HATFIELDS2GO’S SPEEDY ONLINE SUCCESS

It took Hatfields of Colchester just two weeks to launch its online discount store www.hatfields2go.co.uk.

And within less than a month, the site was achieving visitor levels which the store’s previous website had taken three years to reach.

Said md Andrew London: “We were amazed to have a fully transactional website up and running within just two weeks – and for a fraction of the cost of our previous, non-trading site.”

The speedy and cost-effective transformation from ‘shop window’ to ‘shopping site’ – i.e. one that merely catalogued products available in store to one selling an extensive collection of additional lines – was thanks to Your Department Store.

The brainchild of well known furniture importer David Ruddiman, YDS offers furniture retailers the chance to expand their business from ‘bricks to clicks’ with a customised transactional website offering a gold standard online trading concept.

“Just as importantly it does so without any need to worry about all the back office hassles,” said Andrew. For the retailer there are no stock commitment, warehousing or distribution issues.

“The speed of set up was impressive and I had total confidence in the team thanks to their knowledge and expertise in the furniture and e-commerce sectors.

“Although the site has only been ‘live’ for a couple of weeks we have already achieved tremendous footfall - the same amount our previous site took three years to achieve.”

David Ruddiman and former Amazon high-flyer Jeremy Paterson launched Your Department Store towards the end of 2008. “There is simply nothing else like it in the furniture sector,” says David. “It makes high-level internet retailing an affordable proposition while also capitalising on the strength of the independent retailers’ brand. And far from detracting from their in-store offer it can be used as a tool to drive footfall to it.”