Gun Trade Insider sits down with Peter Larson of ATN Europe, who
shares how the company’s specialised services and committed support are
poised to transform retail experiences across the UK this summer and beyond.
Situated in Hereford, ATN Europe stands as a leader in the production, repair, sales and distribution of day/night vision, thermal imaging and accessories.
“ATN Europe has production, repairs, sales and distribution from our office in Hereford for day/night vision, thermal imaging and accessories,” says Peter. “Our core team of specialists works closely with end customers and our strategic retail partners alike.”
Investigating the unique aspects tailored for the UK market, Peter highlights ATN’s local servicing capabilities: “The UK office delivers something unique to the UK market. Access to a local servicing centre with a five-day service promise. We collect, we repair, replace and we return – in over 95 per cent of cases within five working days. This means customers do not have to be without their equipment for extended periods of time. Of course, all our thermal imaging equipment is built by hand in the UK.”
Peter also emphasises the importance of feedback in ATN Europe’s operational strategy. “We take feedback as the most important driver of change for ATN,” Peter continues. “We regularly speak with retailers to ascertain what we can improve, enhance products, and collaborate on advertising; as well as engage directly B2C with the online social media and forum communities for not only feedback but to be directly customer engaging.”
Discussing innovations, Peter explains how ATN Europe enhances the service experience for UK retail clients: “We differentiate ourselves from distributors by selling directly to retailers. This means we can deliver next day with one-unit minimum order quantities (MOQs) with free carriage. All customer servicing can go directly to ATN in Hereford, so retailers do not need to engage themselves with customer service enquiries.”
On compliance, Peter reassures: “ATN Europe is committed to meeting all UK regulatory requirements and industry standards, from product regulations, warranty, through to ensuring fair terms and conditions for both retailers and end customers.”
The effectiveness of ATN Europe’s direct strategy can be a huge benefit for smaller retail concerns. “Working directly with retailers enables numerous small- to medium-sized businesses to stock and carry our products, which would not have been feasible with some distributors due to MOQs and proforma invoicing requirements,” Peter continues. “ATN offers one-unit MOQs, drop-shipping, sale or return (SOR) options, and net credit terms, allowing even the smallest retailer to carry ATN products.
“Customer support is the core of ATN and is our biggest focus area,” Peter says. “We believe in the world of technology, when servicing is required on equipment used for daily pivotal tasks such as vermin control – then immediately being able to respond and deliver is the key to end-consumer confidence and satisfaction. We embed this concept into both how we work with end consumers as well as retailers.
“For retailers, we offer direct contact, email, phone and face-to-face, as well as training, demonstration days and events. All our retailers have access to their personal sales manager as well as our production team, service agents, operations team and marketing teams for designing promotional material to help increase sales.”
Reflecting on the challenges and future plans, Peter is optimistic: “ATN Europe had a slight fall from grace a few years back. We are open and honest about this, and it has given us the opportunity to restructure ourselves and build a new ATN, with a new operational model based on excellence.
“In response, we have installed new fundamentals into our business – innovative and exciting products that are fully QA tested by hand in Hereford, one by one. Direct retail relationships, one-unit MOQs, flexible terms, personal contact. Local access to sales managers and customer service agents that you can speak with directly and quickly,” Peter says.
“Adopting the ethos that the customer is king, and building a customer support system that delivers five-star service for both the end consumer and the retailer. We call this our “5 Day Service Promise.””
Peter is enthusiastic about the growth prospects at ATN, with 2024 being a key year for the company.
“ATN is looking to increase our retail base in the UK substantially in the next 12-18 months. We believe retailers can benefit from working with us directly in many ways, and we hope the market will respond with the confidence to bring ATN’s new exciting products to the market. We particularly hope that retailers will be forthcoming to discuss starting business relationships with us, as we are still growing our sales force. ATN believes 2024 is our turnaround year in the UK, and 2025 to be a true growth and expansion year – and we welcome all retailers to be part of the journey with us.”
sales@atnuk.com
www.atneu.com