Members from Northern Ireland give a warm welcome at Regional Meeting
The AIS Northern Ireland Regional meeting held on 14 and 15 October was a resounding success. These meetings are open to all of our Members, and offer a chance to connect, share ideas and learn solutions to common challenges. This most recent meeting had Members and representatives from the finance, product and marketing team head over to Northern Ireland. We received a warm welcome from both our two Member hosts - White House, Portrush and Right Price, Coleraine.
‘’The Regional Meetings are invaluable. The host store conducted a tour and were generous with the information they disclosed about their store performance. This is a great opportunity for any retail business looking to pick up tips to grow their sales and move their store on visually. Exactly what AIS is about and the benefit of being a member"
Alison Fisher, Damartex UK Ltd, one of our newest Members and also AIS preferred supplier
Over 15 different Member stores from across the UK, attended the busy two day event, which included store tours and AIS business updates. It's not all hard work, with the end of day one, Guinness, delicious food, and engaging conversations.
‘’These were a wonderful 2 days where I learnt so much from conversations with varied retailers that this gathering enabled. The store visits were so informative and inspiring. I found that, at the meeting, both from the speakers and the questions put to them, I got to understand that AIS has so much more to offer than I knew was available. I look forward to attending my next regional meeting.’’
Thelma Hodgins, Kenneth Hodgins
Member tours begun with a visit to Right Price, Coleraine, established in 1976 by Raymond Pollock and John Dixon. During the next few years, the business flourished and in 1982, they decided to relocate and purchased an out-of-town site.
In 2003, the Pollock family assumed full control of the business and whilst not quite fully retired, Raymond handed over the day to day running of the business in 2015 to his 3 children, Ryan, Lisa and Richard. Family is at the heart of so many of our Members, making AIS more than a Buying Group.
Next to The White House where significant transformations have taken place. Extensive refurbishments across all three floors have modernised the store, and the introduction of unique and strong brands across furniture and fashion has ensured it remains relevant.
Day two began with the AIS team providing an update on Board Strategy Days, Suppliers, Tech Services, INDX and CENPAC. An important benefit of being part of a Buying Group is access to leading brands and exclusively negotiated terms. Our product category experts strive to build Member confidence, by continually reviewing, prospecting and onboarding suppliers that will deliver innovation, quality and value all with a commercial edge.
‘’We would like to thank all the members who visited our store and to those who shared ideas and opinions, with a view to helping us improve our instore experience. Providing the best possible service to customers is essential and who better to gain some insight from, than fellow independent retailers. Plus, it is a fantastic excuse to get the hoover and paint brush out and give the store that spruce up that you have been talking about for months.’’
Ryan Pollock, Right Price
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