Leading the digital revolution at Bettys
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Last updated Sep 3, 2021
Samantha Sargison, 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:

“We forecast ahead and over the pandemic there were times when we were topping out the capacity of the bakery. Customers could not purchase for the next four to six weeks.

“It was disappointing that we couldn’t be there for them when they wanted us but in a way it’s a nice problem to have when you are surpassing demand in that way.”

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:

“We have more customers than ever ordering online with us. Our e-commerce customer numbers are up 168 per cent versus 2019 and 220 per cent up since I joined in 2017.”


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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:

“Customers won’t be ordering by app like they do in McDonald’s any time soon.”

She’s also adamant that e-commerce will never replace its tearooms in Harrogate, York, Northallerton and Ilkley.

“The tearooms are the beating heart of Bettys. It’s just another means of reaching the customer further afield.”

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:

“In some ways we’ve made a rod for our own back by maintaining the tradition of not adding preservatives.”

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.

“There’s still a lot to do on improving the website itself. It has massively improved from five years ago but still has a way to go to be as efficient and easy to use as possible.

“Last summer we launched the afternoon tea box. We relaunched the checkout this year. It’s about making sure the service and experience customers get online is the same as they get in the tearooms — service with a smile and a welcoming tone to the copy.”

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.

“It’s a family business and you feel it from the moment you join. I have worked for companies where I’ve felt like a cog in the wheel but I certainly don’t feel that here.

“Bettys has got a big vision. The pace might not be the same as it is in London but it has that same drive and ambition.”