MusicRadar

View in gallery

PRESS RELEASE: Musical Instrument Retailer Dawsons Music are growing their business at a time when many other retailers have been tightening their belts and curbing ambitions.

This year they have opened two new stores (Leeds and Huddersfield; to take their tally to 11 stores) and launched a brand new eCommerce website.

The company is bucking the trend by growing sales year-on-year, through excellent Customer Service, coupled with careful Buying and Marketing strategies.

This significant move towards expansion during recession started with the appointment of their new Managing Director, Mark Taylor, in February 2011. Taylor has brought with him a wealth of retail experience from the likes of M&S, River Island and Littlewoods Shop Direct, the like of which is rarely found within what is a relatively small specialist MI industry. He brings over 25 years of High Street, both UK & International, experience and also 10 years of eCommerce knowledge.

This Internet experience has been essential for the development of the company's eCommerce website which is an integral part of Dawsons' expansion plans and long-term sales growth.

Whilst Dawsons have been online since 1998, around the time Google was barely a twinkle in their founder's eyes, they have not built on that initially strong position. Taylor commented, "We may have been one of the first in our Industry to establish an Online presence, but we have not moved forward as the Internet developed. As a consequence, our competitors moved ahead of us in this channel."

Taylor is understandably excited about building a dynamic online operation on the foundations of a solid retail business. "You could say we've done the hard part, we've already got a great retail business and now we're building on that by improving our online offering". He continued, "This is about delivering a high level of customer satisfaction, not a stack-it-high, sell-it-cheap, approach."

Dawsons are looking to deliver a true multi-channel business, with strength in each area. "We have a strong store foundation, which is expanding, and we have a good Education division with plans to develop further. With the addition of this new website, we can provide customers with access to our business, from whichever channel they prefer."

The eCommerce team has recently been strengthened further, with the appointment of Tahera Dudhwala as Online Marketing Manager, and the company's business development strategy has been boosted by the appointment of Sales Director, Gary Bond.

Chief Executive of the Music Industries Association, Paul McManus said "Dawsons has been referred to by some in the industry as something of a "sleeping giant" in recent years. The professionalism of their "bricks and mortar" retail operation has always been something to aspire to, but others in the industry have gained ground in the past by investing a lot more seriously in the online aspect of their business. If Dawsons can now build a successful on-line business on top of their strong existing retail business, things could get very interesting indeed."

Around the web: