e-commerce store delivers £4.1m turnover for first aid company imperative training

imperative training, the Manchester-based first aid training provider and defibrillator retailer, achieved a multi-million pound turnover in the 2015/16 financial year after taking steps to strengthen its digital presence.

The firm pulled in £4.1m over the last 12 months, a year-on-year turnover increase of 7.8%, and has attributed the success in part to defibshop.co.uk, its e-commerce platform selling defibrillators.

imperative training said the website has sold more than 9,700 of the life-saving devices.

Founded in 2003 in the spare bedroom of entrepreneur David Howarth, the company today employs more than 20 people at its Manchester HQ and counts a number of national firms among its client list, including department store Selfridges, coffee chain Starbucks and American retailer Costco.

David, the company’s chief exec, commented: “It’s great to hear that all of the hard work from the team at imperative training and defibshop has paid off and resulted in a successful year.

“This is amazing for growing us as a business and raises awareness of how access to AEDs (automated external defibrillators) in schools and other public spaces can save someone’s life.”

Speaking further, David said imperative training is encouraging the government to make it a requirement for all businesses and public spaces to have on-site defibrillators.

He continued: “Approximately 60k cardiac arrests happen outside hospital each year in the UK, and without immediate treatment 90-95% of these victims will die.

“When a defibrillator is used within 3-5 minutes, the survival chances rise from 6% to 74%.”

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