Antiques Diary revisited Hemswell Antique Centre on the official opening of an extension. Ivor Hughes reports.
Continuity but not complacency
The last time Diary visited Hemswell Antique Centre was not that long after Rob Miller had become MD. Rob was then sharing responsibility with his brother. But they didn’t share the same vision, so in 2008 Rob bought him out. Taking full control sent out a clear message; Rob Miller and HAC were there to stay. Recent investment in an extension and improvements to the interactive website has underlined that commitment.
Bricks and mortar
The RAF and MOD had vacated Hemswell long before the centre was opened by Rob Miller’s parents in 1986. It remains a large complex with maybe twenty other businesses on-site, including two other antiques centres - worth a visit while you’re there, but not to be mistaken for any of the three large two-storey buildings that make up HAC.Around 300 exhibitors are
quite evenly spread among the three. Unless you have better reasons, Building 1 is the easiest place to start and finish. It is closest to the plentiful parking and houses a well appointed coffee shop and restaurant, popular with visitors elsewhere on the site. Each building has an information and payment desk at the entrance.
More bricks and mortar
There is a continuous programme of structural work for each of the buildings, aimed at improving both access and display. The large automatic sliding doors were new to Building 1 when I visited. Another building was in line for the same improvement. Walls were coming down and walls were going up. By far the largest investment during the past year has been the addition of around 4000 feet of floor space to Building 1. Split evenly between the two floors, it brought into play the area between two spurs of the old MOD H-shaped building. That expansion was in response to increased demand for space – not only from existing exhibitors, but also from those already on the waiting list. Another significant improvement has been to the security camera system. The viewing screens for all buildings may be viewed from any other. They can also be accessed online. That is an invaluable aid in the event of the emergency services needing direction from outside - or even off-site.
Quality
HAC still has its thousands of good, honest and modestly priced pieces of pottery, glass, fabric, metalware, costume jewellery, art etc. But there is now a noticeably higher number of exhibits at the finer end of the antiques (and collectables) market – particularly in Building 1, no doubt the dealers’increased confidence being assisted by HAC’s continued investment in IT,
security, access and display.
Online
HAC’s new website – a template for the future Hemswell’s website started taking shape a few years ago. Searchable, up to a
point. Stock updated, more frequently than elsewhere. A wants list, though viewed only by those dealers who had the inclination. A creditable effort for an antiques centre but woefully behind the likes of, say, your average online auction house. The present HAC website is a result of continued refinement and tweaking at both ends. Behind the scenes, the IT is more sophisticated and customer-friendly. The presentation of the on-screen images and descriptions have improved beyond recognition. A team of three HAC staff is charged with the task of keeping the site ticking over at around 3000 items photographed, catalogued and described – all searchable by item title and description. Automatic alerts now go out when any description triggers customers’ saved searches. The search engine optimisation is remarkable. I put it to the test by searching ‘Victorian glass dump’ on five www search engines. From the millions of results offered, the HAC link popped up on the front pages of Orange, Google and Bing, and on the second pages of Altavista and Yahoo.
The missing piece of the jigsaw?
The three criteria anyone considers before buying in third party services are cost, time saved and quality: window cleaning, car servicing, gardening, newspaper delivery, hairdressing, childminding – whatever.
That’s why so many dealers have turned to antiques centres – cheaper, less time consuming and better exposure than being in your own shop. But having to wait to the end of the month (plus a week or two) to know what you’ve sold just won’t do.
Cabinet holders and exhibitors at HAC can now log in at any time and see exactly what they have sold, when and to whom. They can budget and restock immediately – and find out what is there to pull out and display at the nearby Lincoln, Newark or Swinderby fairs. Things really have become that much easier for cabinet holders at HAC.
One stop shop
The variety and quantity of exhibits at HAC makes one-stop shopping a realistic opportunity for homemakers, interior designers and organisations such as National Trust. Send HAC your shopping list and Rob or one of his team will find the
options on offer. Any purchases can then be collected, delivered or mailed in accordance with the customer’s wishes.
Attention to detail
Rob Miller has another though unconnected business on-site - a meals distribution service. Tens of thousands delivered county-wide every week, typically on behalf of local authorities. There is no margin for error. You’d be in real trouble if you forgot or confused orders, or if you delivered anything that didn’t match that customer’s religious, medical or conscientious dietary requirements.
Maybe Rob’s experiences in that market have helped shape HAC’s current marketing and IT strategies? That would explain a
lot.
