We had always struggled with our shop, the constant moving of the tombola’s to make room for the deliveries coming in anytime, any day of the week. Then moving everything again when the fitters arrived to collect materials.   There were pallets of wood, rolls of carpet, boxes of Amtico and rolls upon rolls of underlay using up valuable space.

It was very disruptive for the sales staff and unsettling for the customers when trying to review samples and discuss their options; not a very good customer experience.

We tried using lock-ups but they were often damp, not very close to the shop and someone still had to be present for deliveries.  So we continued to receive deliveries at the shop then shuffled everything around at the end of the day.  Still not a good customer experience and very time consuming extending our day by quite a few hours.

We had been on the lookout for a storage solution for several years before we were contacted by Flooring Storage UK.  Our initial thought was that it sounded like what we were looking for, so we decided to cost out the move.  There were two options, single piece storage or our own bay which would allow us to get rid of the lock up.

There is a cost implication not only in terms of the storage space the deliveries took up, but also the time it took to move the showroom around.

We did a pros and cons list but the real benefit only became apparent when we looked at the bigger picture. Here was an opportunity to reorganise the shop, install sampling and make it a better customer experience. We worked out how much of our time was taken up unloading delivers, moving the shop around and sorting out the fitters, we costed that time out and then thought how we could use that time more efficiently.   We would have more time to actively follow up on leads, to produce estimates and to spend with customers.

So we took the plunge and signed the deal, choosing to have our own bays and get rid of the lockup.

We now get an email when our deliveries are in the warehouse, our fitters can pick up the rolls at a convenient time, and thanks to a comprehensively fitted out trade counter, they can pick up sundries and underlay etc. at the same time.

Our shop display has completely changed, we created a space to sit down with customers and tie up the deal.  Customers have commented that they feel more relaxed because the shop is not so jumbled and cluttered.  Overall we have improved our margins; because the shop looks so much more professional the pricing became less of an issue.

The warehouse has given us the opportunity to have everything on hand.  We are paying less for sundries than before and without the need to keep it all in stock, the effect on our cash flow has been very positive.  The fitters are content; they can pick up each morning exactly what they need.  The warehouse opens at 7am so they can beat the traffic, be on site on time and enable us, as a company, to look very professional and organised.

All in all, it has been a very positive experience, our fitters and sales staff are happier and the move has proved financially beneficial for our business too.  If you have a shop and are struggling to manage your day like we were, then I highly recommend you speak to Flooring Storage UK to discuss if they can save you time and money too.