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Department of Infrastructure Planning \& Building Control Division Murray House Mount Havelock Douglas. IM1 2SF
Waltons Digital World - extension of retail area and additional mezzanine storage
My name is Glynn Thompson and I am Chairman/Director of Waltons Television (Manx) Ltd trading as Waltons Digital World. The following provides a brief background to the company, which has submitted the planning application.
The company was formed in November 1970 and commenced trading from small premises at 68 Athol Street Douglas. At conception the Company could clearly be defined as a Radio and Television retailer specializing in television rental.
In 1975 the Company made its first major move from the commercial centre environment to a high profile position next to former Woolworths building on the High Street. During this period through to the eighties Waltons strategy was to operate with a High Street showroom supported by an out of town Service and Distribution Centre located at the nearby Spring Valley Industrial Estate, Braddan.
In the late eighties Waltons entered into the home computer market. It was clear to the Company that the home computer was going to have a major impact not just in the games field but also in more serious applications within the home. Originally Waltons bought in all their desktop computers. However after a while we realized that by assembling our own brand computers we could increase margins and offer a greater range of specification to the consumer.
By 2000 the Consumer Electronics Industry was moving at a pace with the advent of widescreen television and the prospect of flat screen digital TV not far off being a
reality. Industry talk at the time was all about the merging of computers and television onto a new digital platform in order to enable the devises to interact, this new thinking was to be called Convergence Technology. Waltons was now assembling the majority of its computers from the new Service and Distribution Centre at the Milestone Peel Road Douglas.
It soon became apparent that having sales technicians in a different building to the hardware engineers was presenting technical difficulties in interfacing and setting up computers to the end user. To simplify matters and to streamline our business we applied for planning consent in 2001 to create our new Convergence Technology Store Digital World. Approval was granted on the 7th February 2002 - PA00/1799.
Over the last decade consumer electronics has changed beyond all recognition. In 2002 Waltons assembled its own desktop computers, however over the ensuing years consumers migrated from desktop devises to laptop PC's for mobility. Even Laptops and Netbooks are now becoming less desirable as much lighter and versatile Tablets start to dominate the market.
The existing premises use still remains for computer products and for their storage, service and repair for office and retail use. This use however requires to be modified/varied to accommodate changes that have taken place within market place over the last decade and to allow for the future development of consumer electronic retailing.
Waltons no longer manufacture/assemble PC's to the extent it did in the early 2000's due to the aforementioned major changes that have evolved and taken place within the industry. It should be noted however that Waltons Service Division at the Milestone has substantially increased its activities over the same period in question. Several major International Companies have appointed Waltons to look after their service requirements and interests on the Isle of Man, as many have no presence offshore. This enables Isle of Man retailers and consumers who have purchased goods on the Mainland and in some cases Europe to have equipment repaired locally both in and out of warranty. Waltons are a UK Service Centre for Samsung, Panasonic, Sharp, Epson and Acer computers. The company employs highly skilled engineers to qualify for Service Centre status. Currently the area including mezzanine dedicated to the Service Division, Distribution and administration (excluding the agreed 175m² of retail sales space) is approximately 847m² (9,100 square foot).
The market place has changed considerably since 2002 with the increase in Internet sales and the type of stores that now encompass Brown Goods, White Goods and IT, giving the consumer a larger choice and range of product under one roof.
It is vitally important that Waltons now moves to protect its competitive position in the light of the recent planning application for a large Electrical Retail Store at Braddan and the planned closure of the M.E.A. retail outlets
Since early 2000 Waltons has expanded considerably and requires a greater sales area to accommodate and display its existing and new digital product range. It is the company's intention to add white goods and electrical product to its digital range currently on offer.
Discussions have taken place with several of our existing manufactures who have encouraged us to enter the white goods market particularly Samsung who wish to appoint Waltons as a Digital Appliance Centre.
A home automation system integrates electrical devices in a house with each other. The techniques employed in home automation include those in building automation as well as the control of domestic activities, such as home entertainment systems, cenral heating/ climate control, houseplant watering, pet feeding, automated cooking control and digital multifunctional refridgeration. Devices may be connected through a computer network to allow control by a personal computer, and may allow remote access from the internet and smartphone. Through the integration of information technologies within the home environment, systems and appliances are able to communicate in an integrated manner which results in convenience, energy efficiency, and safety benefits.
Digital side by side smart fridges are available, with an in-built computer which can be accessed via a 37 centimetre touch-screen LCD monitor mounted on the fridge door. Users can watch TV, listen to MP3 music, take and store digital photos, make a video phone call, use the fridge as a message board or surf the web. It also has a DVD port, a microphone and speakers. Information about food in the fridge can be stored
and a map of the fridge allows the owner to keep an inventory of what foods are in each section and how long they have been there. It's biggest advantage will be its functionality as a food management system. There are multiple ways to tell the fridge what items are inside. One way is to select from a range of preset items using the fridge's touchscreen but there is also voice recognition and the ability to scan grocery receipts or barcodes using your smartphone. The appliance can be 'connected' by simply running a phone connection into it.
New generation expanded intelligent smart ovens offer remote control by Internet and telephone, and come with built-in refrigeration to keep foods fresh before and after cooking. These advanced remote features allow homeowners to communicate with the oven to give cooking, warming, and refrigeration instructions via the Internet or mobile smartphone if home arrival time plans are changed.
Remote control of whitegoods and other electronic houshold devices via a digital home hubs is now a reality, whilst in its infancy smart domestic goods will grow considerably over the next decade and Waltons wish to capture a section of this market.
White Goods are bulky by nature and require a sizeable area to offer a credible display. We believe this application to be in line with Business Policy 5 in that this business in its entirety, with Service and Distribution, could not reasonably operate in a town centre location. Therefore Waltons are seeking planning approval to extend the existing retail area of $175 \mathrm{~m}^{2}$ by a further $117 \mathrm{~m}^{2}$ (outlined on plan - hatched red) to accommodate the new product line. An extension to the existing mezzanine storage area of $85.5 \mathrm{~m}^{2}$ (outlined on plan - hatched green) is also required to accommodate a larger stock holding.
The application requires no external alterations and will have a minimal effect on our existing generous parking facility. The application also calls for approval to extend the range of goods we sell to incorporate Electrical Goods.
The company anticipates the effect of these changes to the original approval likely to be: -
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