Betta Electrical has been in existence for the longest time possible and it is there for their clients and it has made sure that you will easily find them in Australia. Easily locate them in Weipa, Tassie, Darwin, and Perth for example. In fact, they have been in existence to the Australian community since 1961. Did you know that Betta Electrical store is part of BSR group consisting of over 200 independently owned and operated electrical retailers? The BSR group operates in the electrical retail industry in Australia. The group vision is to be the leading independent retailer group providing home appliances and furniture solutions to customers. You benefit from Betta national buying power every day. They are committed to Betta brands and better prizes.
A bit of history
BSR Group started as an alliance of electrical retailers 50 years ago when the landscape was vastly different. Back then, the choice of electrical appliances was considerably less than what is available now. Remember the television was only black and white and so this phenomenon was quite new. Becoming an electrical goods retailer today is a competitive arena as new products are introduced to the market. Back then, it was possible for an individual retailer to service that form of lifestyle, establish a local trade and still gain customer loyalty from the service offered and the availability of a variety of products.
Formation of Betta Electrical
The task of every business person is to come up and implement the strategies that will overcome the current and future business threats. One of those strategies was the founding of the Brisbane electrical television traders association (betta) in 1961. They were 7 local independent retailers and their goal was to combat rival electrical retail groups which were already in operations.
The retails stores have been individually owned by the person who owns the store. That person is also responsible in running the store from since the time the group began its operation. Currently, the group is a national franchisor and almost 70 percent of the group business is driven by operators who are based in the region. Their mission is to assist franchisees in maximizing their customer offer and to deliver support to franchisees to allow them to compete in a progressively competitive marketplace.
To achieve this, they ensure that they provide an all inclusive and comprehensive service to all their customers. During the 1990s, Betta transformed to Better Stores Limited. This business serviced both Betta Electrical branded and non-branded independent retailers. However, just like any other business, it has not been easy doing business all these decades and in late 2006, there happen to have a major crisis when BSL was placed in administration. This placement resulted in vigorous bidding from several consortiums and industry competitors by both the profitable retail outlets in the group and the brand itself.
Forty-eight member retailers acquired their own brand as a result of the successful bid. These members formed a new company known as BSR Group. BSR Australia Limited created out of this with the aim of meeting buying and marketing needs of Betta Electrical stores on the national level.
Formation of the new company
The new company came up with strategies to reinvest in infrastructure, support and serviced delivery to member retailers. They adopted a lean low cost operating structure and their members had an opportunity to operate on a stable platform. This in return established a high level of profitability for its shareholders. In just 12 months the company was able to achieve these amazing twin goals and more so, their continuous out-performance in the industry was impressive.
Graeme Cunningham was appointed the CEO earlier this year. Under his management, he led BSR to join the largest electrical industry’s largest retail group NARTA (National Associated Retail Traders Of Australia) NARTA is basically, formed by 32 Australian and 6 New Zealand members. It has a buying power of more than $3 billion.
The group’s brands already in existence were formed in 1965 and they include JB HI-FI, Bing Lee, David Jones, and Radio Rentals. Cunningham predicts that over the past decade, this membership will create an opportunity for the company to build on the significant turnaround. Their retailers and franchisees will have exciting opportunities from the range of delivery from NARTA alliance. He further explains that this will enable them to tap into the group’s marketing prowess, relevance in suppliers, efficiency in operations and general procedures.
NARTA members will not only access numerous benefits as existing retailers but will also have the industry’s small and medium-sized independent retailers a profitable and viable home through their Betta Electrical brand offers. The regional and metropolitan growth strategy is in part with the regional heritage which has helped the brand to reach its 5 decades of trading.
Cunningham believes that the relationship of member retails across the network and the ability to adapt to the environment changes and technologies are the key to the survival of the group. The introduction of the product line such as the electrical brand Betta Electrical home living and the recent activities have been distinguished by the implementation of new methods of trading such as the e-commerce site.
Julianne Worchurst, the BSR Group marketing manager reports that one of the key marketing strategies to play a key role in Betta Electrical brand marketing mix includes e-commerce and online strategy. She further states that the retailers within their industry will certainly prove fundamental for the ongoing development. She observed that the adoption of e-commerce by the SMEs within the industry especially the ones based in the region have lagged behind. However, Betta Electrical has great benefits within the 3 major areas which include logistics administration systems, supplier partnerships and direct sales and marketing which are as a result of the new model, online engagement and e-commerce.
Cunningham is optimistic that the expansion of the business will include further brisks and mortar stores. The technological tools such as Betta Electrical retail management program will benefit the stores’ network. This is one tool the retailers rely on a daily basis since it allows them to access the updated information on pricing components, supplier and customer accounts, and ordering systems.
