Furniture News explores the practices and philosophies behind e-tail enterprise Turnbull and Thomas in a discussion with MD Terence Turnbull …
Launched in March last year, Turnbull and Thomas offers a wide selection of bedroom, kitchen, dining room and living room furniture
Why visit your website?
Because we offer fine furnishings, which embrace both traditional and contemporary finishes with exquisite upholstery, shabby-chic and French-inspired pieces demonstrating the highest levels of craftsmanship. Our designer ranges transcend luxury with a stunning selection of bedroom, kitchen, dining room, living room and garden furniture as well as a wide array of accessories such as ornaments, mirrors and lighting to assist in creating homes that reflect every customer’s personality, lifestyle and aspirations.
How did you enter the trade?
My business partner director Gareth Thomas’s interest in setting up a home furnishings business was prompted when he built his own house. He used the very best materials to construct his dream property, but struggled to find furniture with the style, flair and level of quality to match its high standard. He also is an established entrepreneur as MD of a Teesside manufacturing firm Icon Plastics.
I have meticulous attention to detail thanks to 24 years’ service in the Armed Forces where my expertise focused on distribution, re-supply and logistics. I also have a wealth of retail experience, which most recently included four years as the general manager of an online furniture retailer. We know each other through family connections and with our combined experience it made perfect sense to launch the business to fill a gap in the market identified by Gareth.
Who is your e-commerce hero?
Pierre Omidyar, the creator of eBay. He started eBay which was previously named Auction Web in 1995 designed for the public to trade their own items, mainly collectables. The first item ever sold was a broken laser pointer – business soon grew and by 1997 eBay was hosting 800,000 auctions per day.
eBay has been around for more than 20 years and during that period it has evolved and today covers everything from collectables to new build properties with trading across the globe. Pierre Omidyar now is one of the wealthiest people on the planet, but he also shares his wealth with massive donations to many good causes.
Describe a typical working day
My days vary, but my role is to oversee the day-to-day running of the business. I believe in being very hands-on so I am involved in proofing orders, doing daily blogs, supporting our social media strategy, greeting and meeting customers at our showroom, and liaising with high-end suppliers to make sure our offering expands and develops. I am a stickler for keeping an eye on the detail and am always trying to keep ahead of the game by looking at what the next home furnishing trend is going to be.
What part of your job would you prefer to avoid?
There is nothing that I’d prefer to avoid. I like to be involved at all levels of the business. Indeed, it is a philosophy that applies to all the staff as we rotate employees’ roles so that they get to know every aspect of the business from top to bottom, as all of this adds to their knowledge of Turnbull and Thomas and enhances the quality of customer service we are able to provide.
What has been your greatest challenge?
Having the confidence to open a showroom that is not in a traditional retail location. However, we did our research and the showroom is close to several large areas of housing and is proving to be convenient for the surrounding community and even beyond.
How much do you invest in making your site more visible?
We never stop looking at how we can improve our site. We have invested in a comprehensive SEO package, are about to embrace pay-per-click and soon will be adding a video showcasing what Turnbull and Thomas is all about. It is important to keep refreshing and adding to the site to attract people’s attention and drive more traffic to it.
What are your growth plans for the business?
We have a long-term business plan incorporating set targets, which includes constantly building on the number of products that we offer and sourcing new suppliers. I also am a firm believer that a key contributor to business growth is to build a long-term relationship with customers. They may start off by buying a bedside cabinet, but over time I would hope to end up furnishing the rest of their house as they update their decor and home interiors.
What advice would you offer an aspiring e-tailer?
Do your research and be fastidious regarding the planning and fine detail. There will be plenty of challenges along the way, but never give up on your dream, which in Turnbull and Thomas’s case is becoming a household name.
This interview was published in the December 2015 edition of Furniture News magazine.
