New Charlesworth store at Mount Barker
CHARLESWORTH Nuts will open its first regional store - and 12th in SA - next month at Mount Barker, part of the 84-year-old company’s “slow and steady” expansion to be the best, not the biggest, in its business.
CHARLESWORTH Nuts will open its first regional store – and 12th in SA – next month at Mount Barker, part of the 84-year-old company’s “slow and steady” expansion to be the best, not the biggest, in its business.
With a $20 million annual turnover and employing up to 300 staff, including casuals during peak times, the group is also eyeing an interstate expansion and developing export strategies.
“We are also looking at Victor Harbor where we have had a lot of conversations and once an ideal spot becomes available, we’ll take it,” director Mark Charlesworth told The Advertiser.
“When we look at interstate expansion, Melbourne will be our first choice and there are good contacts in that market with major landlords that are keen to see us there. But we don’t want to be the biggest, but the best at what we do.
“The past few years have been challenging where growth for most retailers has been hard.
“Our strategy is to focus on our points of difference, which is our quality and not forgetting what we are and where we came from,” he said.
Charlesworth Nuts has grown from a single store at the Adelaide Central Market, established by Herb Charlesworth. Today, it is operated by his grandsons, Mark and his brother Brett.
Current challenges include increased competition from packaged nuts in supermarkets, Mr Charlesworth said.
“Part of the exercise now is that we are improving our communication to customers to clearly distinguish ourselves as a ‘business class’ brand.” Charlesworth Nuts sells about 90,000 gift baskets and 80,000 gift packs annually. At this year’s Royal Adelaide Show, it sold 28,000 bags.
Mr Charlesworth said the focus is on steady growth with a five-year plan to double the capacity of its factory at Marion. “A couple of years ago, we bought the land adjacent to our factory. We have been able to convert some of that space to take the pressure off the main factory.
“It will need major investment so we will look to further develop and integrate the space in five years,” he said.
The group has also seen increasing sales online. A new website is in the making, bringing on board suggestions from the Flinders University’s New Venture Institute on how the digital platform can better support its outlets.