Cunningham refers this to an open doorway of communication between the head office, the retailer and supplier. This is also an opportunity for the retailer to produce reports based on the daily take, management operational duties and daily tasks. This is the main heartbeat of the business and it runs alongside staff. The retail management system is the sole platform for running and objectifying all the tasks and movements as a business entity. This is also the channel that all the incoming business will run directly.
This system is enabled to allow the retailers to track and utilize new data and run the comparison to the percentage of new business inquiry as captured by the retailer.
Online sales versus face-to-face customer service
Although the deputy chairman of this group and the franchisee of the two Betta outlets in Bateman’s Bay and Ulladulla, Domini McClelland agrees to this but also believes that technological advancements should not diminish the face to face customer service since it is a good way of sales and marketing.
According to him, Betta’s new online presence will become more important and necessary step if only it forms a wider and more comprehensive strategy. The online platform should provide exceptional service as compared to the other strategies and the general shopping medium, offering the company the possibility to sell more efficiently products from all product ranges: fridges, freezers, dishwashers, electrical ovens, microwave ovens, TVs and audio, cooling and heating, vacuum cleaners, washing machine, small appliances, even computers and mobile phones, a rich product catalogue.
The deputy chairman personally feels that the growth of most online businesses is as a result of the failure of retailers to look for their customers. Since a lot of clients are tired of the poor services they receive and they have now opted for the online platform because they know the kind of treatment they will find on a computer. To him, retailers can be blamed a bit for the growth of the online business platforms.
McClelland actually says that they do is more inline instead of online since they believe that the future strength of their industry is for the retailers out there to offer the full fleet of service to their customers. In other words, the customers are not only offered services in store but online services as well. He says this because even if a customer purchases a product online, the mortal store will be contacted by either an email or phone call to confirm the purchase and when the product is delivered to the customer. He argues that because there are different retailers who sell the same products, the only difference is felt during service delivery and that is why Betta Electrical have survived for the past 50 years.
You can visit a Betta store in a multitude of locations: Adelaide, Adelong, Albany, Albury, Atherton, Ayr, Bairnsdale, Ballarat, Barossa, Batemans Bay, Bathurst, Belmont, Benalla, Bendigo, Berri, Berrimah, Biloela, Bourke, Brighton, Brisbane, Brookvale, Broome, Brunswick, Bundaberg, Burnie, Cairns, Camperdown, Canberra, Cannon Hill, Cannonvale, Carnarvon, Castlemaine, Ceduna, Cessnock, Charleville, Charters Towers, Chinchilla, Cobram, Coffs Harbour, Cohuna, Collie, Cooma, Coonabarabran, Dalby, Darwin, Deniliquin, Derby, Devonport, Dyson, Eastwood, Echuca, Epping, Exmouth, Finley, Forster, Gatton, Gawler, Geelong, George Town, Gladesville, Gladstone, Gloucester, Goondiwindi, Grafton, Griffith, Gympie, Hervey Bay, Hobart, Horsham, Ingham, Innisfail, Joondalup, Kadina, Katanning, Katherine, Kempsey, Kerang, Kettles, Kingaroy, Kingscote, Kingsford, Kingston, Kununurra, Kyabram, Kyneton, Lakes Entrance, Launceston, Leeton, Leongatha, Lismore, Mackay, Macksville, Maitland, Mansfield, Mareeba, Maryborough, Mclaren Vale, Melbourne, Mildura, Minchinbury, Minlaton, Moe, Moora, Moorabbin, Morayfield, Mornington, Mortlake, Mullumbimby, Murgon, Murwillumbah, Muswellbrook, Nambour, Naracoorte, Narooma, Narrandera, Narrogin, Newcastle, Noosaville, Northam, Nuri, Nuriootpa, Orange, Palmerston, Parkes, Penrith, Perth, Pittsworth, Port Kennedy, Port Lincoln, Port Pirie, Portland, Raymond Terrace, Redcliffe, Renmark, Rockhampton, Rockingham, Roma, Rosebud, Rosny, Rutherford, Seymour, Shepparton, Singleton, Smithfield, Smithton, Springvale, Stanthorpe, Subiaco, Sunbury, Sydney, Tamworth, Thornleigh, Toowoomba, Townsville, Traralgon, Tully, Ulladulla, Underwood, Victor Harbor, Villawood, Virginia, Wangaratta, Warrnambool, Warwick, Weipa, Wilsonton, Wingham, Wongan Hills, Wonthaggi, Yamba, Yarram, Yeppoon and more.