Posted by Emma McEachen
on March 10, 2025
Our team recently accepted the “Most Innovative eCommerce SME” award at a reception hosted by Prestige Awards at the beautiful Barony Castle in Peebles. This award proves to be a milestone for our business. The team took delight in being recognised as an award-winning business for their efforts in pushing the boundaries and reshaping the standards of the online retail landscape. This recognition is a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation and placing the customer at the heart of everything we do.
Our Commercial Director Caitlin Barrett, Customer Service Lead Abbie Davison and Marketing Team members Caitlin ‘CJ’ Johnstone and Matt Ross attended. They visited Barony Castle late last month to accept the award. Caitlin enjoyed speaking to members of the presentation team at Prestige Awards, and she touched on the various attributes of the Marco Paul team that have fuelled our success and a little about what the future holds for our business.
Award-Winning Customer-Focus
If you follow us closely you will know that, as an award-winning business, one of our key drivers is always ensuring an excellent customer experience. Indeed, our innovative approach ensures that we are TrustPilot’s best-rated business across multiple categories, including Homewares Shop, Decoration and Interior Design Store, Garden, Garden Furniture Shop, Hardware Shop and Home Improvement Shop. Our ever-growing customer care team is hard at work ensuring that you, our customers, receive rapid and tailored responses to their messages and enquiries. Embracing a customer-centric ethos allows us to put customer feedback at the heart of our decision-making. We have made (and are making) great strides in applying a data-driven approach that helps us to refine our services and anticipate customer needs proactively.
In-House Design and Production
One of the most pivotal decisions we have made in recent years was to bring the bulk of our production in-house. This bold move empowers us to exert greater control over the quality and customisation of our products. By investing in this area of our award-winning business, we have achieved greater flexibility, ensuring that every item meets our high standards of craftsmanship. This strategic shift enhances our efficiency and allows us to respond swiftly to market demands, staying ahead in a highly competitive landscape.
Award-Winning First-Party Shopping Experience
Similarly to moving towards in-house production, we are also starting to focus on our own first-party shopping experience. As an award-winning multi-channel and multi-platform eCommerce retailer, we have a diverse range of product lines and third-party marketplaces on which we sell and which we typically prioritise. However, we want to build a first-party brand that customers recognise and love, rather than being just another anonymous seller on someone else’s platform. Our customers will benefit from purchasing directly with us as we continue to work on increasing the size of our website’s direct customer base and share of overall order volume. With complete creative control, we are working hard to develop a user-friendly shopping experience that redefines how customers interact with our brand. Customers will navigate thousands of our products seamlessly and encounter a more curated selection. A personalised journey will be available from browsing to checkout.
Consumer Preferences and Market Alignment
In tandem with working to bring a more personalised and satisfying experience to our customers, crucially – we are always aligned with the market. Consumer preferences change constantly, trends come and go and so a considerable part of our success has been down to our conscientious efforts in market research. With over ten years of successful trading, Marco Paul understands the importance of keeping the proverbial finger on the pulse. For this reason, our purchasing team goes above and beyond to expand and improve our catalogue, week in and week out. Hannah, our purchasing lead, actively caters to our customers’ tastes, preferences and lifestyles. From niche products to everyday items, seasonal goods or all-year-round essentials, our catalogue reflects our dedication to meeting your evolving needs.
European and International Expansion
On the topic of an expanding customer base, Caitlin excitedly shares some details on our expansion into Europe. We are thrilled, once again, to be bringing our product lineup to customers across France, Germany, Spain, and other vital and lucrative European markets. Our exciting partnership with Walmart also signals a definitive new milestone in our company’s history, and we are thrilled to see what the future holds as we plan our expansion into the North American market.
As the award-winning business recipient of Corporate LiveWire’s ‘Most Innovative SME eCommerce Business’ award, our journey is a testament to our unwavering dedication to customer experience, innovation and global growth. With a commitment to continuous improvement and skill in redefining the norms of the ever-changing eCommerce landscape, we’re taking the lead as the online retail world enters a new age of unprecedented possibilities and opportunities. Thanks again to Corporate LiveWire and Prestige Awards for this honour, as always to our valued customers for their continued support. Finally, thank you to every amazing team member who has made this possible.
As it Happened…
Our awesome recap video is waiting for you below. It includes the highlights of Caitlin’s discussion with the Prestige Awards team (and some fun clips of our team trying and failing to use a selfie frame!).