Building materials cash and carry business Platform has hosted its first supplier conference at its flagship store in Croydon.
After a store tour and a business update presentation, trade suppliers took part in an open forum, with Phil Smith, managing director of Platform, Peter Hindle, chief executive of Saint-Gobain building distribution UK and Ireland and Alan Peacock, marketing and procurement director of Saint-Gobain building distribution available to answer questions.
Mr Smith said Platform intends to roll the Platform concept out in major cities across the UK, and that two sites are currently being developed in the London region.
Emphasising that Platform is strictly and exclusively for trade and business, Mr Smith said the company does not intend to trade with its customers online adding: “We want customers to visit our stores and experience the difference for themselves.”
He said one of the biggest issues facing the development of the Platform brand is the difficulty surrounding planning permission, but stressed: “We will never compromise on location.”
