Simply Brands – 14 years of progress!
Simply Brands may be a new name for many, but the company is active across numerous market areas – of which the automotive aftermarket is its biggest business sector. Simply can proudly claim to be a leading supplier of auto accessories, as well as a private labellingmanufacturer of note, and it continues to develop and expand its business in automotive and the other sectors it serves.
Simply Brands’ roots are embedded deep in the automotive industry. It first set out in 2010 as a supplier of car accessories and maintenance products to the industry.
A UK family-owned and run business, Simply now supplies into many different market sectors, both in the UK and globally, through eight different divisions, but Simply’s automotive offering remains a core element of the business.
Simply has come a long way in 14 years – its automotive range now spans almost 1,000 different products, currently contained within 12 different product categories, but which could further expand, as new products come are introduced and technology continues to evolve.
There are two different accessory ranges. the exterior includes, filters, wheel and exhaust trims, mirror glasses, horns and door guards, while the interior accessories encompasses phone holders to dash cams organisers, seat and steering wheel covers, mats – and even furry dice!
Simply’s EV accessories category boasts charging cables – both standard and adjustable and winner of an Auto Express award – to cover the most popular types of charging interface, while its breakdown and recovery section offers chargers, booster cables, compressors, jacks, axle stands, booster cables, tow ropes, right down to an emergency fuel cap.
In its cleaning category, Simply has a huge selection of kit needed for helping to ensure vehicles can be kept in top condition. Products here include cloths, brushes, sponges, chamois, towels tools, vacuum cleaners and pressure washers. All can be bought as separate items, but many are available as kits.
The Simply selection of security products ranges from physical deterrents such as steering locks to phone/key blockers to stop would-be thieves from pirating a car key or phone signal.
Simply’s maintenance category is one of the broadest in its portfolio. It boasts a plethora of different useful products both for vehicles themselves and for the workshop environment, covering everything from cable ties to diagnostic kit. The variety here is huge: clips (some manufacturer specific) wheel and body repair kits, styling products, paint sprays, fuses, nuts, bolts, screw packs, workshop sprays, sealant, batteries and tyre repair.
Most recently, this category has seen the addition of a range of wiper blades. Simply has launched both a conventional and multi-fit flat blade range, which covers 98% of the car parc and consists of 15 SKUs with eight original equipment (OE) fit adaptors that cover the 10 most popular OE arm types.
Simply is becoming more and more recognised for its lighting offering. This now spans almost 150 different references, from Halogen, though HID Xenon to LEDs, for all exterior and interior applications.
Winter care is a category dedicated to products that will help to make motoring easier and more comfortable during what can be a tricky time of year for vehicle owners. Simply offers a wide selection of mats, covers, dehumidifiers, scrapers and fluid level testers.
Motoring abroad is also covered and Simply has looked at the essentials needed to take a vehicle into another country. Therefore the necessary high visibility wear, bulb kits, headlamp deflectors, breakdown warning products and even towing straps are all included, as is a selection of the required country ID badges. All of the items are available separately, but in many cases there are handy kits on offer.
For new drivers, Simply has plates of every kind, applicable to those who are learning to drive or who have recently passed their test, and to assist those for whom mobility is an issue, the company offers a range of specially designed products to help access the vehicle and also to aid with vehicle control once inside.
“At Simply Brands, we’re immensely proud of our heritage,” enthuses Simply Brands’ Business Development Manager, Sam Robinson. “We look at what is needed and aim to develop the product ranges to suit those needs. Simply aims to provide quality, value and service.
“We are also always looking to the future and this includes not only developing new product ranges but also us considering at how we can be more sustainable in what we do. Our packaging is a really good example of how we are embracing the need to cut waste and make what is disposable recyclable. The Simply formula has proven to work for stockists and customers alike and, though it sounds simple, it comes as the result of a huge amount of planning and development, in all aspects of what we do.”