Jobs boost as CSL reports sales surge
WARRINGTON sofa retailer CSL is set to create 100 jobs after reporting its best ever August sales and says order intakes are up 20% like-for-like in the first eight months of the year.
The family-owned company, which had annual sales of £80m for the year ended 31 December 2011, says it has raised its game by nearly doubling its investment in marketing and improving its products.
During the August Bank Holiday, CSL saw an unprecedented number of customers buy in-store and online after switching the focus of its advertising to drive footfall and web traffic.
The company also benefited from the contribution of new stores in Croydon, Brent Cross and Hull during the period and also opened its latest 20,000 sq ft store in Thurrock, Essex, last month.
CSL managing director Jason Tyldesley said: “We’ve never been the type of company that follows the market or accepts that our sales have to fall in line with the wider retail sector. Our strategy has been to broaden our customer base by offering quality design-led products for every type of person, at every price point.
“We have ramped up our marketing spend from £6m last year to £11m in 2012 and are relentlessly focused on outperforming our competitors by offering customers exceptional products and the best buying experience.”
CSL, which last year featured on a TV documentary with retail guru Mary Porta’s, has recently appointed Alyson Fadil from Selfridges to lead its HR function and recruit over 100 new people into the business.
She was previously HR manager for Selfridges’ £100m turnover store in Manchester city centre.
Mr Tyldesley added: “Our biggest challenge for the second half of this year is recruiting the retail talent needed to keep pace with our growth rate.
“We’re finding it very difficult to recruit the right kind of people and there’s a lack of enthusiasm and understanding of the benefits and opportunities of a retail career.”
He wants to move away from hiring “typical sofa salespeople” who are driven only by commission, by recruiting people who are passionate about design, interiors and customer service.
In a further move CSL is launching a graduate recruitment and training programme.
