Leading Bridgend-based retail and consumer finance company, Buy As You View, has reached a major milestone by being in business for 40 years. To mark the occasion the company will launch a range of customer offers and community engagement programmes in all of the regions in which it operates.
The company was founded in 1972 by Bernard Jones and Gerald Coleman in the Rhondda Valley. Originally known as Just Rentals (Wales), the company initially sold freezers to the public house trade then quickly moved to renting televisions with a range of household electrical items following.
Having worked for a national television retailer in a former role, Bernard Jones was well aware of the coin meter which could be attached to televisions to accept payment. This technology, coupled with the fact that consumer finance was limited at the time prompted the company to move away from rentals and into hire purchase.
Throughout the 80s and 90s the company expanded across South Wales selling a range of electrical and house hold goods from washing machines to beds and dining room furniture. The coin meter has remained a constant and is still the most popular method for collecting payment amongst its 80,000 customers.
In the late 90’s the company expanded into England which prompted a change in name to Buy As You View. Having had a track record of over 20 years of unbroken profit in South Wales, the company adopted the same business model in England, operating in areas with the same demographic and similar geography to support the physical collection of repayments.
Between 1999 and 2005, Buy As You View expanded into the North East, Yorkshire, Midlands, North West and Scotland.
Graham Clarke, CEO of Buy As You View comments: “We are immensely proud of our track record and feel a sense of achievement in reaching our 40th anniversary. From humble beginnings in the heart of the South Wales Valleys we have grown into several regions in the UK and have 700 employees both in the field and in our regional offices. From selling only a handful of goods, we now offer 150 product lines and have built a loyal customer base of over 80,000, many of whom who have been with us since day one which we believe is testament to the service we provide.
“Almost a quarter of our new customers are as a result of recommendations from existing customers, which demonstrates that our customers are satisfied with the product offering and service delivery.
“We believe it is our duty to support the community where our staff and customers live and in the last two years alone we have committed in the region of £100k to charities and community organisations that have been brought to our attention via customers and employees. It’s important to engage with the communities that we have become a part of and we intend to continue supporting those in need through our Community Fund.”
Buy As You View continues to change with the times and now offers additional payment methods in the form of Direct Debit and PayPal, allowing customers in more remote areas to access the services on offer and further flexibility for our service. The company’s customer service approach is at the heart of operations and during the 40th anniversary year many customers will benefit from promotions, prize draws and giveaways.