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04
Sept 2021
Leading the digital revolution at Bettys
Words like 'e-commerce' and 'digital' don't sit naturally with a company steeped in tradition like Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate.
Bettys, which is probably the Harrogate district's most famous brand, is known for its timeless tearoom experience that echoes of a past dating back to 1919.
But times have changed and when covid forced the closure of its shops the company found it could not meet the online demand for its products.
Samantha Sargison, head of digital and corporate at Bettys, says:
Bettys, which is still owned by the family of its founder, Fredrick Belmont, hired Brighton-born Ms Sargison to the newly created role in 2017 in recognition of the need to improve digitally.
She had previously worked in London for the likes of Kurt Geiger and De Beers so the transition from selling luxury handbags and diamonds to luxury cakes came naturally.
Bettys has made significant progress in the four years since she joined. Online sales have trebled since 2017 and are 34 per cent up this year already on the figure for all of 2020, despite lockdowns. Ms Sargison says:
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With shops shut during lockdown, necessity became the mother of invention as the company attempted to fulfil demand for its treats in new ways.
It introduced takeaway afternoon teas for collection during lockdown and when the tearooms reopened it started offering 'shop from your table', which allows customers to place takeaway orders at their tables and have their gifts packaged when they leave.
There are, however, limits to what Bettys customers would expect. Ms Sargison says:
She's also adamant that e-commerce will never replace its tearooms in Harrogate, York, Northallerton and Ilkley.
Christmas hampers
In retail, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Bettys' Christmas catalogues land on doorsteps at the start of October and the orders will then fly in faster than ever until Christmas Eve.
Hampers are the main Christmas product but tea and scones and the famous Fat Rascals are also big business. The speed of digital growth makes forecasting supply difficult for a business selling perishable goods.
Cakes are made early each day at the bakery in Starbeck and dispatched by 4pm for next day UK delivery. Because Bettys doesn't add preservatives, some products aren't sold online because they won't be fresh on arrival. Others are too fragile to post. Ms Sargison says:
Eighty-five per cent of online orders are gifts, often bought by tech savvy younger people for older relatives so Bettys' online offering has to be sharp.
Starbeck bakery
After months of furlough and working from home, Bettys staff are beginning to return to the office.
For Ms Sargison, who leads a team of 10 staff responsible for business-to-business sales, digital, e-commerce and innovation, this means travelling to Starbeck from Skipton.
Working above the bakery and being entitled to free lunches has its perks but it's a lot of travelling for a mother living in Skipton with two children.
But she says she feels valued at Bettys, which she describes as the northern equivalent of Fortnum and Mason.
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