Dear Customer,
With so much going on across the country and the globe I thought it would be helpful to confirm what is happening within Bradfords.
INFLATION
Inflation does continue, all be it at a slower rate. We had hoped inflation for the year would be in the region of 5%, however early signs suggest that it may well be double that. Timber prices have stabilised, however with the war in Ukraine this might put pressure on supply and therefore price. Many merchants take Russian sawn carcassing timber as well as sheet materials. We are not exposed to this as we source most of our timber from Sweden, Germany and Austria. Our team is assessing the impact on our supply chain. At present there is some evidence that it will cause pinch points in the supply of some raw materials. We are confident however, that at present our ability to serve you will not be significantly affected.
The biggest inflationary rises due in April are on Chipboard Flooring (15-18%), Forterra Bricks & Blocks (14%), locally sourced aggregate (4%) and concrete blocks (4-18%).
STOCK
We continue to carry record levels of stock and our availability is now back to pre-pandemic levels. We are holding £6 million more stock on the ground to ensure we have what you want when you need it. We are also working closely with our suppliers with forward orders placed to ensure continuity of supply in the months ahead. Help us to help you by letting us know your material needs as far ahead as you can.
BRADVANTAGE
Bradvantage, our customer loyalty scheme, is once again open to new registrations. Simply go to https://bradvantage.co.uk/ , all you need to do is register using your Bradfords account number and email address – the sooner you register, the sooner you can start earning points. Existing Bradvantage customers do not need to re-register, simply log-in using your existing details and select the reward you would like for 2022 (Love to shop vouchers or credit to your account). We are proud to have distributed over £1.5m in rewards to our customers in 2021.
PRODUCT OFFERS & CUSTOMER SERVICE
Our Spring campaign starts on Monday 7th March – we have great prices on a range of products across all our product categories – please do take advantage of these offers which are available in store and online.
We are growing our online product offer especially in power tools. We have just taken on a 20,000 sq ft distribution centre to ensure we hold massive stocks and ranges of Makita, DeWalt, Bosch and Paslode power tools and accessories. Goods held in our distribution centre are available for next day delivery before 4pm.
We have record levels of staff in the branches and have increased our focus on customer service and are developing a few key initiatives to improve the service we offer.
- Click and collect – 30 minutes for shop product and within an hour for all other products. Please do utilise this service via our website today.
- We have increased our delivered capacity across our branch estate to ensure we can get materials to your site when you need them. We are currently operating a same day or next day delivery across most of our sites.
- The website is being rebuilt and goes live in April. This updated site will bring new functionality to make it easier for you to connect with us.
- A new APP is being launched in April to allow you to connect with us in whichever way you want.
Thank you for your continued support.
Kind regards
David Young
CEO