5 lessons to be learned from Yorkshire Linen's online retail strategy

Following a recent chat with one of my clients, Linda Shreeve, Managing Director of Yorkshire Linen (who despite uniquely challenging circumstances for the UK’s high street, are celebrating a strong year and are hugely optimistic about their future prospects), it made me think about what it was that Yorkshire Linen were doing so right in a demanding industry.

It’s no secret that retail businesses across the country are struggling due to a combination of:

1. Rising property and employment costs;
2. Economic certainty creating reduced demand;
3. National Living Wage / National Minimum Wage;
4. Auto enrolment;
5. Making Tax Digital;
6. General Data Protection Regulation;
7. Unpredictable weather causing unpredictable shopping patterns; and last, but most certainly not least;
8. The irresistible rise of online retail

Take a look at this article that Grant Smith wrote in February, which gives you more detailed information on legistation affecting retailers: Legislation that shouldn’t keep retailers awake at night for more 

So why are Yorkshire Linen so optimistic about their future, despite such difficult conditions? What are they doing well that others could learn from?

Here's what I discovered:

1. They have a tactile product that lends itself to a face to face buying experience
2. They take an ‘experiential’ approach to customer service that, despite reduced footfall in town centres and shopping parks, has improved transactional frequency
3. They have stores that are backed up by a strong online presence allowing shoppers to sample the products in store and buy at home later, or simply cut out the high street altogether
4. They have an innovative approach to in-store offers (and a forensic analysis of their impact)
5. They own a portfolio of stores that provides gains in terms of buying power and efficiencies (as well as spreading risk) but is sufficiently small (in, say, M&S, terms) to allow close monitoring of buying trends, stock days and the success or otherwise of promotions which are directly tailored to the local market (surprisingly, what works in Huddersfield may not work in Harrogate)

What lessons can be learned?

• You can only manage what you can measure
• Embrace online - it’s here to stay!
• Be innovative and agile 
• Customer experience is key. It’s not enough to just ‘sell stuff’. The experience itself needs to be a reason for repeat visits