Virtual Conference
Sirius Virtual Conference | 22.06 – 31.07
Sirius Buying Group, major buying group of electrical appliance and kitchen retail solutions, is pleased to announce a brand new Virtual Conference for its Approved Members, as UK retailers are permitted to open their doors again for the first time since March amid COVID-19.
Scheduled to go LIVE on Monday, 22nd June 2020 and run until 31st July, Sirius Buying Group has introduced new support functions like the upcoming Virtual Conference to help its network now more than ever. Replacing the International Conference in Gibraltar, scheduled for May this year and now postponed to May 2021, this Virtual Conference by Sirius Buying Group is invite only where each group member will be sent a personal e-vite with session ID to join Zoom, plus a full list of events and scheduled programmes during the course of this month-long online event: June includes one session on Monday 22nd and a second on Monday 29th June.
The Sirius Virtual Conference supplier presentations will offer two sessions initially with more to follow and all seminars will take place on work days and evenings only. All Approved Suppliers to Sirius have the opportunity to present its offering to attending members with a brief presentation on products, exclusive promotions and company updates at this unique time. In addition, the Sirius team will be available for expert Q&A sessions to exchange business ideas, as well as cover other key topics like ‘the big shift’ managing customer expectations post-COVID, contingency planning, business development, new health and safety protocols to support customers and staff, online promotions to drive traffic to your store and how to deepen existing supplier-member relationships for increased mutual benefit.
Each and every Approved Supplier is scheduled to participate in the Sirius Virtual Conference including leading brands like BSH, Hotpoint, D.A.D., Montpellier, Samsung and Hoover Candy, which are supporting the event with
group special offers and exclusive member promotions. Approved Members will also receive an exclusive e-booklet listing all of the special offers unique to Sirius and by virtue, them.
“As champions of the independent electrical appliance and kitchen retail sectors, we are keen to help our community replace the recent shortfall following the national lockdown, and provide some great supplier deals for our members to help improve retail margins and profitability. Whilst sales volumes have shown a marked downturn over the past three months, we hope that our proxy conference will go some way towards compensating any loss in business typically secured at our annual conference overseas” says Steve Jones, Commercial Director, Sirius Buying Group.
“I am relatively confident that we will see a spike in business, as shops have now started to re-open and consumers are slowly returning to the high streets and retail parks. Our prediction is based on specialist market data and statistics collected by the group, as well as closely evaluating market trends across the continent, following the ease of restrictions in Europe. We hope this new insight will give our members the confidence to place sufficient stocking orders, as we feel the primary areas of this market will be won by independents who 1) have stock availability, 2) can meet consumer demand and 3) are able to fulfil the order quickly and accurately. In my opinion, customers right now are becoming more reactive when it comes to new home purchases and instead of a need to browse, they have already taken a measured approach by researching the different brands, models and features available. We want our members to be able to service this next-generation buyer and take advantage of the potentially high conversion rates that are now within reach.”
“Since lockdown was first imposed, communication has been essential and we have responded by holding weekly Zoom meetings with our members that to-date, have been very well supported with 50-60 members attending each session. It has provided a platform for us all to share experiences, discuss changes to new government rules and brainstorm ideas on how we can safely operate within the guidelines permitted, along with best practices for re-opening. Each Zoom meeting had a guest supplier to Sirius, which was nominated to join the session each week so our members could then gain new insight and first-hand industry perspective: all of which has been very well received.”
“We are confident this is the right time to provide for our members with additional support from our Approved Suppliers, as a way to help them adjust to this new way of trading and retain their independence. There is definitely strength in numbers, especially when faced with new challenges outside of normal business practices, so the very nature of this conference allows us to come together remotely and safely. We have been advising members about how best to manage individual business scenarios since March, so we are duly equipped with an impressive bank of knowledge that we can draw from and share with our network of members and suppliers and hope you get involved” adds Steve.
