Home Leisure Direct wins Direct Commerce Readers' Choice Award

As part of the ECMOD annual celebration of excellence, the Direct Commerce Readers’ Choice trophy is given to companies that have demonstrated an affinity with their customers and the wider sector.

It is awarded for continuous innovation and customer service and this year is a fitting tribute to the commitment of the team at Home Leisure Direct, which received comments like “great branding”, “sophisticated website” and “super-clear communications”.

Bristol-based Home Leisure Direct was selected as a business which innovates, inspires and consistently delivers exceptional service, making it one of the most sought-after accolades of the ceremony. Watch the video below to see the Home Leisure Direct team pick up their trophy at this year's venda-ecmod awards, which took place at Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea Football Club on 18th April.


Founded in 2007 by husband and wife team Michelle and Andy Beresford, the idea for Home Leisure Direct came after they spotted a gap in the UK market for style-conscious customers who wanted to create games rooms in their own homes.

The duo instantly set about sourcing what has now become the largest selection of games room equipment in Europe. From their humble beginnings with a small home office and an old computer, 2012 saw the business move into a large showroom in Elberton, where it now employs six staff. Last year also saw the company undergo a rebrand and launch a new version of the website, a dedicated mobile site, Home Leisure TV and a raft of behind-the-scenes improvements to enhance the customer experience with the help of digital agency Bluebox.

With customers all across the UK and Europe, the Beresfords have seen their business go from strength to strength. The website has been a consistent success and since 2008 turnover has increased by more than 1,300 percent. What’s more, sales this year have risen 34 percent despite the much-publicised tough trading conditions. These achievements are testament to the passion and commitment of the entire Home Leisure team, its suppliers and of course, its customers.--MT

The Direct Commerce Readers Choice award was sponsored by

May Catalogue Log

May 2013 represents the fifth consecutive month to show a decline in the number of catalogues promoting a sale or discount. Of the 86 catalogues we logged last month, only 23 (26.7 percent) featured a price promotion on the front page, compared with 33.6 percent in April 2013 and a whopping 50 percent in May 2012.

Discounts take a dive in May

At the same time, the popularity of free delivery continues. Eighteen out of the 86 catalogues (20.9 percent) offered free shipping—closing the gap between the two most popular offers we track. While that percentage is slightly down on April (23.5 percent), it’s more or less in line with May last year (21.2 percent).  Among the catalogues offering free delivery were Atterley Road, Great Plains, Joe Browns and Patra—and all did so without teaming up free p&p with a discount.

Discussing the issue with colleagues, we believe the continued decline of discounting in favour of offers like free shipping is down to cataloguers seeking to avoid devaluing their brand. With discounts so prevalent last year, perhaps some cataloguers are coming to realise that it’s not a race to the bottom. Offering money off trains consumers to expect to pay a certain price—and no more. Free shipping on the other hand, while still a burden on profits, does not cast the same shadow about how much goods are worth.

Only 7 percent of the catalogues we logged in May offered a free gift with purchase, compared with 8.8 percent last May and 10.9 percent in April 13. Usually the preserve of b-to-b cataloguers and gardening brands, last month we also tallied offers from apparel retailers; among them Witt, Seasalt and Madeleine Fashion.

Another decline we’ve tracked is the overall volume of catalogues we’ve received. At 86, May’s haul is the smallest of 2013 to date and down by a quarter on this time last year. Again, I feel this might be due to cataloguers keeping a close eye on mailing costs and removing unprofitable prospects from their lists. Saying that, we logged 119 catalogues in April 2013—28 percent more than the comparable month last year—so maybe the decline is more a seasonal choice than anything else. --MT

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