Andy Beresford is the managing director of the multi award winning games room retailer Home Leisure Direct, where last year they grew turnover by 30%. Previously he worked at Dixons and Phones 4U.
That’s right – they sell Pool tables, arcade machines, air hockey tables – even neon signs – everything you need to kit out the perfect games room.
Home Leisure Direct is a Boutique Bricks and Clicks eCommerce business – selling online and via their physical showroom.
Click to Tweet: Hear Andy Bereford of Home Leisure Direct discuss Amazon Product Ads on @eComMasterPlan #podcast
About the business
- eCommerce Business Structure – Boutique Bricks and Clicks (website plus showroom in Bristol)
- Product Range Scale – VERY niche, pool tables, & games machines
- On a bespoke platform, built by bluebox
- £5 million plus turnover, this year growth at 60%
- 21 people in the business (at the start of the year was just 9!)
- Based in the UK, sell globally
- Key widgets in the website:
- Feefo – for reviews
- Custom built:
- Personalisation tool
- Predictive Search
- Basket recovery
Amazon Product Ads experience:
[These are the ads that drive to your website, not that drive to your products on Amazon.]
- Accounts for about 2-3% of sales, so there’s sizeable traffic
- It’s paying it’s way, but profit isn’t amazing
- Took a while to get it all set up right, and optimisation continues
- Always good to have lots of marketing methods and not be too reliant on one
Most Awesome Thing Right Now
- The product! and how excited it makes our customers.
- The world of eCommerce – there’s always new things to learn and new opportunities to take.
On the Radar for the Coming Months
- A new sales office
- A new showroom at the base in Bristol
- Own brand of pool tables is launching – to provide the customer with a great product at a great price
- Own brand of retro arcade game consoles launching September too
- A new concession in London’s Selfridges department store
eCommerce Book Top Tip
eCommerce Traffic Top Tip
- Do everything – go after lots of routes to market to limit your risk
Tool Top Tip
- Google spreadsheets – great for collaborative working
Start Up Top Tip
- Tighten your product range. Sell a clear niche rage of products, and one that excites you
- Find the right customer segment to target
If your business didn’t exist, which eCommerce Business Would you like to be Running?
- None of them! At the moment there’s no sector Andy feels it’s worth entering.
Interview Links
- Home Leisure Direct – there are always offers!
- Facebook Page
- Twitter profile
- Google+
- YouTube
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