2. WWL The company Flashcards
What quality carpets do WWL sell?
Sell premium-priced high quality wool based carpets and rugs
But also a limited range of lower-priced synthetic carpets
What brand are WWL carpets sold under?
Residential and commercial segments are both sold under WWL brand
What does WWL focus on in terms of quality?
Quality of both their service level and products
What is the role of the following individual:
Felicity Darchon
CEO
What is the role of the following individual:
Dilanee Acharya
Finance director
What is the role of the following individual:
Thilo Keogh
Marketing and sales director
What is the role of the following individual:
Kas Mukesh
Procurement, HR and Diversity Director
What is the role of the following individual:
Fay Drost
Operations Director
Describe Felicity Darchon
CEO of WWL
Previously worked in private equity
Owns a number of businesses in Kidderminster area
Owns 80% of ordinary shares
What % of WWL is owned by Felicity Darchon?
80% of ordinary shares which she acquired in 2015 from previous owners after the business ran into financial difficulties
Has the business been in financial difficulty before?
Yes, in 2015 Felicity Darchon acquired 80% of the ordinary shares after the previous owners ran into financial difficulty
Describe the % share ownership of WWL
80% owned by CEO Felicity Darchon
5% Dilanee Acharya (FD)
5% Thilo Keogh (Marketing & Sales D)
5% Kas Mukesh (Procurement, HR & Diversity D)
5% Fay Drost (Operations D)
Who has worked at WWL the longest?
Fay Drost was already employed by WWL when Felicity Darchon acquired the shares in 2018
Describe what Thilo Keogh does
He is Marketing and Sales Director
He is a regular contributor to trade magazines and online forums
Often promotes WWL’s activities and successes
Describe what Kas Mukesh does
She is Procurement, HR and Diversity Director
She regularly posts on prof social media about the importance of work-life balance in supporting physical & mental health of the workforce, thus in aiding productivity
She works part time as a life skills coach and volunteers at a mental health support charity
How old is WWL as a business?
They have been making carpets in Kidderminster for over 100 years
So has long association with the carpet manufacturing in the UK
How does WWL use its history?
WWL makes use of its history in its marketing to emphasise the quality of its wool-based products
How often does WWL launch new products?
WWL regularly launches new products
They have an in-house team of skilled carpet designers within its production team
Who develops WWL’s new products?
Their in-house team of skilled carpet designers within its production team
Give some examples of awards that WWL has won
Most Innovative Rug Design for 2 years running (2020 and 2021) in the Furnishing World Awards
Finalist for Installation of the Year at Wool Carpet Manufacturers Awards 2019
Winner of Residential - Tufted Design in prestigious Wool Carpet Manufacturers Award 2019
What are the product types in WWL?
Wool carpets
80:20 wool mix carpets
Rugs
PP carpets
Describe the following product type that WWL sells:
Wool Carpets
WWL offers a premium-priced range of 100% wool carpets in a variety of colours and styles
Describe the following product type that WWL sells:
80:20 wool mix carpets
made from 80:20 wool:synthetic yarn
High quality carpet
Combines the comfort of a wool carpet with practical aspects of synthetic carpets (less prone to staining)
Synthetic material used is a mixture of polypropylene and nylon
Sold at lower price per m2 than 100% wool
What is a perk of synthetic carpets compared to wool?
Less prone to staining
Describe the following product type that WWL sells:
Rugs
MANUFACTURES and sells range of wool based rugs
Uses rugs business as means of demonstrating its design capabilities, while allowing it to mitigate the effect of an increasing demand for hard floor coverings
What is the rugs business used for?
Uses rugs business as means of demonstrating its design capabilities, while allowing it to mitigate the effect of an increasing demand for hard floor coverings
What is sold at a higher mark up, carpets or rugs?
Rugs
Describe the following product type that WWL sells:
PP carpets
Recently started selling
Limited range of entirely synthetic carpets manufactured from PP
PP carpet often attractive to families with younger children/pets as easily cleaned and highly resistant to staining
PP carpets sell at lower price than wool mix carpet
Marketed as a high quality synthetic carpet
Who are PP carpets attractive to and why?
