Houlden Group Welcomes New Member Deacon & Son at 42nd London Event

Now in its sixth generation, Deacon & Son, the highly respected independent family business, was founded as a jewellery, watch and clockmakers in 1848 and now runs four stores across Swindon, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.

Richard Deacon, Managing Director of Deacon & Son, who attended the event commented:

“The reason we joined to meet up with likeminded people with the same aims, problems and objectives. Our first experience at a Houlden event has been very enjoyable and thought provoking. We are pleased to become a member in our 170th year and look forward to the future.”

CEO of the Houlden Group, Helen Haddow, added:

“Now in our 42nd year, we are delighted to welcome Deacon & Son on board, who themselves celebrate 170 years of business in 2018. They are a fantastic extension to our existing luxury membership. And it is particularly pleasing that they have appreciated all the benefits of the Houlden Advantage and how becoming part of the Houlden community will expose them to the best opportunities in the industry.”

The London Event, which was the first dedicated Members Day of 2018, was designed to help members take their business to the next level, providing invaluable advice, as well as superb networking opportunities.

The first day was dedicated exclusively to members with information packed sessions starting with Earl Nightingale, the charismatic motivational speaker whose fresh approach was designed to challenge thinking and encourage members to take a bolder stance in their businesses. As Earl said: “When we set an important goal for ourselves we present to our mind a problem to be solved, a challenge to be successfully fulfilled”.

This was followed by insightful sessions on getting ready for The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the retail trends for 2018 and the power of planning for the future. There were also experts on hand to help Members to consider the best systems to put in place to deal with the increasing number of ‘smash and grabs’ in store’ within the jewellery industry.

Summarising the success of the day, Helen Haddow commented:

“It has been the perfect platform for us to recognise and highlight both Houlden and Members achievements in business and marketing, as well as financially, over the Christmas season.

“As a community that has shared values and vision, we all derive benefit from the Houlden Advantage, which is at the heart of everything we do. The purpose of the event has been to connect and engage and the positive feedback from our members has been very rewarding.”

The second day of the event played host to the prestigious Supplier Exhibition, where internationally renowned suppliers and the best independent retailers in the UK and Ireland have the opportunity to catch up and do business.

As part of this, the Houlden Group celebrated their first year of the Jewellers of Excellence Training Academy where their fast growing number of users meet on a one-to-one basis to discuss taking their training to the next level.