Superbly engineered Aylesbury front doors
Superbly engineered Aylesbury front doors
Retail installer Radley Aylesbury gave up traditional advertising to literally get out and about in the local community.
Nathan Ing obviously enjoys being in the spotlight – literally. The former semi-pro DJ and owner of Aylesbury-based window, door and conservatory retailer Radley has two custom-built mobile stages. He offers these free of charge to worthy causes and local fairs at as many as 50 gigs a year– with his services as MC included if required. The result is an immersion into the communities around the Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire catchment that his firm serves. This allows him to reach an estimated 10,000 people throughout 2024.
A splendid showroom and exciting events
Radley boasts a superbly equipped 20,000 ft2 showroom in the town’s main industrial area, where further promotions include a ‘Safe Trick & Treating’ event. Most recently, the event drew more than 750 kids, quite literally, through its doors – including, of course, their parents.
“This began three years ago,” explained Nathan, “when we came up with what was intended as a catchphrase, but which we then decided would be safest if kids came and knocked at the doors in our showroom to scare our people behind the doors and of course to get treats in return. From 100 kids the first year to an event in October ’24 that saw a huge event that also included monster trucks, entertainment and food – and £700-worth of Haribo!”
Radley Aylesbury links closely to local station Bucks Radio to promote the dozens of school and community events that the firm is involved with. The mobile stages provide bold branding for the firm that event organisers find an acceptable trade for the superb facilities provided by the mobile stages, which include sound systems and lighting as part of the package. Nathan and his team have won awards for their community work.
A comprehensive range of aluminium front doors in Aylesbury
Nathan is clearly a natural entertainer, but ultimately of course, Radley is a serious business vying for home improvement sales in a most competitive environment. The showroom is one of the best this writer has ever seen; beautifully appointed and with a wide range of window brands and conservatories. But it is the exceptional spread of door styles from some of the UK’s biggest brands that dominate, providing local homeowners with the opportunity to see, touch, and try a huge range of options, colours, finishes, and fittings. It is an impressive and comprehensive display.
Aylesbury front door prices – quality and affordability combined
When Keith Arm, National Sales Manager for door brand Gerda called, he was politely dismissed, says Nathan: “He was very professional, persuasive without being pushy, but I showed him our range of brands and products, which is pretty comprehensive. But he went away and returned and persuaded me to visit the Gerda showroom at the Pioneer head office near Chelmsford. There, I met Danny [Williams, Pioneer and Gerda UK’s managing director], who was so passionate and knowledgeable, and after looking more closely at the Gerda door range, I decided to create a display for Gerda in our showroom.”
That in itself was a difficult task, said Nathan: “We have a large showroom but it is full and we had to make some changes to find an ideal location to create a Gerda display. It has been very worthwhile as Gerda takes us into a new market, one that offers high-end resi door performance and build quality, with styling that is also upmarket. But whilst the doors themselves offer a leap above the other door brands we stock in terms of quality, the price is not such a step up, which means that visitors to our showroom are prepared to spend more to upgrade when they have compared the doors for themselves. It’s like a BMW compared to a Ford.”
Community-focused marketing
Radley Aylesbury’s community-focused marketing was extended through the Christmas period with sponsorship of the festive pantomime, Peter Pan, at the local Waterside Theatre, which included the firm being written into the script. At the time of the interview, Nathan was particularly excited about this: “We are quite literally part of the communities that we service,” he said. “But as well as it is a means to an end, we genuinely are rooted in the area, we enjoy what we do…how much more fun could it be when hundreds of kids and their parents are calling out after your name in a theatre or singing along at a summer school fete?
“But,” continues Nathan, “it also means that the spotlight is, literally and metaphorically, on us the whole time and it is hard work, constantly on show. We are seen as part of the community, and as such, we have to make sure that what we do is always above reproach. It’s a very good (and enjoyable actually!) discipline to have.”
Aylesbury front doors near me
If you can’t make it to Radley’s superb showroom, then be sure to enquire about their stunning range of Gerda Doors online. A friendly member of the team will be more than happy to help and point you in the right direction.
