Member Article

Behind the business with TV shopping network Thane

Thane is a multi-channel shopping network specialising in fitness, health & beauty and homeware products. Thane develops and acquires products and distribution rights and markets its products through various distribution channels. Managing director Mark Thurgood takes Bdaily behind the business.

What’s the best decision you’ve made so far in business?

My best business decision to date has been to change Thane’s positioning to focus on single products like our H20 X5® steam cleaner as well as developing Thane as a lifetime value brand.

From that decision, since starting in 2011, we have grown the company by 600%. This was achieved by maximising product opportunities and driving consumers to purchase through high profile retail partners. We have also expanded the business by moving into additional sales channels; growing brand awareness through short form TV media, display advertising and partnerships with third party sales houses. Thane is becoming the hero brand I envisioned.

What key challenges has your company recently faced?

You could say that over the past year we have become a victim of our own success. We pioneered home steam cleaning with our H20 X5® (5-in-1) that has been the bestselling device of its kind. By evolving and creating a new category within retail stores off the back of DRTV, we have been hugely successful, however, this has encouraged an influx of competition and counterfeit products to hit the market. This has been a challenge, but one we’ve embraced.

What is your biggest achievement over the past 12 months?

As mentioned above, our biggest success is pioneering home steam cleaning and taking it from DRTV to high street retailers. In 2012 the H20 X5® became the NO.1 bestselling product in Robert Dyas and Ryman. With the success of our partnerships, we are already planning for an even bigger year in 2014 in terms of revenue and enterprising partnerships.

What is your focus for the coming year, and what do you hope to achieve?

We’re kicking off 2014 by announcing two new heavyweight partnerships with Tesco and Argos which will be selling our bestselling Thane H20 X5® home steam cleaner. Also we are revealing that the H20 X5® has won the prestigious Consumer Product of the Year award.

We plan to start as we mean to go on with more big retail partnerships across the year and expand with other products from our portfolio to reach customers. We will also be carrying on our mission to educate people on the benefits of home steam cleaning and Thane as a brand and its values.

If you could choose one top piece of advice for someone just starting out in business, or is currently operating within your industry sector, what would it be?

My business advice for those who work in a similar industry would be to think smarter by doing more with less and if you can’t make money or save money, don’t do it! Ultimately it takes years to master your chosen discipline, however, learn from those around you – from both senior members who have a wealth of knowledge, and the younger generation who are often very technologically savvy. It’s these skills I’ve learnt that have helped my success today.

Can you share with us your view on the current landscape of your business, and where your organisation sits within it?

DRTV is an ideal platform to sell consumer products. As the No.1 long form airtime owner over the last 2 ½ years, we have seen phenomenal success at a time of recession and we are now entering a very exciting time whereby: we are changing our direction and brand into multi-channel retailing.

Our distribution network spans the globe in well over 100 countries through its group of owned and operated shopping channels including Thane TV, as well as corporate subsidiaries, strategic partners and distributors. Other than us evolving by taking multi-channel shopping to the UK High Street, we also utilise direct response TV, home shopping networks, catalogues, retail, print advertising, and the Internet. We develop and acquire products and distribution rights, arrange low-cost manufacturing, and then market products through various distribution channels.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .