Nursery Today is here to help and aiming to connect the industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic and current UK lockdown. Today in our Supplier Online Interview, we question Rockit’s Director, Matt Dyson, to find out their business strategy moving forward.
How are you all? How’s your team’s morale?
It is a really unsettling time for everyone. We are keeping morale up with regular calls and WhatsApp messages between the team. One thing that has been positive is that as some areas of the business have taken a hit, it has given us time to focus on other areas that tend to get neglected due to a lack of time.
How are you coping with staffing levels – ensuring staff are okay and that you’re abiding by government regulations? Do you have back-up plans?
We are a small close-knit team and we are taking the lockdown very seriously so that it minimises the risk of us contracting COVID19 and passing it on. Our hearts go out to the people hardest hit by the restrictions, in particular the small indie retailers, who have had to shut up their shops and face an uncertain future.
Are you a company where some staff can comfortably work remotely?
We all have adapted well to working from home. It’s sometimes quite difficult to focus with other distractions and we can’t just discuss things as they arise in the same way as we do in the office. Our families are being really supportive and the children have even been roped in to help with the post!
How clear have you found government regulations so far?
We are fortunate that the regulations have not prevented us from operating pretty much as normal. The government does seem to be communicating the regulations clearly given the ever changing situation.
Do you feel the government is offering enough support?
They seem to be saying the right things, with the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and loans for businesses to prevent them from going under. We just hope that the money gets through to those businesses in most need quickly enough.
What business strategies do you have in place to assist the continual smooth running of your business?
We are ensuring that we have enough Rockits available in our UK warehouse to cope if there is a spike in demand. Our UK distributor, BabyStyle is working hard to ensure retailers can access stock if they have an online presence.
Do you have any helpful advice or additional support you are offering your retailers?
Social media seems to be busier than ever with parents recommending products to make life more manageable during the lockdown. If any of our retailers post about Rockit, please tag us @rockitrocker on Instagram and @wearerockit on Twitter and Facebook and we will make sure we repost / retweet and hopefully drive some sales towards you.
Do you have any additional information or imagery of new ranges you could circulate to retailers to put onto their own websites should their bricks and mortar store have to close?
BabyStyle has a full range of imagery and information about Rockit for retailers. If you require anything else please contact marketing@rockitrocker.com and we will be sure to answer.
Have you currently got good stock levels to meet supply demand and the logistics in place to aim for smooth delivery? Yes. BabyStyle has plenty of Rockit stocks. We also have our new product in production and due to arrive in June. Zed is a sleep aid and night light which uses clever technology to recreate calming low frequency vibrations that are known to soothe babies to sleep – just like the car! Simply place Zed on any mattress by baby’s feet, press the snooze button and the finely tuned vibrations ripple gently through the mattress, comforting them and encouraging a deep sleep.
What’s your online presence and social media set-up like? Do you plan on boosting this presence in the weeks to come?
We do all our social media in house and have been really focusing on this during the crisis. It has been so important to engage with our customers and answer their questions. Many of them have said that Rockit has really helped as opportunities to go for walks with the pram or stroller have been severely restricted.
How will you continue to drive awareness to your product ranges?
We are currently redesigning our website to provide more information on Rockit and to support the launch of Zed. This will go live next month, but in the meantime we are focusing on driving awareness through our social media channels.
How could Nursery Today assist you? Is there particular content you would like to see us cover both in the magazine, via our website or social media channels – we’re here to help where we can.
We have always been grateful for the support Nursery Today has shown us. We only launched Rockit just over two years ago and you were amongst the first publications to feature it. We hope you will be as enthusiastic in shouting about the Zed launch. Please keep up the good work in providing information and support for manufacturers, distributors and retailers, both large and small within the nursery industry. It is particularly important in these really challenging times.
www.rockitrocker.com
