The benefits of barbox.com - by the £250m man

Jim Watson's weekly beer order from Coors and the Newcastle Federation Brewery has pushed the annual sales of barbox.com past the £250m mark for the first time - illustrating the growth of the company as more retailers buy online.

Watson, club secretary at the High Howdon Social Club in Wallsend, Tyne & Wear, says the beauty of online ordering is that "you can do it when it is convenient for you rather than waiting for telesales to ring. It just frees up more of my time, which is great when you are busy and you also know that the order has gone through.

"It makes everything more organised and efficient. We are now in the computer age so the licensed trade has to move on by making better use of technology. It's so easy to go online these days."

Watson, 61, who has been associated with the venue for 13 years, the last two as secretary, also finds the barbox.com GP Calculator particularly useful.

"It is handy when you get price increases because it works out what you have to charge to maintain your margin. It's spot-on and cuts out a lot of the guesswork," he said.

Another barbox.com function he uses is Quiz Master to compile his Sunday-morning quiz sessions for club members.

The club, which has been a barbox.com subscriber since 2003, has more than 1,300 members and is renowned for its live entertainment, which attracts people from far and wide.

After helping barbox.com chalk up £250m of sales, Watson was rewarded with a bottle of bubbly to toast his achievement. "I haven't had time to open it as I've been too busy," he added.

To find out how you can simplify your ordering process and benefit your business, log on to www.barbox.com to register on-line, or call 0845 301 0099.