It’s certainly been a busy year for us so far! I’d go so far as to say perhaps one of the busiest in our 122-year history. The key to our growth as a business is our people, the vast majority of whom are in our stores, so I was delighted we were able to increase the size of our estate through the purchase of our 65 new stores. We’ve been welcoming the new team members into our family, sharing our philosophy and ensuring we continue to focus on our community and customers.
Many of the acquired stores are in areas new to us and I’m very much looking forward to becoming part of the community in these towns and cities, the same way we have for our existing estate. One thing I’m always delighted to see is the positive reviews and customer feedback where my team have gone the extra mile for their customers. Here is one I read the other day:
“What an amazing experience!!!
The staff in the Brighton branch are amazing, understanding and very helpful. I was going through a very difficult time and was all over the place when I went in the store. They talked to me and calmed me down and helped as much as they were able to I will always remember my experience there and will continue to use them in the future.” - Tommie Bleu
Our interim results showed solid growth this year and we’re on track to meet The City’s expectations for year end. As a business we’ve not only invested in our stores this year but also in our digital strategy to ensure we evolve as the world around us changes!
We’re into the last quarter of the year now, which for me means we’re putting the last pieces of our Christmas plans together, including starting my store visits. I am really excited about spending time with my team in store whilst I am out and about.
- Mark Harrold
