TAG: Shopping in the digital age

Struggled to obtain your favourite Taska end tackle bits recently? Can’t find Nutrabaits’s legendary Trigga in your local tackle shop’s chest freezer? Seen our awesome OlogyFix vid where we make a hemp ball from Kryston’s Bogey but you can’t buy it anywhere? Well, that’s all set to change from this month as the TAG group look set to change the way we buy fishing tackle forever…

The big questions

Ben, we hear there’s some big changes happening within the TAG group. Firstly, can you explain to our readers who’s part of the TAG group, and secondly, what are these big changes?
“There are some very significant changes here at TAG, which stands for The Angling Group for those who don’t already know. The brands we have under our belt will be more familiar to most of you reading this: we own Nutrabaits and Taska as well as being sole UK distributors for Kryston.

“The big change here is that our business model is changing to offer consumers a better service from all of our brands. Historically our entire business has been B2B focused, which means we would sell to retailers that would then sell to the consumer. Due to the fast moving nature of the digital world, selling B2B in the conventional way is now old hat. We wanted to modernise our business and replicate a model similar to what’s readily used in other markets by some of the world’s leading brands.

“We are imminently about to launch brand-new websites for Taska, Kryston and Nutrabaits where we will offer FREE next-day deliveries, direct customer service and a host of educational material that will help our customers make a well informed choice for the products that are right for them.”

Ben Francis, Brand Manager of The Angling Group

So in essence you’re selling direct to the customer - surely this will have some big benefits for our readers - better prices, deals, etc., etc.?
“In short, yes, we will be selling direct to the consumer. I must stress that it’s not as black and white as it sounds though, as we will still have a trade facing arm to our business model.

“From the consumers perspective though, yes, there are going to be loads of benefits that will be rolled out. There will be exclusive deals on-line for the consumer and an in-built loyalty scheme that is set to be an industry leading initiative, this will be implemented during the summer as we are still finalising the full benefits for our customers, but it will be a highly beneficial for everyone who buys on our sites.

“As our business streamlines and runs more efficiently through this digital transition, we will be looking to cut costs where we can to offer more competitive pricing going forward.”

Will you still be supplying any tackle shops?
“Yes, we will still be supplying a limited number of tackle shops in the UK and we will still be working closely with our global distribution network to ensure all the brands have an in-store presence internationally.”

When can we expect the site to go live?
“The brand-new Nutrabaits site is live now. New Taska and Kryston sites will be ready soon, then during the summer there will be something even more impressive being launched, but I’m going to keep quiet on that one other than say look out for something called Carp Tackle 365. Keep your eyes peeled on all of our social media pages to find out all the latest information and offers. If you’re a consumer that wants to know more, get in contact with a direct message on Facebook, or call our sales team on 01245 231 919.”

The new world of Nutrabaits

Will the site be more than just an on-line store? Will it be a content-rich fishing hub?
“100% yes! The sites are to be way more than an on-line store. I don’t believe in getting sales for the sake of selling, I want to provide education for our customers to help them make their own choice on what product is right for their needs. We will be looking to provide exclusive content with tips, tactics and helpful knowledge that shows you how to get the best from our product offering. The new sites will be regularly updated with engaging content and it’s set to change and evolve quite rapidly once we get going.

“I’m always listening to our customers and I always strive to give them what they need in terms of a service offering. I would like to say to anyone who wants to contact me personally and provide feedback on any of the sites features, or should you have an idea you wished was implemented to make your ability to buy tackle easier, get in touch and reach out to me! We’re building a company for anglers and we want our customers’ voices to lead the way on our business development, your opinion matters so don’t sit in silence folks, tell me how to make your experience with our brands more enjoyable.”

We now live in a world where we want our on-line purchases to be with us within 24hrs. Will you have the infrastructure to achieve this, and will this apply to all three brands?
“Yes, one of the best pieces of news for the time conscious customer is that we now offer FREE next-day deliveries, subject to a minimum spend of £30 on the sites and we offer this seven days a week if you order on any of the sites before 5pm. Pretty sweet, right?

“It’s also important to note that next-day delivery is our standard delivery option, meaning we strive to get products to your door faster than any other ecommerce site in the industry. We now have logistic experts that are taking control of all our warehousing and shipping requirements and the service they provide has just had a multi-million dollar investment to work more efficiently alongside ecommerce businesses. As a result, we’re expecting to achieve same day deliveries by the end of the year and soon we will even have the ability to deliver direct to your swim on any lake in the country!”

Whilst Taska has some lovely products, supply has been your biggest headache over the past 12-months. Customers simply haven’t been able to get hold of your products. Will you have this issue ironed out before the site goes live?
“Great question. There’s no denying that Taska has previously experienced quite a significant stock shortage. There’s a very complicated story to tell on the full ins and outs of it and it seems that many people have various stories about what did and didn’t happen. I’ll take this as an opportunity to set the story straight and breakdown the gist of what happened for your readers so they can understand the motions we’ve had to go through.

“The brand was created and developed with all its product portfolio in one factory (for anyone who’s worked in the manufacturing industry before, you’ll know that putting all your eggs in one basket isn’t the safest move). That single factory relationship broke down for Taska over 18-months ago and then the entire portfolio needed a new manufacturing network built up from scratch. This isn’t a quick job, bearing in mind that most new developments take at least 12-months to finalise, most orders from the Far East will take around four-months to arrive in a UK warehouse after the order has been placed with the factory, plus there’s always some form of unforeseen delay that crops up when you’re trying to control projects happening on the other side of the world.

“I can safely say we’ve now built up a wide spread manufacturing network and we’re up and running with a much smoother production schedule in place. The hangover from our stock issue has now been cleaned up and the stock availability looks set to be very healthy for when we go live; we’ve ordered more product than usual to compensate for digital sales.

“Now, one thing I will say is that selling on-line is something that is completely new for us and the true demand for our products has never really been fulfilled so popular items could go out of stock really quickly, but we now have the ability to replenish those stocks in a timely manner. We also have a system in place to remind customers when products come back into stock should they go out of stock and our helpful customer service team are always on hand to assist you with any queries.”

Can you see more and more major manufacturers going this way - i.e. selling direct to the customer?
“Yes. Personally I’ve foreseen this as being a natural change in the industry for many years. Some have tried and failed, others have got scared and forced themselves into trading the way we always have. Look at every industry except for the angling industry… how many brands can you buy direct from that still sell in select retail outlets? Most of them is the answer, but Nike is probably a very, very good example that many can relate to. We have found a way to support the trade, but still offer consumers direct interaction with our brands, I think this has to be the future of selling, it’s easier for the customer and the brand has more control of the service it provides.”

All stock issues have now been rectified

Stock will still be supplied to our exclusive TAG Retailers across Europe