Darren Bastin, Sales Director UK and Ireland at RetailSystem, talks about being back on the road again.
There comes a point every year when you realise the quieter months are behind you and the travelling season is about to begin again properly. The diary starts filling up, the airport routine quietly returns and you find yourself checking flight times, hotel bookings, hire cars and where you left the charger from the last trip.
And truthfully, I love it.
After a strong start to the year bringing new retailers onboard, summer is shaping up to be another busy one, with the usual mix of airports, aircraft, hire cars, hotel breakfasts, motorway services and showroom visits across Ireland and the UK.
There is something strangely familiar about life on the road once you settle back into it. The same faces appearing at my favourite airport. The quiet competition for the charging points. The person in front of you at security somehow forgetting liquids still exist. It becomes its own little travelling adventure.
But the best part is always the people you meet along the way.
One of the things I have enjoyed most since joining RetailSystem is getting out into stores, seeing different businesses, different setups and different personalities behind them. No two retailers are ever quite the same. Some run with military precision. Others operate on organised chaos and instinct alone. Most sit somewhere in the middle, fuelled by experience, humour and one strong cup of tea.
And while good software plays a huge part in helping retailers run more smoothly, there is still real value in sitting down with people properly, walking the showroom, chatting through challenges and seeing first hand how a business works day to day. Those conversations tell you things that never quite come across in an email.
The summer show season is just around the corner too, and I am genuinely looking forward to getting back out there again. Manchester is next on the list, and that is always a good one. Great people, great atmosphere, and a city that seems to suit the furniture trade perfectly, busy, energetic, friendly and always up for a conversation.
Shows are one of the rare moments where the industry comes together properly. Retailers, suppliers, reps and support teams all under one roof, swapping stories from the road, talking about what is working, what is changing, and what might be coming next.
Of course, life on the road is not always glamorous. There will inevitably be delayed flights, sat nav arguments, hotel air conditioning that sounds like a tractor engine, and at least one hire car with controls that require a degree in engineering. But somehow, that all becomes part of the fun too.
Because at the heart of it, this industry is still built on relationships. Conversations matter. Handshakes matter. Taking the time to understand people properly matters.
So, as another busy summer gets ready to roll, I am looking forward to getting back out there again, seeing familiar faces, meeting new ones, and being part of the conversations that help move the industry forward.
Though I will still be keeping every receipt. Finance tends to enjoy that sort of thing.
www.linkedin.com/in/darren-bastin-429a0a2b7/ / darren@retailsystem.com
