Dawsons Music

Address:	30 Pepper Street Chester Cheshire
Postcode:	CH1 1DF
Telephone:	0870 44 24 615

Description

Dawsons Music is one of the longest serving music retailers in the U.K., established in 1899 in Warrington in the North West of England. Over many successful years of trading Dawsons has changed many times, in order to reflect the buying trends of the day.

Of all the multiple outlet chains in the U.K., Dawsons has one unique advantage, we sell all things musical, to all type of musicians. Most music retailers in the U.K. have become more specialised in their approach, however our vision is to be the most efficient, pro-active and customer focussed organisation in the industry.

We have also made sure that we have a unique number of ways that we can support products in the marketplace, and it is this diversification that has allowed us to grow to become one of the top U.K. retailers.

Dawsons Music has currently got 10 retail outlets throughout the U.K. Stocked with a wide selection of products, Dawsons aims to bring a fulfilling retail experience, backed up with knowledgeable and helpful staff to service the needs of our client base.

All Dawsons stores are full line stores, and we go to great lengths to ensure that the needs of our consumers from different markets are catered for, both in terms of design of the store and in the products available.

The need for pro-active marketing is obvious when trying to appeal to such a diverse customer base and we hold many events, local to our stores, to promote various products and brands. We feel it is vital to get out of the store environment and go to where musicians feel at home. As such have developed strong links with the major live venues in each area.

We really see it as our mission to bring the best of brands to our consumers in both a retail and venue atmosphere that give the maximum opportunity for our sales force to operate in.

Running alongside our retail operation, we have a separate education division. In this field we are one of the largest supplier of technology-based equipment in the UK, and a significant supplier of acoustic and traditional instruments.

In addition, almost all of our stores have music schools on site and we are committed to Education as a primary way to increase the overall market over the long term.

We are always keen to forge links with local teachers and provide the best support possible for their students.

Our dedicated Mail Order and Internet sales team have all been trained to the same high standards as our store teams so you can be sure of getting expert advice every time.

We have been trading online for 9 years now, operating one of the most visited and trusted specialist music sites in the U.K.

ll this activity is supported by a massive warehousing and logistics operation, which both handles our increased inventory handling, and ensures efficient despatch of goods for Mail Order and Education.

With over 25,000 stock lines, our I.T. systems allow us to purchase based on real market trends, report on fast and slow selling stock lines, and also auto replenish core lines.
The tracking and management of stock is vital to our quest for great customer service, but also allows us to order key lines in bulk, and import from various companies from around the world. This has allowed us to take opportunities in specific market areas, and given the company a great infrastructure for further growth.

In August 2002 Dawsons Music was awarded Investors in People status. This award recognises companies that have a core belief that its people truly make a difference to the business, and invest in training and development programmes to ensure that all employees have equality in opportunity to develop their careers.

Investors has become part of the whole company ethos, and we continually monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of our training and development. Each and every person working for the company has a quarterly “One to One” with their line managers, where action plans are agreed, for both the individual and the company, to make sure that the individuals development needs are met.

As this strategy has continued, there was a growing realisation that measuring performance was the key to moving the business forward, identifying areas of concern for individuals, managers, support teams, and overall as a company. “What gets measured gets done” is one of the most repeated phrases in the company, and as we move forward these measures are used not as a way to negatively criticise individuals or teams, but as a positive force to recognise achievement, and to support in the areas that have problems.

Even with all this, we believe a company succeeds or fails depending on its people. We are very proud to say that we consider all our Dawsons colleagues to be professionals in their field, and that our commitment to their training and development will further enhance this.