TMCnet News
Demand is growing for garden retailer ; Business moves into new premises after rise in turnover [Lincolnshire Echo (England)](Lincolnshire Echo (England) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) A lawn mower firm has seen a 30 per cent rise in turnover over the past year. Mower Magic, based in North Hykeham, has hit Pounds 1.5 million for the past 12 months and recently moved into new premises to keep up with demand. It has also been recognised with a prestigious industry award for its online performance. The business has seen impressive growth since it was founded ten years ago by brothers John and Jez Hall in a home conservatory. It is now one of the leading online retailers for garden machinery and the top firm in the UK for robotic mowing equipment. Managing director John Hall explained how the business had gained its strong market position. "Ten years ago people did shop online but not to the extent that they do now and there was no one else selling garden equipment online," he said. ' We started in John's conservatory but within a year I had given up my job to focus on the business." After two years the business moved to a site at Pennels Garden Centre in Newark Road. However, in 2008 the brothers moved again, this time to Westminster Road in Lincoln, to accommodate its growth rate. In this time the company became one of the pioneers of automatic mowing technology and it is now the primary UK distributor for the market leader Robomow. As the recession hit the nation, the brothers noticed a fall in sales for mowers and a rise in demand for spare parts. They responded to market trends by stocking a comprehensive range of replacement components. And a year ago they launched a new website, Magic Parts. Jez Hall said: "The recession has actually helped this side of the business. "If you have a garden you will always need to maintain it and make sure it doesn't become overgrown. "But people were spending less on new machines and deciding to repair their existing mower, so the parts side of the business really benefited." However, with trade booming the company needed to expand again and in March it moved to its current 1000qm Station Road site. The business has a customer facing counter for the first time, which is already boosting mower sales, and there will soon be a new showroom. The firm is also extending its own range of products under its Sherpa brand. John Hall said he thought the prospects for the products were good and he believed people were now beginning to buy new products again. "This year we have sold more tractor mowers, so that could be a sign that people are looking at spending a bit more money again," he said. At the beginning of September the company was named as the best online retailer at the 2012 PRO Awards, which recognised dealer excellence in turf care and garden machinery. Jez Hall explained the company was also known across the industry for its high level of customer satisfaction. "We've had more than 3,000 online reviews and it has been 97 per cent positive, which is amazing," he said. "We've been overwhelmed with the comments we've had." The company has nine staff and is looking to take on two more employees in the near future. ' We started in John's conservatory but within a year I had given up my job to focus on the business ' (c) 2012 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |