Despite having over 25 years of retail and e-commerce experience, Batteries Plus CEO Scott Williams knows that sometimes life throws curveballs that you can’t prepare for. Such was the case when the coronavirus struck and brought unprecedented and unexpected challenges for businesses across the globe. The Batteries Plus leadership team understands that not all lessons can be taken from a textbook.
“Sometimes using common sense, leveraging what you know and asking the right questions will allow you to get to the root of the problem,” he said.
As businesses across the nation closed to adhere to safety regulations and local guidelines, Batteries Plus was fortunate to remain open, as each of our core offerings is fundamental to people’s lives. Thus, Batteries Plus remained a reliably stable business opportunity for a growing list of entrepreneurs.
However, that’s not to say it was easy.
“When the pandemic hit, there wasn’t a manual for how to host daily war rooms. We knew as a team we needed to offer solutions and resources for franchisees quickly,” Scott said.
Scott credits the retail franchise’s success to the teamwork and perseverance of the franchise owners and leadership team. By training, reinforcing and driving superior standards, Batteries Plus has succeeded.
“We didn’t become the nation’s largest and fastest-growing battery, light bulb, key fob and phone/tablet repair franchise because of a few people,” he said. “We’re a nationwide network of more than 700 stores with a leadership team dedicated to supporting our franchise owners who are serving communities across the U.S.”
In a time where omnichannel and e-commerce offerings became consumers’ primary purchasing methods, we’re grateful to have been ahead of the curve instead of adjusting our offerings after the fact.
It Takes a Team to Overcome Obstacles
Despite the changes, Batteries Plus was able to rebound quickly, and June 2020 boasted the largest sales month in the history of the company at that point. The retailer recently surpassed that record in March 2021. “We knew no matter the severity of the new circumstance; it was our responsibility to lead. We didn’t wait for the playbook; we made the playbook,” Scott explained.
Scott credits the retail franchise’s success to the teamwork and perseverance of the franchise owners and leadership team. By training, reinforcing and driving superior standards, Batteries Plus has succeeded.
“We didn’t become the nation’s largest and fastest-growing battery, light bulb, key fob and phone/tablet repair franchise because of a few people,” he said. “We’re a nationwide network of more than 700 stores with a leadership team dedicated to supporting our franchise owners who are serving communities across the U.S.”
It Pays to Be a Reliable Business
By offering batteries for everything from wheelchairs and mobility scooters, to thermometers and flashlights, as well as lighting, cell phone repair and key fob replacements, Batteries Plus was deemed ‘essential.’ Last year, Batteries Plus signed 20 franchise agreements which will add 30 new locations to the system’s 700+ network of specialty retail stores. “A handful of our owners have signed on for expansion agreements to open new stores based on the business stability throughout the course of the pandemic,” Scott added. During the height of the pandemic, our CEO coined the S.A.L.E. acronym, which stands for small box – which meant allowing limited crowds in our stores and offering personal service, assorted – which meant not relying on selling just one category, local – which meant a growing call to support other small business owners and communities during this time and essential – because our Batteries Plus franchises never closed and continued to provide consumers and businesses with the products they need to power their lives.It’s Important to Do the Leg Work Early On
Upon becoming Batteries Plus CEO, Scott focused on finding the brand’s barriers to entry that establish primary competitive advantages. He quickly discovered it by taking a careful look at the retail franchise’s product-plus-service business model. Batteries Plus offers product knowledge, a massive inventory and installation capabilities with its services. As a result, the brand has remained successful despite the challenges of the last year. “97% of our e-commerce orders are ordered online and picked up in-store or serviced on-site (BOPIS or buy online, pickup in-store), compared to single digits for most omnichannel retailers — this is our moat!”
In a time where omnichannel and e-commerce offerings became consumers’ primary purchasing methods, we’re grateful to have been ahead of the curve instead of adjusting our offerings after the fact.
