illars of the business: its product line, property holdings and people. Godfreys CEO David Lee told Inside Retail that the retailer has refurbished about 60 stores over the last two years. It is aiming to refurbish 50 per cent of its remaining stores by the end of the 2023 financial year, and 25 percent of stores in the years’ following. Godfreys has reviewed its entire product range – investing in hard-floor cleaning products and robot vacuums – and is expanding its marketing and promotional strategy, engaging with influencers to reach a younger demographic. According to Lee, the goal is to set the business up for success for the next 90 years. “We knew for a long period of time that Godfreys hasn’t had that investment, so we looked at every aspect of the business. We have an exceptionally supportive shareholder and board, so we went to them and said, ‘This is where we want to be, and [how] we want to set ourselves up. We want to do it properly’,” Lee said. That is also why the retailer has waited to publicly talk about its repositioning until now. “One question we’ve [faced] this year is, ‘Why didn’t you come to the market before, and talk to people about what you’re doing.’ Very simply, we wanted to make sure we’d get it right first,” Lee said.  “[We] have 170+ stores across Australia and New Zealand. If we do it to five stores, and take it to the market, you’re providing an expectation for your customers that [might not be the same as in their local store]. “So we wanted to take time for ourselves [and] make sure we’re making these changes for the right reasons, which come back to that customer experience.” “The robots can do that everyday spot clean” A key component behind the store refurbishments has been the inclusion of different floor surfaces – which include carpets, tiles and hard-floors – which enable staff to showcase the  entire product range.  Traditionally, Godfreys stores only featured red carpeting. The new design makes it easy for staff to demonstrate Godfreys products in an environment that resembles what they might find in their own house. “With the robot play pens [customers can see] that the robots can do that everyday clean. If they have a slightly larger home, or have carpet, it makes sense to [show off our powerhead range], which gets down to the dust and grit,” Lee said. Lee adds that Godfreys has also been proactive in working with prominent brands like Miele and Electrolux, and that it has been able to attract brands like Tineco into Australia. He said the business was able to do so by consolidating brand relationships, consulting with partners regarding how they’d like their products displayed, and developing spaces with smart capabilities and app functions. “When you walk through the front door, you have Miele in front of [you]. You walk next to Miele, and Electrolux is sitting [there]. Next to that is Tineco, which leads [you into]  the hardware category,” he explained. “We’re aware of the fact that brands bring in other brands, and [that] brings in customers.” The store changes have even extended beyond the shop floor, to the stockroom. “From our stockroom perspective, it’s nice and clean. Recruitment has been a challenge for a long time, [but] everyone wants to come to work in an environment that’s pleasing to be in,” he said.  “We’re in the cleaning [business], we should be clean.” Godfreys commercial showroom in Altona, Victoria. Supplied Flexible expansion plans  Godfreys doesn’t have a set number of stores that it is planning to open over the next few years. Rather, Lee believes that as demographics and other factors change, the business will consider whether to open, close or refurbish its existing stores. Godfreys has also invested in a new e-commerce platform within the last three years, which has contributed to an increase in online sales. They now make up around 10 per cent of total revenue. “We’re traditionally bricks-and-mortar, but we understand that e-commerce is a growing channel. We want to be in all the places where customers want to shop, and, from a customer experience perspective [we should] cater to that.” Lee also affirms that Godfreys will continue to invest in staff training. Over the last four years, it has created a training team – which includes a trainer in each state – as well as mentors who assist in the on-boarding process. “We have 170-odd stores, and a lot of sales members. Retail historically hasn’t been seen as a [long-term] career for people, so this training [has] a sales and product aspect, as well as a leadership aspect,” he said. “We should be happy to train our staff to be good leaders.”  That program was introduced in September 2019. The retailer has also benefited from its decision to not lay anyone off during Covid-19.  “Our staff have paid that back in spades across the whole business,” Lee said. Another aspect of Godfreys’ growth strategy is its focus on attracting millennials, who are the new generation of homeowners. Over the last six months, Lee said that Godfreys has started investing more heavily in social media, including utilising influencers to promote the business. “We are 90 years old and have a very loyal customer base. We have to keep them engaged, [while also attracting new customers]. If we’re not attractive to them, how do we change the perception of what they think of us,” he said. “It’s part of that transformational journey.” Investing in the future Lee said that Godfreys will continue to refurbish its existing stores, while still investing in and developing its products and people.  “Customer expectations will continue to evolve, and it’s the same with our products. Three or four years ago, we wouldn’t have had hard-floor cleaners. Now, they’re flying off the shelf,” he said. “We’re investing in the next 90 years, and we understand what needs to be done.”