Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Housewares brand JML is invested heavily in DRTV (direct response television) and the online market in a bid to double its sales in the next three years.
The company, which recently celebrated its thirtieth anniversary, is renowned for promoting its products in stores with digital screens, combined with TV advertising.
The business also runs its own 24-hour TV home shopping channel and exports to distributors in over 80 countries.
Already a substantial DRTV advertiser and growing ecommerce retailer, JML has appointed three senior staff to its DRTV and online marketplace departments.
The trio are: Sophie Smithers, head of direct sales & marketing, who joins from The Craft Channel and previously held senior management positions at leading DRTV players Guthy Renker and Thane Direct; Mani Roberts, broadcast compliance officer, who joins from Clearcast; and Mitesh Patel, marketplace manager, who joins from Exertis.
JML ceo Ken Daly said: “These new appointments illustrate the level of investment and focus that JML is putting into achieving its growth plans. We intend to double our sales over the next three years, and our DRTV and online marketplace operations will be a big part of this.
“After a record year in 2016, we’re on track to enjoy substantial growth across all our sales channels this year. JML was a pioneer in using screens in UK retail stores and we have developed expertise over many years in producing video films for this purpose.”
JML has partnered with Los Angeles-based production house Scarpaci/Kelly, as it seeks to optimise infomercials to its growing international consumer base.
Stephen McCreath, commercial director at JML, said: “2017 will be something of a year of transition for JML’s direct-to-consumer operation. We’ve been proactively making changes that will position JML to be even more competitive in the DRTV sector, which continues to grow and to be financially rewarding.
“We are rethinking the way we identify products for our direct sales, and changing the way we produce our infomercials to best communicate and market products and promotions direct to consumers.
“Scarpaci/Kelly have been producing award-winning DRTV infomercials for over 20 years. It therefore felt natural that they would be our production house of choice.”
He added: “We’re also delighted to have Marc Gill presenting one of our forthcoming infomercials. Marc is without question one of the most globally-well-known faces in DRTV.
Stephen concluded: “”We’re not only building our direct business, but also our international operations. Our commitment to producing original DRTV infomercials featuring innovative JML-developed products, with high production values, serves both our UK direct-to-consumer and international operations and ambitions.”
JML commercial director Stephen McCreath
