Seatherny, pronounced “sea-ther-nee”, is a word intended to evoke a sense of calmness and peace likened to the sound of birdsong. Behind the scenes, the rise of Seatherny, the UK market’s newest hot tub, wellness and outdoor living wholesaler has been the polar-opposite of serene. Like a must-read thriller, with page-turning plot twists and turns, Seatherny is developing into its own best seller.
For George Clarke, the creation of Seatherny Outdoor Living and now Seatherny Wholesale, has been a battle with endless challenges, even he sometimes cannot believe he has overcome. “Somehow, despite all the pitfalls, because of your self-belief, you find the strength and courage to keep moving forward through all the blood sweat and tears,” George reflects. “We spent five years as retailers; watching, learning and listening before we took the leap to go wholesale,” he continues. “I am still too busy to step back and perhaps realise what we have achieved because we are still developing and still growing as we build and sustain the levels of business Seatherny is aspiring to.”
Already supplying 16 dealerships around the country it was only after repeated visits to China that George has designed and developed Seatherny’s bespoke ranges of hot tubs, swim spas and everything in between. The company recently took the wraps off its new Chesterfield showroom, stock and parts stores, with a spectacular opening event. “It was torrential rain and I stomped off to my office to hide my disappointment because after all the effort, I thought nobody would turn up,” George confesses. “A little while later, I got called back down to the showroom to lend a hand because it was cram-packed – I could not believe my eyes more than 160 people turned up.”
Very much hands-on, it was George and a good friend who had personally created the showroom which proved to offer the wow factor to both end- user and trade visitors. “I guess it is a case of seeing is believing,” says George. “People are blown away by the showroom. When they see something as good as this and see this is a complete package offering, I guess they warm to you.”
Several dealerships have already restyled their showrooms mimicking the Seatherny displays. Crucially though, the presentation is backed by strength of product. Split into six ranges of energy efficient hot tubs, swim spas and ice baths, the attractively priced but quality product offers retailers the opportunity for wellness retailers to build their own businesses with a fresh approach.
“We have not had a set plan,” George shares. “We just reacted to opportunities that have presented themselves. But one thing we want to be sure about is that Seatherny must be unique by offering a business that, in our minds, always puts people first.” He concludes: “We do not want Seatherny to be run of the mill. We want the products, the showroom and our marketing to create a look that people can invest in, recreate and profit from themselves. I guess they call that the wow factor.”
Seatherny Wholesale
Tel. 0330 133 7798
hello@seatherny.co.uk
www.seathernywholesales.co.uk
