Page 16 - BOSS Today Issue 6

Boss Awards
interview

BOSS AWARDS:

Retail Award

Elliot Jacobs, Managing Director of UOE, told us what it meant to win this award

Awards Evening, and he was ecstatic.
It’s always valuable to win an award,
and we’ve been able to do quite a
lot of local marketing on the back
of it. Many of our customers have
congratulated us and told us that
we deserved it. And obviously it will
help to enhance our reputation.

What did it feel like to
win the award?
It was an absolute honour. We’ve
won BOSS awards before, for
marketing, and that was a great
feeling too. But winning in this
Left to right:
Terry Alderton, Jaryd Hengl, category was even more special. It
Elliot Jacobs, Philip Beer was just fantastic, and I was over the
moon – as were the people in our
Tell us something established high street business, retail team, of course.
about UOE. and has been for 27 years. We’ve
It’s a long-established office product also really bucked the trend: last Is there anyone you
business, dating back to 1983. It year, when according to the media want to thank? “Winning in
has both retail and commercial the high street was supposed to be Yes, BOSS! But also Mike, Jaryd
operations and covers the whole of dying, we grew our retail business by and James who make up our retail this category
the UK. It started as a purely retail over 20 per cent. We also introduced team. They work seven days a week
outlet; and while this accounts new types of line such as products to make this happen. That’s not was even
nowadays for only 8.5 per cent of for children. It’s a cool looking shop, something you see every day in this more special.
our total turnover, I still have a soft very different from the “pile them industry, or in others – but in my
place in my heart for this part of high” approach some stationers opinion, that sort of dedication and It was just
the business as I started out as a take. We have very loyal customers commitment are what successful
Saturday boy working in this very and over 85 per cent of business is retail is all about. fantastic, and
shop back in 1990 – and ended up repeat work. We’re innovative. So for I was over
buying it eight years later! all these reasons, we felt it was worth n FOR MORE INFORMATION,
a chance. PLEASE CONTACT MICHAEL the moon –
Why did you enter the GARDNER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE
competition in this What will winning the ON 01676 526 060 or EMAIL as were the
category? award mean to the michael@bossfederation.co.uk people in our
That’s a good question, especially business?
considering some of the big names Naturally the guys in the retail team retail team, of
we were up against! But I think I are overjoyed. I brought Jaryd, our
would say that it’s a worthy, well- Retail Manager with me to the course.”

16 BOSS TODAY | December 2010

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