adapt to these changes has been crucial to our success.”
Listening to customers is key
Whether a business is a small independent retailer, a huge multiple chain or a wholesaler like Stax it is vital that the company listens and talks to its customers to ensure that they offer what the customer wants. Brady, who has always been a ‘hands on’ chairman often found wandering the aisles of Stax Manchester continued,
“I have always believed in working together with our customers and if we don’t talk to them we don’t know what they want, how they feel about Stax and what we can do to improve our service. Over the years many of the changes we have introduced have been a direct result of talking to our customers.”
The continued popularity of the company’s Supa range of products which now consists of over 2,000 lines across DIY, Gardening, Housewares, Tools, Electrical, Heating and Lighting has made a significant contribution to the sales figures. Brady is optimistic that sales of the Supa brand will more than double in the next five years.