Continuity but not complacency
The last time Diary visited Hemswell Antique Centre was not that long after Rob Miller had become MD. Rob was then sharing responsibility with his brother. But they didn’t share the same vision, so in 2008 Rob bought him out. Taking full control sent out a clear message; Rob Miller and HAC were there to stay. Recent investment in an extension and improvements to the interactive website has underlined that commitment.
Bricks and mortar
The RAF and MOD had vacated Hemswell long before the centre was opened by Rob Miller’s parents in 1986. It remains a large complex with maybe twenty other businesses on-site, including two other antiques centres - worth a visit while you’re there, but not to be mistaken for any of the three large two-storey buildings that make up HAC.Around 300 exhibitors are
quite evenly spread among the three. Unless you have better reasons, Building 1 is the easiest place to start and finish. It is closest to the plentiful parking and houses a well appointed coffee shop and restaurant, popular with visitors elsewhere on the site. Each building has an information and payment desk at the entrance.
More bricks and mortar
There is a continuous programme of structural work for each of the buildings, aimed at improving both access and display. The large automatic sliding doors were new to Building 1 when I visited. Another building was in line for the same improvement. Walls were coming down and walls were going up. By far the largest investment during the past year has been the addition of around 4000 feet of floor space to Building 1. Split evenly between the two floors, it brought into play the area between two spurs of the old MOD H-shaped building. That expansion was in response to increased demand for space – not only from existing exhibitors, but also from those already on the waiting list. Another significant improvement has been to the security camera system. The viewing screens for all buildings may be viewed from any other. They can also be accessed online. That is an invaluable aid in the event of the emergency services needing direction from outside - or even off-site.
Quality
HAC still has its thousands of good, honest and modestly priced pieces of pottery, glass, fabric, metalware, costume jewellery, art etc. But there is now a noticeably higher number of exhibits at the finer end of the antiques (and collectables) market – particularly in Building 1, no doubt the dealers’increased confidence being assisted by HAC’s continued investment in IT,
security, access and display.
Online
HAC’s new website – a template for the future Hemswell’s website started taking shape a few years ago. Searchable, up to a
point. Stock updated, more frequently than elsewhere. A wants list, though viewed only by those dealers who had the inclination. A creditable effort for an antiques centre but woefully behind the likes of, say, your average online auction house. The present HAC website is a result of continued refinement and tweaking at both ends. Behind the scenes, the IT is more sophisticated and customer-friendly. The presentation of the on-screen images and descriptions have improved beyond recognition. A team of three HAC staff is charged with the task of keeping the site ticking over at around 3000 items photographed, catalogued and described – all searchable by item title and description. Automatic alerts now go out when any description triggers customers’ saved searches. The search engine optimisation is remarkable. I put it to the test by searching ‘Victorian glass dump’ on five www search engines. From the millions of results offered, the HAC link popped up on the front pages of Orange, Google and Bing, and on the second pages of Altavista and Yahoo.
The missing piece of the jigsaw?
The three criteria anyone considers before buying in third party services are cost, time saved and quality: window cleaning, car servicing, gardening, newspaper delivery, hairdressing, childminding – whatever.
That’s why so many dealers have turned to antiques centres – cheaper, less time consuming and better exposure than being in your own shop. But having to wait to the end of the month (plus a week or two) to know what you’ve sold just won’t do.
Cabinet holders and exhibitors at HAC can now log in at any time and see exactly what they have sold, when and to whom. They can budget and restock immediately – and find out what is there to pull out and display at the nearby Lincoln, Newark or Swinderby fairs. Things really have become that much easier for cabinet holders at HAC.
One stop shop
The variety and quantity of exhibits at HAC makes one-stop shopping a realistic opportunity for homemakers, interior designers and organisations such as National Trust. Send HAC your shopping list and Rob or one of his team will find the
options on offer. Any purchases can then be collected, delivered or mailed in accordance with the customer’s wishes.
Attention to detail
Rob Miller has another though unconnected business on-site - a meals distribution service. Tens of thousands delivered county-wide every week, typically on behalf of local authorities. There is no margin for error. You’d be in real trouble if you forgot or confused orders, or if you delivered anything that didn’t match that customer’s religious, medical or conscientious dietary requirements.
Maybe Rob’s experiences in that market have helped shape HAC’s current marketing and IT strategies? That would explain a
lot.
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