When Sworders Delivery Service launched in February of this year, we were blown away with the uptake, but as with most service launches, it did not come without its challenges.
The development of a Sworders Delivery Service had been at the forefront of Sworders Chairman Guy Schooling’s aspirations for quite some time, so we were absolutely delighted when the service finally launched in February of this year. It has been used by over 900 customers in its first four months, with international deliveries making up 20% of this total. We have been thrilled with uptake and would like to thank all who have used it.
As with most service launches, it did not come without its challenges, and we quickly identified areas that required improvement. The sheer scale of demand immediately after launch meant that both we and our shipping partner Bradleys had to recruit additional resources to support administration, driving, and packing. Additionally, demand for pre-sale bespoke shipping quotes rocketed, particularly around our March Fine Interiors sale. After analysis showed that just 2% of these requests were taken up, we made the difficult decision to withdraw this feature, to prevent further strain on our resourcing.
We have had to adapt our export of ivory, with most of the larger international carriers no longer wishing to accept the shipment. Whilst we tried to secure alternative carriers, we continued to face obstacles, and have consequently had to end international shipments of ivory via our Delivery Service. For clients wishing to arrange such shipping, we recommend contacting the Romford branch of Mail Boxes Etc.
It has certainly been an exciting few months. We are always striving to improve our customer service, and we hope this insight gives assurance as to how we are reacting to both customer feedback and demand. Again, our thanks to all of you who continue to support this new venture of ours and we look forward to delivering many more items to your doorsteps in the future.
A major highlight of our forthcoming 'DREAMS | A Unique Private Collection' sale on 9 July is a remarkable archive of letters and manuscripts by John Ruskin (1819–1900), the celebrated Victorian polymath. This unparalleled group – numbering in the hundreds – is believed to be the largest collection of Ruskin correspondence in private hands and spans a vast range of topics from art and architecture to politics, religion, and personal reflection.
2 July 2025
'The Scented Garden of Abdullah the Satirist of Shiraz' - also known as 'The Bagh-i-Muattar' - quickly caught the attention of our book specialists, when a copy bound in full vellum was brought in by a local client to our weekly valuation day.
2 July 2025
We are thrilled to launch The Glass Sale - a brand-new addition to our auction calendar! The inaugural sale will take place on Tuesday 28 October and will become a biannual fixture in our calendar going forward.
20 June 2025