Waterstones

Market Sector : Retail

Waterstones first opened in Old Brompton Road, London, in 1982. It trades from nearly 300 shops on high streets and shopping centres throughout the UK, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Background

“No two Waterstones bookshops are the same. Sophisticated stock management systems ensure that each bookshop has its own unique range, profile and space. An average sized Waterstones bookshop merchandises a range of around 30,000 individual books, with 200,000 titles in the largest shop”.

Senior Auditor at Waterstones

How does Orridge play an important role in your business?

“We carry out stock counts to fulfil our obligations in respect of financial reporting, to maintain inventory accuracy and also so we can better the level of shrinkage in our shops. We found that it was quicker and more efficient to outsource our stocktaking. “Counting large volumes of stock in a concentrated timeframe isn’t something we do as part of our business on a regular basis, and so it seemed sensible to delegate that task to people with experience and expertise in that area – Orridge.

“We have always found Orridge to be reliable, flexible, responsive and accurate. Like any other well-managed business, stocktaking is important whatever the economic climate; however in recessionary times we aim to offer value to our customers and we hope to get the same from our suppliers.”