Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Following the news announced yesterday (Wednesday February 9) that housewares retailer ProCook has acquired Steamer Trading Cookshop, ProCook owner Daniel O’Neill has discussed his plans for both brands.
ProCook has bought sell 27 of Steamer Trading’s 38 stores, along with the e-commerce business and head office team. Ten underperforming Steamer Trading stores which were not part of the sale closed yesterday, resulting in 79 job losses. Those branches are Battle, Heathfield, Westerham, Dorking, Bluewater, Taunton, Wells, Cambridge, Glasgow and Bournemouth.
A further store (and its accompanying cookery school) – trading under the Divertimenti brand in Knightsbridge – has been acquired by Steamer Trading Cookshop founder Ben Phillips. Both deals, the value of which has not been disclosed, see 332 jobs being secured.
ProCook was founded over 20 years ago and supplies housewares with savings of up for 50% compared with other leading brands, by producing and delivering products direct to the customer with no middleman. With 37 stores, an ecommerce business and an international presence within eight European markets, it is headquartered in Gloucestershire. The retailer designs and manufactures around 1,500 exclusive products that span cookware, kitchen accessories and tableware categories.
Talking to www.HousewaresLive.net, Daniel said: “The acquisition of Steamer Trading provided ProCook with a unique opportunity to gain immediate access to many great High Street locations across the UK, almost doubling our total store count overnight to 64. These locations provide the perfect base to expand exclusive ProCook products to a far larger market, which should successfully grow both our retail and website businesses.
“Steamer Trading will be run as a separate company keeping 27 of its stores, its own website and many of its product lines. We strongly believe in the brand and are excited to grow both ProCook and Steamer Trading to maximize the synergies between both brands.
“We have retained Steamer Trading’s trading director Clare Burgess (who will continue to run the stores), along with the buying and merchandising teams and regional managers. We will be keeping the respected Steamer Trading Cookshop name on the website and above the door.
“[For Steamer Trading], we are planning to do a great mix of iconic branded goods alongside exclusive products offering fantastic value for money. Our existing ProCook Stores will continue to sell exclusive own-brand products.
“In the short term, we hope to continue to trade with many of Steamer Trading’s previous suppliers. In the long term we may instigate some changes.
“We hope to retain the unique niche market that Steamer Trading holds and add to its appeal by introducing better value for money innovative homewares products.”
ProCook owner Daniel O’Neill
