Retailler finds recipe for growth with strong sales
KITCHENWARE retailer Procook continue to buck the homewares trend, declaring strong growth for the first half of the year 2018/19.
The half year sales figures for the brand were up 25 per cent on the previous year and up an impressive 16% per cent like-for-like.
With bricks and mortar retail sales remaining stable on last year, the growth has been attributed to a strong performance in Ecommerce.
Sales on both Procook’s own website procook.com and Amazon marketplaces have shot up a huge 45 per cenr on 2017/18.
Gloucester-based Procook has gained significant reach and sales via their European channels, now selling to seven European countries including strong growth in France and Germany.
Company chief executive Steve Sanders said: “Retail remains challenging but increasingly exciting for multichannel offerings such as ours.
“We have moved forward significantly within Ecommerce with much more to achieve in the remaining 6 months of 2018/19.
“The first six months of this year have been hard work and there is no sign of let up in the run up to peak but we’re not complaining – it’s a great position to be in.”
In a further statement of confidence Procook have gone against the recent downsizing trend seen by many larger retail chains, opening a further eight shops across the UK in 2018.
The two latest launches, and the last of the year, took place this month at Dockside Outlet Centre in Chatham and Woodford Park Garden Centre in Stockport.
Mr Sanders said: “We’re growing Procook from the ground up and we believe retail stores are vital to that process.
“Retail brings in a huge proportion of sales for us, offers significant support to our Ecommerce channels and helps us maximise our reach as a brand.
“The latest two stores are in fantastic locations and we’re excited to see what they bring to the table in 2019.”
Procook won the Ecommerce Business of the Year’ at the the 2018 Gloucestershire Business Awards. The category was sponsored by Gloucestershire College.