On the Ball at CJ Retail Solutions

If there is one thing we are not short of in the sign-making and wide-format print industries, it is stories of companies evolving from a tiny operation into a larger, sometimes global, business. Hearing the many tales of how these firms have been able to hold off a whole host of challenges to establish themselves in the market never ceases to amaze me.

One great example of this is retail deisgn installation specialist, CJ Retail Solutions, which started out as CJ Services in 1995, before going on to evolve and grow into the far-reaching business that it is today. Jane Ball serves as head of group marketing for a group of companies that includes CJ Retail Solutions, and having been with the business since 2010, has seen plenty of change and evolution in this time.
 
“I started at CJ Retail Solutions as marketing coordinator on a part-time basis,” Ball says, adding: “Since I began, I have seen a variety of changes, not only within the firm itself, but also within the landscape of both retail and marketing too. The biggest change within CJ Retail Solutions has been the company’s growth from a small team of experts, to a 147-strong global team of permanent knowledgeable staff.”

Educate to accumulate
 
Ball began her career outside of our sector with a spell at Vodafone, before going on to become a marketing assistant at a local training company. She returned to university to fulfil a post-graduate diploma and gain the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Advance Certificate and later became marketing co-ordinator at Warrington metal manufacturers, Associated Perforators and Weavers, prior to joining CJ Retail Solutions.

Having returned to university part-way through her career, Ball views education as critically important, which is perhaps why CJ Retail Solutions places a major emphasis on training. Ball says this process allows all staff at the firm to pick up the knowledge they need to ensure they are producing work to high standards.

“Training is absolutely essential to any industry,” she says, adding: “At CJ Retail Solutions, we have a great training programme implemented throughout every project—right from the initial stages through to its completion.


“Specialist training is given to all tactical and permanent staff prior to all roll-outs. New installation techniques are of course focused on more heavily, and in these situations, our team of installers visit multiple trial sites to ensure all projects run smoothly.

“Our biggest priority is to achieve maximum compliance levels, and to fulfill this ambition, we believe it is important that each member of our team has completed the required training to ensure our high standards remain consistent across all levels.”

This helps CJ Retail Solutions stand out from competition in the market. For evidence of this, the company picked up a major honour at the POPAI Awards in 2017, taking home a gold award in the installation category.

Ball explains: “It is a brilliant achievement to have your work acknowledged by such an esteemed panel, alongside some of the most talented retailers in the industry. To us, the POPAI Awards are the Oscars of our industry—the best of the best are celebrated there.
 
“Last year, we also took home Gold for our work on Boots’ Beauty Emporium, in the highly competitive Installation category. The award was testament to the team’s continuous dedication and passion for what we do.”

Drive for success

Speaking of the Boots project, Ball highlights why she is so proud of this particular installation.

“One project that stands out in particular is our recent work with leading high street retailer, Boots,” Ball says, adding: “Working across over 100 major stores nationwide to introduce its much-anticipated Christmas Beauty range, we implemented our all-in-one solution to provide the client with a more streamlined, efficient process. This included taking care of the crucial design stage, manufacturing, installation, and maintenance—overseeing every stretch of the project.



“I’m particularly proud of this because each team member worked effectively together over five months, showcasing their individual expertise to produce a stunning, fully compliant solution in time for the Christmas rush.”

And with this, Ball goes on to explain why it is so important for brands across the UK to invest in quality in-store marketing and retail displays to help make their products ‘pop’.

Ball continues: “By delivering, installing, and maintaining a brand’s display at maximum compliance level, we are ensuring that the consumer receives the very best possible experience from that brand. A poorly designed and installed solution can often lead to damaged and missing products, resulting in loss of profitability. Naturally, if products are not there, hidden or even damaged, a shopper simply will not buy.

“We aim to maintain our client’s brand image, drive forward sales, and ultimately, keep them coming back time and time again with our uniquely-designed concept solutions and organised POS installations. Our real-time reporting technologies also give clients the freedom to oversee the whole process throughout.”


Looking towards the future, Ball only has positive things to say about what it may hold for CJ Retail Solutions, speaking openly about the company’s growth plan and how it plans to build on its success.



“We are always growing,” she says, adding: “Our project goals are always aligned and because of this, we are evolving and expanding in new directions alongside brands and retailers to match consumer demand and industry trends.

“Our impressive global reach, coupled with our in-house store development channel, IT and tech teams, and experienced installers and maintenance engineers, means that we can expand our offering across a range of retailers around the world.”

This forward-thinking approach to business has seen CJ Retail Solutions grow from being a relatively small company to a much larger global operation. From what Ball says, this journey has seemingly not yet reached its peak, and with point-of-sale and interior retail graphics continuing to boom, it seems to be a strong position to enjoy continued growth.


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