Bournemouth firm targets £100m turnover after moving into new warehouse
A Bournemouth-based business which began life selling taps online is targeting £100m turnover by 2026 having just taken on a brand new warehouse.
Beyond Retail, which sells bathroom, kitchen and heating products to homeowners and tradespeople, was established in 2011 and first located to the Aviation Business Park around eight years ago.
Since then, the award-winning business has enjoyed stellar growth, helped in part by the boom in DIY during the pandemic, and investment in cutting-edge augmented and virtual reality technology allowing customers to enjoy virtual showroom experiences from the comfort of their own homes.
Over the years Beyond Retail has taken more and more space on the business park to keep pace with its phenomenal growth, with six office and warehouse units totalling almost 100,000 sq ft across the 200-acre estate, which is owned and managed by Rigby Real Estate.
Now it is consolidating its operation into two larger, more modern units. Last summer the business leased a 35,397 sq ft warehouse, and it has just leased a brand new 39,000 sq ft unit called ABP39 which Rigby Real Estate only completed at the end of last year. The energy-efficient development includes more than 34,000 sq ft of warehousing space, two storeys of offices and 40 car parking spaces.
Beyond Retail founder and managing director Elliot Lees-Bell said: “We went from zero to £50m turnover in 10 years, and from despatching 250 orders to 250,000 in the same timeframe. We now have eight million visitors a year to our websites, so it’s been quite a journey.
“Aviation Business Park has been a big part of that, and the combination of office and warehousing space coupled with good access has served us really well.
“Having just taken on the new warehouse and offices we plan to consolidate some of our existing office space. That will be bitter-sweet because it’s where the business grew up, but the reality is that post-covid we have fewer office-based staff and more people spread across the UK, so our needs have changed.
“We’re really excited about our new unit because it means we can carry out plans to increase stock and that allows us to expand what we’re doing with our own-label brands and ranges, while safeguarding against supply chain shocks like we’re seeing right now in the Red Sea.
“Our mission is to help our customers create well-designed homes that look great, feel special and have a positive impact on their everyday lives. Looking ahead, we want to bring our expertise beyond kitchens, bathrooms and heating to other spaces inside or outside the home, and also grow our trade customer base.
“Our aim is to reach £100m turnover by 2026, and as we continue to scale it’s vital that we hold onto the great culture and values that we’ve always had. Happy people do great things, and we believe that work should be fun. That’s why we care so much about teamwork and collaboration.”
Beyond Retail’s latest warehouse was developed by Rigby Real Estate, part of Rigby Group plc, which also owns and operates neighbouring Bournemouth Airport. The unit was built by regional contractor Mildren Construction from Christchurch.
Mike Murray, Commercial Real Estate Director for Rigby Real Estate, said: “Beyond Retail has a long association with the Aviation Business Park and we’re delighted they have taken our newest unit to support their continued growth. Elliot and the team have built an amazing business in a relatively short time and we’re proud to be part of their journey.”
Beyond Retail is among 200 national and international businesses on Aviation Business Park, supporting more than 4,000 local jobs with thousands more planned. The park has consent for a further million square feet of development, potentially supporting 2,600 new jobs and generating an additional £100m annually for the Dorset economy.
