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NOVA is a garden furniture wholesaler who has recently undergone an ambitious rebranding operation. With the NOVA Experience Centre opening on June 3, we chatted to Carl Smithers, NOVA’s Operations Director about the launch and their exciting long-term plans.
Carl, what made you join NOVA?
I joined NOVA as I could see the changes that needed to be made and was intrigued by the challenge presented to me. I had the confidence that I could transform NOVA for the better. As a businessman, I saw the difficulties NOVA faced and the effect it was having on customers due to the association the business has historically had with White Stores. I could see strategic change was needed imminently and I felt I had the experience and knowledge to aid the business. As of 2025, NOVA will be supplying White Stores with its own curated product range and not sharing from the same stock pool allowing NOVA to offer completely different products.
How do you feel about the launch of the NOVA Experience Centre?
I am extremely excited by the opening of our 44,000 sq. ft. Experience Centre. I believe it highlights the confidence not just that we have as a business in ourselves and the industry, but also the confidence I have in my team to deliver an entirely new product range in under 12 months.
We have made a huge financial investment in the brand and our people, and I believe our Experience Centre showcases the strategic longevity we have put in place, that is set to really benefit our customers.
I’m looking forward to seeing customers witness the Experience Centre for themselves and unveil a brand-new product collection as well as the new brand. It’s important to me that our customers feel like they are a part of the NOVA journey and I think the Experience Centre will achieve that.
What are your ambitions and visions for a future with NOVA?
The vision for NOVA starts with the new brand we have created. Nova Outdoor Living was a well-established and well-known brand in the industry, but we didn’t feel connected to it as a team. It was important for us to share our values and identity, and rebranding to NOVA has forced us to truly establish what we believe in, what our brand pillars are, and understand our identity.
This rebrand has given us the scope to align our focuses with our values. As such, our ambitions include a shop-in-shop concept for our customers, and for NOVA to become the national go-to brand for outdoor retailers.
You mentioned the importance of your customers being part of the journey, what else are you doing to benefit your customers?
The benefit of the new strategy is that NOVA can now focus on designing products especially for the retail market, focusing on quality and comfort instead of size and price.
The new ranges we have put together are designed with the end customer in mind, so we have had more freedom to be creative with seat depths, materials and generally high-quality materials throughout.
The fact that we won’t have the same levels of stock in the UK as before may initially appear a challenge, but it means that there is going to be less competition across the market, giving retailers the tools to maintain their margins, so we believe this to be a huge benefit.
Our job is to make sure retailers have a complete offering of outdoor furniture, catering for all garden settings and themes with the latest trends. Plus, our goal is to build long-term partnerships with retailers. The Experience Centre gives us room to achieve these goals and offers a plethora of choices for our customers.
If you are a retailer of outdoor furniture, have a dedicated space and sales team, and want to see how NOVA’s new philosophy aligns with your business, you can book a visit to the NOVA Experience Centre at www.novaoutdoorliving.co.uk.
