Exeter shop takes to the road

Backworld, formerly an ergonomic office and home seating shop on the Topsham Road in Exeter, is now mobile.

Rethinking the business model following the succession of Covid-related non-essential retail closures, owner Paul Skinner made the bold move to shut up shop and take to the road. Backworld is now a fully mobile retail operation.

Customers no longer have to visit the shop to browse and make a purchase. The shop goes directly to them! Bringing a selection of suitable products, the customer can try each one in their usual home or work environment at a time to suit. With the same comprehensive range of ergonomic chairs and height-adjustable desks as the original shop, there is plenty to choose from.

Paul Skinner commented: “Given our recent change in shopping habits and working operations, switching from physical retail premises to a mobile service makes perfect sense. Now we can go direct to the customer and let them test out the product where they’re actually going to use it.”

The standard office chair suits just 60% of the UK population and is a major cause of back pain and postural issues. With so many chairs on the market, getting the right chair is essential.

Paul added: “Our appointment-based system means the customer can choose the time that suits them and know that they will have our undivided attention. Without the distractions of a retail environment, we can give people all the time they need to select the right chair for them. And with more people now working from home, ensuring they have the correct workplace set up outside of the office is essential.”

Paul took over ownership of Backworld in 2018. As well as retailing ergonomic office and home seating and desks, Backworld is a CIEHF (Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors) accredited DSE assessor, fully qualified to carry out thorough workstation assessments. The business also operates an e-commerce website: www.backworld.co.uk.