Families with younger children and pets as it is highly resistant to staining/ easily cleanable
How are PP carpets marketed?
As high-quality synthetic carpet
Sold at lower price than wool mix carpets
What are WWL’s 3 types of client?
Retail
Commercial
Bespoke Design
Describe Retail as a client type of WWL
Majority of WWL sales are made into UK residential segment, through wide rangge of reputable SME indep carpet retailers
Known as Retail (but actually a UK residential segment)
WWL operates by building and maintaining the network directly
Not currently a supplier to any of the carpet buying groups that’ve formed in UK
Does WWL sell to capet buying groups?
No
These negotiate attractive discounts and rebates on behalf of the retailers, which then place orders with a given carpet supplier
Describe Commercial as a client type
WWL suppliers directly to UK commercial clients, who contract with WWL to manufacture and supply large volumes of carpet for installation into commercial buildings (usually offices)
Describe ‘bespoke design’ as a client type
Bespoke design work is a niche business that WWL has developed by designing, manufacturing, supplying and installing carpets and rugs for wealthy individuals/ commercial clients who offer a premium service to their own customers
E.g. of venues for this type of work: casinos, 5* hotels and homes of well known TV personalities
All WWL’s bespoke design orders have been from UK based clients
Where are WWL’s bespoke design orders been ordered from?
UK-based clients
Does WWL do installation?
Retail & commercial clients don’t usually require WWL to install (fit) the carpets supplied
Usually engage separate self-employed carpet fitters themselves
But for bespoke design work, fitting is normally part of the contracted service.
WWL doesn’t directly employ any carpet fitters, so subcontracts the fitting work and includes the cost of the fitters in its calc of the price charged to clients
Do WWL employ carpet fitters?
Don’t employ any directly themselves
Only Bespoke Design usually includes fitting
Subcontracts the work and includes the cost of the fitters in its calc of the price charged to clients
What is WWL’s website used for?
Used to support the business development for each type of client by giving more info about WWL’s products & services
What is WWL’s website used for?
Used to support the business development for each type of client by giving more info about WWL’s products & services What does the website show\
What is WWL’s website used for?
Used to support the business development for each type of client by giving more info about WWL’s products & services
Displas list of retail stockists for residential consumers
Provides examples of type of flooring suitable for various commercial needs and invites direct enquiries for commercial
Showcases WWL’s higher profile work and invites direct enquiries for bespoke design
How does retail customers use WWL’s website?
It displays a list of retail stockists
How do commercial customers use WWL’s website?
It provides examples of the type of flooring suitable for various commercial needs
Invites direct enquiries
How do bespoke design customers use WWL’s website?
The website showcases WWL’s higher profile work
Invites direct enquiries
Who are WWL’s main suppliers?
Yarn manufacturer - wool-based yarn that WWL uses is sourced from UK manufacturer. Works closely with manufacturer to ensure yarn is high quality and that supply is assured
Distributor - Contract with national distribution org that has reputation for reliability
PP carpet manufacturer - Doesn’t manufacture the PP carpets, instead purchases under contractual arrangement from large UK PP carpet manufacturer and sells them under WWL brand
Describe WWL’s yarn manufacturer
Yarn manufacturer - wool-based yarn that WWL uses is sourced from UK manufacturer. Works closely with manufacturer to ensure yarn is high quality and that supply is assured
Describe WWL’s distributor
Contract with national distribution comp
Has reputation for reliability
Describe WWL’s PP carpet manufacturer
WWL doesn’t manufacture own PP carpets
Purchases from PP carpets comp under contractual arrangement from large UK PP Carpet manufacturer
Sells the carpet under own WWL brand
Describe WWL’s positioning on employees
Regards itself as responsible and supportive employer
Evidences this by regularly measuring the level of staff engagement
provides staff development initiatives
Has staff bonus scheme
How does WWL consider sustainability?
WWL is acutely aware of env concerns facing the carpet sector
Includes the use of potentially harmful chemicals in carpet manufacture
Also includes need for recyclability in carpet design to avoid/reduce the issues surrounding disposal at the end of a carpets life
