Devon-based retail chain Axminster Tools & Machinery has been listed in the top 350 e-commerce and cross-channel retailers in the Internet Retailing UK (IRUK) Top 500 report 2016.
Axminster,www.axminster.co.uk, is put in the same group as top brands such as Fortnum & Mason, Iceland, La Redoute, Mulberry and Russell & Bromley. The company is also higher up the list than other familiar names such as Dell, Hornby, Jewson and Plumbworld.

The IRUK research team looked in depth at the UK's leading ecommerce and cross-channel retailers, comparing and contrasting their capabilities to see where and how the best excel. Performance in a range of areas including strategy and innovation, operations and logistics, merchandising and brand engagement was analysed, and the size of the business was taken into account.

Axminster attributed its result to a committed web, social media and digital marketing team. Said managing director Ian Styles: "The results of this research are very interesting. They are based on a set of criteria we've been focusing on and improved upon, which is encouraging.

"On sales and market penetration, we've had better pricing, new locations for our stores and have been focusing on customer development, whether through our business services team who visit customers, the website with all its information, or one of our stores, which allows you to see the product and talk to one of our knowledgeable team."

He went on: "Sadly, we've lost our catalogue after many years of production. This has been a big step for us but will allow us to focus more resources on our website, videos and guides for the customer using our wealth of knowledge built up over the past 43 years; plus it's always up to date which was difficult to do with a catalogue.

"In the area of strategy and innovation, we have a website that adapts for export and has good knowledge and links. From the customer experience aspect, we've been responding quickly and through different media - we've just set up a digital customer service team.

"On the operations and logistics front, we use reliable and flexible carriers such as GFS and DPD, plus we introduced the £1 delivery - all of which are next day. We have a strong brand, a mobile friendly site and multiple stores. All in all, I think we should feel very encouraged by this result."

Axminster has also opened stores in North Shields and Cardiff in the past 12 months.