A BLINDS company that has been operating in Worcester since 1980 is moving online.

Worcester Blinds, run by Phil Walden - the son of founder Frank Walden – will be moving from its current home in Friar Street at the end of October and investing in its brand new web site driven business, still based in the city.

“It’s a major step for us,” said Mr Walden, “but it makes huge sense from a number of angles, not least the fact that it will allow us to offer the excellent customer service that has been the back bone of the business since the business was formed 35 years ago, but from now on, to a broader spectrum of customers than we are able to, operating from the retail outlet in Friar Street.

“We currently see well over 90 per cent of our customers in their homes and businesses and will continue to do so, but the website will allow us to provide the variety of high quality product that our customers are used to seeing.”

The company won the independent retailer of the year and the business of the year awards in the 2012 Worcester BID Awards and received a 100 per cent customer service rating again in 2013. A member of the British Blinds and Shutters Association, the Worcester Blinds has been supplying vertical, Venetian, roller and pleated blinds along with awnings and associated products – all made to measure - from a range of leading manufacturers that include Luxaflex and Velux - and will continue to do so.

“Despite business growing in recent years, we’ve seen fewer customers physically coming through the door, but we’ve been taking increasing numbers of phone calls - and the end product is that we are seeing far more people each year. It became pretty clear we needed to do something that reflected the new way people are buying blinds,” added Mr Walden. “Things have inevitably changed over 35 years of business and we have to move with the times and provide what customers want. Our main competition tends to be with online manufacturers and retailers, but while we are moving to respond to this way of selling blinds, we will continue to offer the same personal service."

The new Worcester Blinds business can be found at worcesterblinds.co.uk