Arleigh Group have recovered extremely well after lockdown, making company history in July with their best ever month. This was followed by their second best month in August.
Adam Ramsden, Group MD, commented: “It has been a remarkable time for the marine industry, and for the UK leisure business in general. Like most businesses, we had to make some difficult decisions during the lockdown period, however we expected a strong return from mid-June and planned for this. We were nonetheless surprised by the demand, and whilst we carry very good inventory at any time during the season, we were still not able to fully meet the surge in orders. Our non-marine businesses were particularly strong as a result of a huge increase in UK campsite and holiday home staycations”.
Arleigh Group has nine sites across the UK, including three marine businesses, ASAP (professional marine), Aquafax (leisure and professional marine) and Midland Chandlers (inland waterways), and distributes many leading manufacturer brands.
“We invested in our IT systems and websites during lockdown, and as a result we are now able to offer an improved customer experience, including a live stock feature on all websites. We anticipate that 2021 will be a good year, as many of those first-time entrants will return to boating and leisure again. However, we are aware that it will be a difficult winter for many of our customers, and are ensuring that we have good buffer stocks to allow them to call on these for their shop sales and installations where they are unable to hold large stocks themselves”.
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