Headlam – bold steps to lead market recovery
Market-leading Headlam Group is pulling all its distribution brands together in a major move to make one compelling new force to serve retailers more effectively.
As the UK’s largest distributors in the sector, Headlam has 67 brands and, on the wholesaling and logistics side of the business, it is names like Cheshires, Hadfields, Wilkies, Matty’s, Faithfulls, Matty’s and many more that are well known, depending on which part of the country you’re in.
Now, all those local firms – some 32 trading operations – will be gathered together as Mercado – another of Headlam’s brands but one that already has a national footprint and a hundred-year-old heritage.
Why? And why now?...
“The flooring business isn’t easy – especially right now in this market – so we’re on a mission to make it easier. To remove obstacles. To get closer to our customers and what they need."
Chris Payne, Headlam CEO
“I’ve spent a lot of time over the last year or so listening to customers,” says Chris. “It’s important to find out what people want, rather than sitting behind my desk and deciding what we should offer. And retailers are savvy, they want a straight-forward service that can say yes to everything they need and do so with reliability.”
Chris points out that across the Group, retailers spend time with multiple Headlam reps, have lists of log-ins to some of its 50 different websites, and have to navigate several accounts to order everything they need.
In future it will be one Mercado network, with one comprehensive product range and price list, and a single account and ordering portal, backed up by one all-powerful national network of rapid distribution and delivery.
“But we also know flooring is a people business,” says Chris. “So the reps in all the regions stay the same – they know their customers and they will be able to spend more time with individual retailers covering the full breadth of what we offer, instead of competing with their own sales colleagues for segments of the business.”
This is part of Headlam’s concept of a “local service on a national scale”. So, for example, retailers will still call the people they already know in sales offices in their own region – not a national call centre.
The 75+ network of trade counters will also be re-branded as Mercado as an extension to the network to serve retailers and their fitters out in the field.
So will it boost business for the industry in a tight market?
“This is a customer-led approach and we believe we can be more competitive and more effective to give retailers better value,” says Chris. “Everyone is still waiting for the business environment to improve but there are some positive signs and we want to be with our customers at the forefront of market recovery.”
Transforming retailer relationships
Headlam has been highly active in 2024 in a programme it calls “accelerating its customer-led growth strategy.”
In April, it created its Independent Retailer Group, exclusively for Headlam retailers with bricks-and-mortar stores. It has been created to build a supportive community where retailers can connect directly with Headlam, share feedback, and receive timely updates. This initiative is part of Headlam's ongoing commitment to support the independent retailer, which remains the largest customer group.
In June, the Group aligned three of its leading brands – Manx Tomkinson, Fells and Kingsmead – under one dedicated sales team. "This strategy ensures retailers receive top-tier service and support,” said National Sales Manager Keith Morgan who heads up the venture.
“Our objective is to streamline the partnership between retailers and quality brands, nurturing stronger relationships and enabling seamless collaboration," he said.
