Sirius has best year to-date, adds four new Approved Members to the group

Major buying group in the electrical appliance and kitchen retail industry, Sirius Buying Group, has announced its best year to-date with 2020 marking its most successful period since being first established in 2001, in terms of growth in membership, purchasing and rebates for its members.

Determined to empower its Approved Members through the pandemic, the entire Sirius team provided an of excellent level timely support with regular virtual member meetings, online business updates and presentations from Approved Suppliers, tailored advice and early rebate promise from the moment Covid impacted the retail sector, as well as launching a pioneering digital trade show with exclusive deals to help further enhance Members’ bottom line. By tracking global electrical trends and highlighting must-have products and themes ahead of the curve for 2021, Sirius ensured that its Approved Members were well-positioned when trading resumed and could comfortably navigate new health and safety regulations, while adhering to Government guidelines.

Added to that, Sirius is able to reveal its largest ever intake of new members to the group last year, taking memberships up to 178 with 250 stores now benefitting from its services. And from January 2021, it has also welcomed four more new Approved Members namely Clocktower, The Appliance Company, La Redoute and The Real Kitchen Company. Steve Jones (left), Managing Director at Sirius Buying Group says, “We are delighted to extend a warm welcome to our new Approved Members and assist them in going to the next level with their business goals in 2021. We are extremely proud of our Approved Members and Suppliers as the Sirius ethic of working creatively together for the greater good paid off last year, supporting 250 retail outlets during unprecedented times. As our sector prepares for life after lockdown in the light of Government guidelines and new legislation after Brexit, working in unison to serve our customers and local communities has never been more important.”

Tom Harvey, Managing Director of Clocktower agrees. As a regional domestic appliances retailer serving the Southern Lake District and Northern Lancashire, his team’s commitment to customer care is front and centre. “Throughout the third lockdown, we’re continuing doing what we do best, which is looking after our customers. We offer ‘click/phone and collect’ alongside our free local delivery, and where it can be done safely we are installing new appliances. Retaining our identity and independence is vital and Sirius allows us to do that while at the same time enabling us enjoy benefits the wider group offers, For the past few years one of our biggest challenges as a business has been margin erosion, but for 2021 it looks likely to be a continuation of last year with stock availability being hit hard by the pandemic. My hope is that Sirius opens up more avenues for us and helps to mitigate that. I’m looking forward to learning from existing Sirius Members. Clocktower has been in business for over 30 years, but it’s never too late to learn more from others so that our customers continue to benefit from our service. As a new member I’m excited to be able to improve the company’s bottom line. The potential rebates through the strong position Sirius has within the industry has made joining a no-brainer for me.”

The desire to make full use of Sirius’ expertise to support growth was key to Ian Fender’s and Jon Haigh’s decision to join the Group. Ian and Jon are Directors of The Appliance Company, based in Olney, Buckinghamshire which was founded in 2018, primarily selling Liebherr graded stock and now expanding into new A grade appliances to capture their customers nationwide via its online channels. Ian says “We knew people from Sirius through our logistics business, Spexmo, which offers VIP home and commercial alongside logistical support for industry trade shows and it was obvious that Sirius and the relationships within the group were best placed to help us exploiting price points, coupled with sales and marketing support. The knowledge and well-rounded opportunities for directional guidance will greatly assist in us maximising sales. Communication is a core part of our high level of service and during the pandemic we have elevated this by asking customers for full details regarding property access and their health to ensure public health is protected. Our delivery teams have the best PPE and we conduct weekly Covid testing.

“We knew people from Sirius through our logistics business, Spexmo, which offers VIP home and commercial alongside logistical support for industry trade shows and it was obvious that Sirius and the relationships within the group were best placed to help us through exploiting price points and with extra sales and marketing support. The knowledge and rounded opportunities for directional guidance will greatly assist in us maximising sales. Communication is a core part of our high level of service and during the pandemic we have elevated this by asking customers for full details regarding property access and their health to ensure public health is protected. Our delivery teams have the best PPE and we conduct weekly Covid testing.”

Darren Scott, National Business Development Manager at Sirius Buying Group says, “It is an honour and a privilege to welcome our new Approved Members into our close-knit business community and work with them on their newly-supported retail journeys. We are very proud that we can give them the confidence and inspiration to keep growing and developing businesses in such difficult times by providing an unparalleled opportunity to significantly increase margins, efficiency and customer service with the expertise of our incredible Approved Suppliers.”

Another online retailer, French owned La Redoute UK, is joining Sirius Buying Group to secure access to key brands and accelerate its home electricals division. Ryan Gilfrin, Head of Buying and New Business says “Our vision is to become the destination for families to get their essential items quickly and affordably across fashion, homewares and electricals, and becoming a Sirius member is a big part of this. The group was recommended to us by many appliance brands and is helping us to get access to the right people so that we can move quickly to scale our mutual business with key brands. Sirius gave us another contact for an existing supplier that had taken 18 months of conversations so far and we now have a signed contract two months in, which is brilliant. We are excited about more introductions to new partners to build our profile in electricals.”

Steve Jones concludes, “The retail landscape continues to evolve in 2021, with the prospect of the stamp duty holiday being extended until the end of June in line with the lockdown roadmap, so we need to focus on our strengths and deliver the difference consistently to consumers and developers alike as the property market takes off this spring. The digital marketplace gives us a new space to communicate our passion for the latest products and innovations, years of highly skilled practical knowledge and exceptional service. Contract interiors also remain a key area of growth especially in the premium market, and we are delighted to advise Sirius Approved Members about the opportunities which may be available to them here, depending on their business needs.”