2023 Recap and 2024 Goals
As 2023 comes to an end we find ourselves looking back on the year and all we have achieved at Attwoolls Outdoors. 2023 saw huge infrastructure changes, an addition to our showroom space and the launch of our social channels. Read on to find out more.
2023 Recap
Landscaping and Drainage improvements
In order to prevent future flooding and fix historic problems, this year we improved our drainage across the Whitminster site; making the store more accessible and dryer in the wetter months of the year. We also improved our roadside signs and fences, as well as updating the graphics on the shop's front windows. As you may have noticed, we introduced new parking bays for parents with children, created more disabled bays and dedicated spaces big enough for caravans, motorhomes and trailers.
Website and Social Media
In 2023 we introduced some new categories on our website for walking and hiking enthusiasts. Here you can find all things related to clothing, accessories and kit for hiking and walking - including a whole new section for DoE. We also started to grow our social media presence to mimic Mike’s (and Archie’s) successful YouTube page; posting regularly on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
Solar Panels
Being more environmentally friendly is really important to us as a business and 2023 saw the installation of solar panels across the site. Over 200 panels are now working on both our warehouse and manufacturing buildings producing clean energy that helps reduce our reliance on the grid and reduces our carbon emissions.
Trade Entrance and Infrastructure
As our online business has continued to grow we wanted to create a road specifically for trade deliveries and collections. For a number of years we felt the original route for lorries and vans through our customer car park was becoming more inconvenient and unsafe for our staff and customers. Planning for our new road started over three years ago, but now finally finished we are glad to see it being used.
Isabella Showroom space
One of our most exciting achievements for 2023 is that we are now a Isabella Destination Dealer! Isabella is a prestigious brand within the industry and with only 4 destination dealers in the UK we feel very privileged to be showcasing their products. Come in the store to view their top awnings we have on display, a great range of accessories and talk to one of our Attwoolls Experts on all things Isabella.
2024 Goals
New Awning Section
Our first goal for 2024 is to have a dedicated awning section in our showroom. Awnings and Driveaways have increased in popularity over recent years and are planning to extend the showroom to reflect this. We are looking to expand our display so you can see a better range of products, from awnings to canopies, utility tents and windbreaks. We aim to showcase as much as possible making our customers' lives easier to choose the right awning for them.
Completion of Whitminster Lodge
In 2024 we are looking to complete a side project that started in 2023, the renovation of Whitminster Lodge. The house located next to the business has been home to the Attwoolls family since 1936. We hope to bring life back into the house, providing accommodation for groups and families bringing joy to others, like it has for us over so many years.
Storefront development
We have some exciting ideas to develop our Attwoolls storefront in 2024. The biggest (and most asked about) is that we are planning to reintroduce the much loved playground to be enjoyed by children and families for years to come. We also plan to reinvent the outside seating area for the coffee shop so you can sit outdoors when the sun is shining. We serve a number of takeaway options in the café and hope that the new and improved outside space will accommodate our customers and their fluffy counterparts!
EV Charging points
Lots of our customers come from all over the UK and in our aim to become more eco friendly, we are looking to install and provide Electric Vehicle charging. This will allow more of our customers with hybrid or fully electric vehicles to visit the store without the worry of having to find somewhere to charge.
Click and Collect
Bringing both our online and in-store presence together is a really important factor to us. Our main goal for our website in 2024 is to improve our website functionality and introduce a Click and Collect option for customers. We hope this will make shopping with us easier, faster and more convenient for local customers wanting products straight away.
100 years of Attwoolls Outdoors
The biggest news of 2024 is that it will mark 100 years of Attwoolls! From our humble beginnings in business to the 30,000 square foot store we have today, we are excited to be celebrating a massive 100 years of the family business and its four generations. Keep an eye out on our social channels and website for more information on how we will be celebrating this in the coming months.