Vanessa Crawford, brand communications manager at tuiss, tells Vicky Green about the launch of the company’s new website

Tuiss.co.uk has seen much success since its launch 18 months ago and is now making its extensive range of affordable, luxurious window blinds available to the independent blind, soft furnishings and interior design trade through a new trade website, trade@tuiss.

Who is the website intended for?
Trade@tuiss is aimed at the retail market, independent blind and soft furnishings retailers as well as interior designers. The end consumer is most definitely the design-conscious consumer.

What prompted tuiss to launch this additional website?
Tuiss.co.uk is aimed directly at end consumers but there has been a steady stream of requests from retailers for a tuiss trade site. We were happy to help and are really pleased that we can now offer tuiss blinds at trade prices.

Can you describe the website?
The new website will have the same look and feel as the tuiss website and will offer a carefully put-together collection of blinds specially selected for the retail market. Of course, the bonus for the trade is that blinds will be offered at reduced prices, with the same quality you would expect from tuiss.

In addition to our wide range of blinds we will be offering made-to-measure curtains and cushions, perfect for customers who want to achieve a coordinated look.

Will customers be able to place (and track) orders on the website?
Of course! The tuiss website has been designed with ease in mind: it’s incredibly easy to order, and with things like exclusive photography and individual descriptions of blinds a customer can order with confidence. The trade will need to register their interest with us and they will then be able to access a secure log-in area.

With regard to tracking orders, this is a key part of the online experience particularly as retailers will need to communicate dates and so forth with their customers. An email is sent confirming all of the order details and the delivery date details too, and a tracking number is sent once the order is ready for dispatch.

Does the website offer any other facilities?
We offer a free next-day sampling service and we hope that the thud of a tuiss sample box through the letterbox is just the start of the customer’s experience with us. On the website there are also downloadable measurement guides, fabric specifications and details about the luxurious tuiss touches like chrome chains and easy-rise systems.

Can customers speak to a customer service representative if they want to, or is everything done online?
We have a dedicated and experienced customer services team who are just a freephone number away on 0800 862 0466. The team have a wealth of experience so can discuss technical queries as well as offering practical advice and discussing blind choices and order tracking.

We enjoy communicating with customers, whether it be sharing our styling ideas in our seasonal Look Books or letting them know about new products via PR, advertising, online newsletters or our very own tuiss blog.

Will the trade website be as visually appealing as the original one?
Absolutely! When we designed the tuiss website we wanted it to look as beautiful as the products that it sells. Things like the product videos, close-up photography, fabric swatches and the sketched room set images to show how each and every blind will look in a home environment are all part of the package and give the tuiss website its lovely feel.

What’s special about tuiss and trade@tuiss?
Both sites have a similar look and feel and offer the same range of products and will be dedicated to offering beautifully finished blinds at exceptional prices. We strive to be ahead of the game, ensuring that our finger is on the pulse of the interiors market. As an online retailer we bring new trends to market incredibly quickly, ensuring that our customers can access new designs and trends as they happen.

Will the original website be changed at all?
We are always on the lookout for ways to improve the website itself and also broaden our product offering with beautiful new fabrics, such as the interlined silk, and innovative new ranges, such as the new panel track collection. We’ve also recently launched tuiss Boutique, which is a fantastic collection of tuiss exclusives such as Helena Karelson exclusive designs and special collaborations such as our partnership with Harlequin fabrics.

When did tuiss launch?
Tuiss.co.uk launched in October 2009 and has proved to be an incredible success over the last 18 months. We wanted to ensure we were offering a range that the consumer loved before offering it out to the trade.

Tuiss was launched by a team that’s been retailing blinds on the internet for over 10 years, and has over 25 years’ experience in the window blinds market. You could say that we’re a wise old head on a young and nimble body! With the touchstone of ‘affordable luxury’ we wanted to bring to market beautiful blinds and present them on an equally beautiful website and with what we call ‘tuiss touches’, little things that take a blind from good to spectacular.

We offer a comprehensive range of window blinds including wooden, metal venetians, roman, roller, vertical and panel blinds, with blackout and energy-saving options too. We are proud to offer the full range via trade@tuiss and we look forward to receiving feedback on our new trade@tuiss site.

• As an incentive to all new trade customers, tuiss is offering a free £50 voucher to the first 100 Blinds & Shutters readers to register on the new site at www.tuiss.co.uk/trade.