Louis Mitchell, Director at The M6 Bed Warehouse, talks about the recent opening of their second store and what’s next for the future.
Last month, Cheshire-based second-generation family-run bed and mattress retailer The M6 Bed Warehouse officially opened the doors to their new purpose-built, glass-fronted 6,000sqft store in Northwich. Situated on Winnington Business Park, the opening, which took place on 4 May 2024, marked their second store location, adding to their existing premises on Radway Green Road in Alsager.
After two years planning and implementing the project, Louis Mitchell, Director at The M6 Bed Warehouse – established in 2001, reflected on the initial moments of opening the store for the first time. “It’s a fantastic location and allows us to showcase some of the very best products we offer.
“We decorated the entrance with a balloon arch, had personalised ‘M6 Beds’ cupcakes made and gave an extra ‘gift’ to the first 20 customers, where after each sale the customer picked an envelope at random, which gave them an additional ‘prize’, ranging from free pillows, mattress protectors or an extra discount. This built a great buzz for the opening weekend.”
Louis summed up the moments before opening the doors for the first time in three words, being “excitement, apprehension, and enthusiasm” as the graft and long hours proved instantly “worth it” as customers came walking through the door from the minute they opened over the first May Bank Holiday weekend. The initial reaction has been really well received too, which has been a particular highlight for Louis. “We’ve had really positive feedback from everyone.
“We’ve worked hard to achieve an inviting layout and create a story within the entire range, which is easy to follow but keeps interest. Local residents are delighted and we’ve had lots of people popping in, having a look around and talking with us too, which is great.”
This praise has filtered through to the till too, with opening targets already being smashed. “Opening on the hottest week of the year so far certainly had its challenges; however, we surpassed all targets we had set and finished our first week with strong results – a great base to push on from,” Louis continued. “Our Radway store continues to perform strongly YOY too as we see AOV increase, and we continue to invest in enhancing our in-store customer experience through effective displays and excellent customer service.”
On that note, Louis revealed some other investments in the pipeline for the year ahead. “We have dedicated resources to do some great advertising campaigns throughout summer to drive local awareness and customers into our new Northwich store. These include local radio campaigns and multiple billboards, alongside greater investment in print and digital media.”
Alongside the store expansion, the business has invested in five new full-time salespeople as well as expanding their fulfilment capability by adding a fourth delivery vehicle and more warehousing space for delivery processing and stock holding.
Following the success of their second store launch, M6 Beds is already planning their third location, which remains on course to open during 2025. For now, the team remain busy and look to build on their early momentum.
“The overall finish of the new store and how the team has grown and developed over the short time we’ve been open is fantastic,” Louis said. “It’s a new challenge operating over two stores and every team member has adapted and developed their role to ensure the needs to of the customers are met. It’s been great and I’m really proud of the whole team.”
