Jewson is to become the first company of its type in the UK to introduce a business television communication network into its 550 Jewson and Graham branches nationwide at a cost of several million pounds.
The company has signed a two-year contract with Store Channel and, from March next year, Jewson & Graham TV will provide rolling news and sports updates plus product information from 100 key suppliers.
Managing director Peter Hindle said: ‘Jewson & Graham TV will ensure consistent communication to and from our suppliers and customers. This is a new chapter for Jewson and Graham and we believe that it will fundamentally change the way that this industry communicates.’
Every Jewson and Graham branch will be equipped with a 25in television at the sales counter area. A series of magazine-style programmes will be branded in a dedicated channel created with the trade customer specifically in mind.
There will also be a television screen in the back office for staff training and information. A branch-to-branch and supplier-to-branch intranet can also be accessed.
Store Channel managing director Bob Keen says the satellite system uses digital state-of-the-art vision and graphics and information can be updated hourly if need be and can be adapted on a regional or branch-by-branch basis.
He added: ‘This means that new marketing and product initiatives can be delivered straight to the heart of the branch network. The system has the facility to report back that a message has been delivered at a certain time to a specific branch.’
