Why lockdown period could boost sales for York's Gear4music

Ahead of publishing its results later in the month Andrew Wass, chief executive of the York-based retailer, told The Yorkshire Post that the firm was offering uninterrupted trading after putting into place a series of safeguarding protocols to ensure staff remained safe during the public health crisis.

All call centre staff are working from home and social distancing measures in its distribution centres in the UK and Europe are now being implemented.

Mr Wass said: “We have been trying very hard to keep everybody safe and it has been a huge challenge.

“People want our service. Learning a new skill when you have more time available has meant there has been a lot of interest in what we do.

“We are determined to keep going to service that.”

The York-based retailer said it had overcome logistical problems that had held the firm back in 2019 by increasing efficiencies and improved warehousing capacity.

As well as facilities in York, Gear4music has operations in Sweden and Germany, with mainland Europe now the main growth territory for the firm.

It has also taken the step to round-the-clock servicing of its warehouses, with staff working shifts 24/7 to cope with demand.

“Last year we had a more challenging year. We grew too quickly and grew faster than our warehouse’s capacity allowed.

“Steps taken over the course of the year mean we can now move things around much better.”

Mr Wass added: “Whilst it is impossible to predict what further operational actions may become necessary during the coming weeks and months, we remain committed to operating safely and serving our valued customers for as long as Government guidance allows.”

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