Arnold business records ‘incredible’ sales in just 2 years

A business has recorded ‘incredible’ turnover in just two years despite opening just before lockdown began in 2020. The Bathroom Store on Arnot Hill road in Arnold has gone from strength to strength during a notoriously difficult period for businesses.

The shop which sells bathroom and shower packages opened just before the lockdown was introduced which could have meant difficult times for any new business. However, the team rose to the challenge and the store has managed to record an incredible £1 million in turnover in just its second year.

Director, Craig Blakeway said: “To be able to turn over a million pounds in year two was incredible. We didn’t even think we would achieve that in three or four years or even longer than that. To be able to do it in just two years is astonishing.”

Read more: ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ where collectors buy 1,000 items at a time

Craig attributes the success of The Bathroom Store to its full range of the best in bathroom supply brands, tight links with local industry and also developing a strong online presence during lockdown. This is despite the brand only being two years old and battling Covid restrictions and regulations.

Craig said: “We actually set up right at the beginning of lockdown. It could have hit us hard but luckily we had an online aspect to what we do so it managed to turn things around for us.”

He added: “Obviously we couldn’t do anything for a while as we couldn’t go anywhere but things started to open up again. We were allowed to open up based on the grounds that we were supplying radiators and items that people desperately needed in their homes. We have a big trade following locally which is what we built on during lockdown.”

Lockdown did see a massive boom in home renovations as homeowners locked indoors turned their attention to renovating. As they began to get used to shopping online, Craig says this has had a longer effect on the way we shop now and that home renovation shopping could be seasonal before Covid.

“Customers don’t come in like they used to but we now tend to get more shopping online. Before lockdown, this industry was sort of between May to August as people would go on holiday and then do the bathrooms. The seasons vanished during lockdown but are starting to come back now but, definitely during that period, people were desperate to do renovations on the home,” he explained.

Going forward, Craig has strong ideas for the brand and would like to develop even better links with local builders and fitters. He would also like to encourage more locals to visit the shop. Although an expansion is not off the cards, as the team, which has expanded to three members of staff, may need a bigger store to accommodate in the future.

“I would like to continue developing and working with local people. I want to get them into the showroom to engage with us so that we can build our network up as well as get more trade customers on board.”

He added: “We have probably got to the position where we are outgrowing our premises, to be fair. With the amount of stock that comes in and goes out, we are struggling with the space we’ve got.” The store may not go too far as Craig has been in Nottingham for 16 years and he does think Arnold is a great place.

“It’s pretty good here as it’s quite a busy little town. If anything, it was busier due to lockdown but we get a lot of footfall into the showroom daily so it’s a good place to be.”