Retailer Spotlight: How Thistle Help is expanding in East Ayrshire
Scottish-based retailer Thistle Help opened its second showroom in Kilmarnock the midst of the Covid pandemic but its success since has proved that it was a risk worth taking…
When George Ruddick and Laura Hays opened their first Thistle Help store in Irvine, North Ayrshire, in 2007, they never imagined how successfully the business would grow.
All those years ago, George had a vision to open a mobility business providing a great service to customers, with Laura deciding to join him on the journey.
Having cerebral palsy had meant that George always required to use the services of other mobility dealers, and he felt that with his first-hand experience, he would be able to provide a quality service that would really understand the needs of customers.
George originally had a print business which he ran for two decades before deciding in 2007 to wind down his print operations and diversify into the mobility market.
He then got talking to Laura and after having decided on a name, logo and premises, the co-owners haven’t looked back. The two are a good team with George focusing on the financial side of the business, while Laura oversees the administration side of it.
A risk worth taking
A risk worth taking
Fifteen years on, the Scottish mobility retailer boasts a team of 15, two showrooms and a workshop space.
Due to the pandemic, the last two years have been the most challenging of all, according to the co-owners, but they say that they are so proud to have come out of it stronger than ever.
Although there were some difficult times for everyone, they grew their business by acquiring a second showroom in Crosshouse, Kilmarnock in November 2020.
George Ruddick, Managing Director, commented: “Acquiring the business during the Covid-19 pandemic was a risk but one that is already proving to be a successful decision.
“Having provided a service to North Ayrshire residents for the last 14 years, we felt it was time to expand and offer the same service to East Ayrshire and further afield.”
Its former owner had been in the industry for many years and made a successful business in Crosshouse.
George commented: “John Bond, the previous owner of the business, telephoned us to advise he was wanting to retire. Being in good terms with John, he did not want us to hear the news from a third party.
“Laura and I knew it was a good business with great potential and to be perfectly honest, we did not want another competitor coming into the area. John wanted a reputable company to take over the reigns. After some negotiating, the acquisition was concluded.”
Getting the store ready
Getting the store readyThe idea with the acquisition was to not only offer the customers of the Mobility Centre the same level of service, George says, but also a wider range of products from more suppliers than it did at its Irvine showroom.
From a product perspective Thistle Help would continue to supply lift & rise recliners, mobility scooters, manual and power wheelchairs, adjustable beds and daily living aids from both its Irvine and Crosshouse showrooms.
Although the Crosshouse showroom is smaller than its Irvine showroom, it offers the exact same services from sales, hire and repair to all mobility equipment through its service engineers.
The showroom boasts an ideal location for Thistle Help, as unlike its Irvine showroom it is on a bus route, and it is very close to Crosshouse Hospital.
Once the acquisition had taken place, it was fortunate that the new store did not require too much in the way of renovation.
George reflects: “The showroom just needed a little upgrading to get it to the standard Thistle Help like to maintain. We painted the internal building and erected new signage outside in order that the branding matched our Irvine showroom.”
With the Covid pandemic kicking off though it wasn’t without its challenges, as George goes on to explain.
“Covid undoubtedly slowed the process down as both our local councils decided we were not an essential business and both premises had to close for 10 weeks.
“Due to staff safety, we furloughed everyone and brought them back one by one. This meant the Irvine showroom reopened sooner than the Crosshouse showroom.
“Ironically, we were selling products in our car park due to the way trading standards interpreted the safe distance rules and we were not allowed customers into our showroom.
“With reduced staff levels, Crosshouse was a bit of a stop-start operation. We did not have the staff levels to open both showrooms and Crosshouse was open two days one week and three days the next.
“We gradually brought staff back up to pre-Covid levels and both showrooms are now open full time. We are actually quite proud of the fact, we have increased our staff numbers from before the pandemic.”
Acquiring a business during Covid meant that footfall into the Crosshouse store was not great at first. George adds: “Laura and I knew from the outset Crosshouse would take some time to be a success. For a start, we are selling completely different supplier products and customers take time to adjust to change.”
This being said, however, the co-owners have been pleased to see footfall and sales increasing week on week since.
Similar to the Irvine showroom, riser recliners, scooters and powerchairs are the store’s best sellers. George adds: “Just before Covid, we took the decision to change our riser recliner supplier and the increase in sales of these has been phenomenal.”
With people not being able to go on holiday during the pandemic, George says that they have noticed sales of riser recliner and scooters have increased dramatically, with sales of riser recliner having more than doubled in the last two years alone.
Building on success
Building on successReflecting on the last couple of years, despite all the challenges, George is in no doubt the purchase of the Crosshouse store has turned out well.
He adds: “We feel the Crosshouse showroom has contributed in such a way that we could not only keep all of our staff from our Irvine showroom, but also employ additional employees.
“With many companies closing down we are very proud of the fact that Thistle Help continues to grow in these difficult times.
“This undoubtedly is due to the loyalty and dedication of our staff. As well as this, we have made a conscious effort to bring in new suppliers and let go of others in order to offer our customers the best variety possible. In fact, Crosshouse sells very little of the branded products sold by the previous owner.”
There is no shortage of competition from other mobility retailers in the area, not to mention ecommerce, but Thistle Help believes its excellent customer service levels and range of products on offer keeps it ahead of the competition.
“Our regular training of staff adds to this,” explains George. “Keeping a close eye on our suppliers also assists us in bringing in quality products to both our showroom, which undoubtedly keeps customers returning.
“Ecommerce will always be a challenge, but Thistle Help’s ethos and level of service means customers may pay that bit more for peace of mind should something go wrong with their product.”
Laura adds that staff at the business are often complimented by customers for the warm welcome and relaxed atmosphere they receive when they visit both showrooms.
Laura says: “George and I have worked hard to ensure our business survived during these unprecedented times. Having a good team of staff working with us has undoubtedly contributed to our continued success.”
As for the future, George adds that the next 12 months will about concentrating on building the Crosshouse showroom to contribute to the profit of Thistle Help as a whole. He adds: “Undoubtedly, as both showrooms income increase we will have to look at employing additional staff.”
