Part of Euronics, Combined Independents Holdings (CIH) chair Steve Scogings urged appliance manufacturers to reconsider selling direct to consumers.

At its annual Christmas event at Claridges, London, he commented: “We are here for the long term and not just to rest on our laurels. We have had some exceptionally good years up to now and we are not finished yet.

“Many of you in the room have D2C [Direct to Consumer] challenges in your business, where your senior heads see this as an opportunity to grow your business share.

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“It seems from the latest report in Which? That this is not always the case. Why continue down this path when we can offer you a better solution?”

He highlighted the benefit of the independent retailers sector for appliance manufacturer, stating members are able to offer consumers help and advice, as well as delivery.

“My hope this year is that we all work together to confront this challenge and help produce a solution that helps all of us to achieve the growth we require but also give the consumer the best experience.

“You do not need to do D2C to have a strong brand and if you are willing to work with us, we can prove it.”

Scogings used his speech to highlight the organisations activities over the year, including moving into a new distribution facility in Tankersley and instigating the fitting of solar panels to become self-sufficient for power at the site.

CIH has also invested in a product information management system, designed to feed the Euronics website, members EPOS digital ticketing and in store displays.

In addition, the organisation announced it will launch an e-commerce platform in April next year, called Euronics Evolution, to offer national visibility for the products supplied by its members.

“The initial launch will be a few thousand extra products on the site with the intent to ramp this up over the following months.

“This will utilise the 600+ stores we have over the whole country to highlight what they all have to offer whilst also giving the consumer a wider choice and the bonus of dealing with a local company.

“This will further enhance our standing with consumers and give all our members the chance to get involved online and showcase the many benefits they offer their local communities.

“Our intention is to grow this business to rival the major online players over the next three years and once again cement our place as the best omnichannel offering in our market.”

CIH also used the occasion to present awards to its suppliers, including Hoover Candy who won White Goods Supplier of the Year, Liebherr was honoured for its commitment to the independent, and the members vote was for Beko/Blomberg

Scogings concluded: “To all of you our suppliers, without you we do not have a business, but without us the consumer does not have the best solution for finding the right product to suit their needs. It is and always will be a partnership.

“ I have always pushed the virtue of us working closely together and over the next year we need to work better together to achieve both of our ambitions, it will be a challenging 12 months. I know some of you feel we may be expensive to deal with, then let`s talk.

“We are willing to make tough decisions as long as they benefit us both and help our members achieve their expectations too. We want you to have the opportunity to come to us and discuss your reservations and with this in mind we can then work on improving the business for us all.

We are not naïve to feel this is a one-way street and we should be making high profits without you achieving your financial goals too. but only working together can we make this partnership a beneficial one for both parties”