Audio-visual retailer Richer Sounds has partnered with Just Eat to enable delivery in under 30 minutes, becoming the first electronics brand on the rapid delivery platform.
Nathan Kennaugh, managing director of Richer Sounds, said: “We’re so excited to be the very first UK electronics retailer to partner with Just Eat, now delivering home entertainment to our customers so they can enjoy impromptu music and movie nights without the need to leave home.
“We realise great customer service is sometimes all about speed and convenience, so now if you’re caught without a phone charger or headphones, Richer Sounds and Just Eat can be with customers in a new, fast and flexible way to deliver life’s tech necessities.”
A company profile in the UK Top500, in which Richer Sounds is ranked in the Top100, highlights the retailer’s high level of expertise.
Richer Sounds promises customers the expertise needed to buy the right hi-fi, home cinema and flat screen TVs, while customer loyalty is rewarded through its free VIP club.
When he was 19, Julian Richer founded Richer Sounds in London in 1978. In 2019, he sold 60% of his shares to its employee ownership trust, passing with them control of the business. The retailer now sells online, through 51 UK shops, through telesales and B2B departments.
It promises a high level of expertise across its channels – its teams, its website claims, are all “audio-visual enthusiasts and experts” who are “united by a passion for music and movies”. Its website features detailed product explanations and advice videos recorded by store staff. A “stay in the know” section includes FAQs, a jargon buster, brochures to download and an explanation of different types of TV.
Customers can go straight to the product they are looking for by putting a product name or number into the search box, or browse the full range using navigational filters that include brand, size and technical details.
On the product page, there is a choice of zoomable product images alongside detailed information, specifications and Trustpilot reviews and ratings. Recommendations include “similar deals to this one”.
Fulfilment options include free delivery “to most of the UK” in up to six working days for orders worth more than £50. Free next working day collection from a store is available when shoppers order before 5.30pm. Premium options include next working day and nominated-day. Unwanted items can be returned for a refund or exchange within 30 days of purchase for free.
Shoppers can join the VIP club for incentives including £10 off their first order worth more than £100, six-year guarantees, member-only prices and the chance to win prizes. At the checkout, payment options include PayPal and Klarna, while there are complementary recommendations of items “we think you’ll also like”.
On its home page, Richer Sounds links to five social media channels: Instagram, X (Twitter), Facebook, YouTube and TikTok. Its X account has 25.5k followers for posts that include product promotion and film reviews.
This profile is one of eight in the RetailX UK Top500. Amazon, Ikea, Next, Asda, Dunelm, Boden and Very are also looked at in detail.
Throughout the pages of this report, we map out how, for many retailers, the balance of retailing over the last ten years of our UK Top500 analysis has changed.
This report charts performance that has improved so strongly over a decade, it’s raised the bar for all those who sell, or plan on selling, in this market.
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