Back at the beginning of 2014 we spoke to Andrew Higgins, who was the manager at our Warrington store. As the year draws to a close, another door has opened for Andrew, as he takes over as the manager at our flagship store and learning suite in the heart of Liverpool.

We caught up with Andrew to find out more about this move – his hopes, challenges and plans!

How does it feel to be taking over the Wilkinson flagship Liverpool store?

I was absolutely delighted to be asked and immediately knew it was the right move for me. Not only is the Liverpool store our flagship but it is also one of the biggest and best stocked photographic stores in the country.

It was an easy decision to make - it’s certainly the most impressive store I have ever worked in.

What are you and the team hoping to bring to the store?

We have a passionate and energetic team already in place. What I can bring to the store is more than 30 years of service in the retail industry. The business is growing - and quickly - and we will need even more skills in management and organisation to ensure that we maintain our high standards.

It is so important for those of us with decades of experience to pass on our expertise. It’s one of the greatest resources available to any business and I am committed to ensuring that our staff benefit from this experience. I hope to bring stability and I will oversee some major changes to the store and our range of services.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Retail has changed enormously. Our primary focus over the last few years has been to keep changing with it. We are no longer just a retailer, we also offer training and learning options and our Liverpool store even has a fully equipped studio for hire.

Our future will involve extra services and less reliance on purely the sales of photographic products. To continue to succeed in the retail industry we need to avoid simply indulging in a price war with online sellers, we must offer something more to our customers.

Our store in Liverpool already offers more services than just about any of our competitors. We can sell you a product, offer technical support, structured training and offer a studio facility as well. That’s a rare combination. So, perhaps the biggest challenge is one of being prepared to change, we simply have to embrace it and keep the business fresh and innovative.

How do you find managing a city centre store?

It is a more interesting and stimulating environment as the range of goods and the people are so much more diverse. I suppose any major city is essentially a microcosm of an entire nation. I love Liverpool. Great city, great people, never a dull moment.

Future plans for the store?

We have many plans! Firstly, we are looking at an even wider range of products. We are optimistic, and always looking for new products to explore.

The Liverpool store was recently appointed one of only a handful of outlets in the UK to offer a superb new camera/phone from Panasonic, for example. We stock an extraordinary revolutionary camera from Lytro, which may well have a profound effect on the future of the industry. At the other end of the spectrum we can offer hand made straps and cases made from beautiful materials such as Leather and Silk. We never stop looking for new and interesting products, and will continue to expand our range.

One major change in 2015 will be the expansion of our Liverpool Learning Suite facility. Our fully equipped studio is now up and running and available for hire. The learning suite is now building quite a following, with many repeat bookings. We will build on that and continue to develop this further. The Learning Suite will offer many more training events.

During the last quarter of 2014 we have had a number professional photographers and manufacturer events here, with great success, and we will offer a significantly increased amount of these courses and seminars next year. We are speaking to a number of parties and will have announcements posted on the website soon. The facility will also be made available for hire for other uses, including societies, camera clubs etc.

How customer service is the key to what we do…

Customer service is the cornerstone of our approach to business. We have never been a retailer whose primary focus was to make a sale and consider the job done. We hope to make long-term relationships with our customers and offer them the most enjoyable retail experience that we can.

Whatever we do, it all starts here and we don’t take anything for granted!

What makes the best customer experience instore?

My first point here is that we stock a vast amount of products. You will find almost all the major products in the industry in our stores, especially in the larger outlets. This allows customers to handle and compare goods - and all are offered for sale at competitive prices. This is something we receive a lot of positive comments about. It is increasingly difficult to find one retailer with so many items in stock and it makes us different.

Furthermore, we train our staff constantly, also helped by the manufacturers, who offer us great support and are keen to work with us more closely in this area. So, we are keen to make the retail experience an enjoyable one, with highly trained, knowledgeable staff. The importance of this can’t be overestimated. Many of our customers are not local to the stores, they are prepared to travel due to the value they place on receiving an award winning service.

Did I say ‘Award winning service?’ We are proud that our Liverpool Assistant Manager, Chris Everett, has just been awarded the national sales person of the year by ERT, the Electrical Retailers Association. This award was based on the quality of his customer service. Every morning I see his trophy displayed in the store, and it acts as a measure of our previous success - and as a reminder of the importance of retaining the highest standards in the future.

And finally…if you could borrow one piece of kit from the store to test for the weekend what would it be, where would you go and what would you shoot?

I would love to try a Leica M Monochrome and 50mm lens, for black and white street photography, and I would probably take it to Paris or Berlin.

Thanks Andrew – we might agree with you on the Leica in Paris!!!

Pop in and see Andrew and his team at Wilkinson Cameras Liverpool