Founded by Tour Manager Carl Lewis, TourStock is an industry pro-shop based out of the famed SW19 Studios, London. Launched this year, Lewis, who TMs for acts including Holly Humberstone, Thomas Headon and Kamal, speaks to TPi’s Stew Hume about this new venture and what he thinks it will bring to the live events community.
What was the original idea behind TourStock?
“I was kicking the idea around in my head for a while. I wanted somewhere that had all of the efficiency and online availability of sites like Amazon, but more bespoke, tuned to suit our business and the products we all need. We’re focused on sensible prices, fast delivery (we can do same day delivery anywhere in London) and a streamlined purchasing service. I want TourStock to be as simple as ordering food from your phone. You press a few buttons, and a delivery driver turns up a short while later with your items. If I could get all the money back that I’ve spent chasing missed/late shipments at venues, I’d probably be answering these questions from a speed boat in Hawaii.”
What gap is the company filling in the current market?
“There are great companies already doing a similar thing in the market. We’re not here to play dirty or intrude on an already established market. We’re here to offer an alternate way of doing it. Our niche is simple online ordering and reliable support and delivery. We’ll source anything you need and get it to you. We’re consistently establishing relationships with manufacturers and distributors for various products to broaden our horizons. By the time you’re reading this we should have announced our latest partnership with Ultimate Ears supplying custom IEM’s at the best prices available in the UK.”
How are you managing TourStock alongside your work as a Tour Manager?
“So far, so good. The artists I’m working with currently are in their writing cycles and so this year has been quite forgiving schedule wise. That is the main reason I’ve had the time to pursue this idea. I didn’t want any investors, and wanted to build everything myself so I could really get into the detail and try to approach the whole thing as a Tour Manager. I would test the site and the service from a TM perspective and then tune it from there. We have people who run the store in my absence and I’m excited to build the team further.”
How has the first few months of business been?
“Business has been good. As with any business of this nature, time and word of mouth is crucial. We aren’t going out with full scale marketing campaigns at this stage, we’re just spreading the word and sharing the service with anyone who will listen. I want TourStock to grow at a sensible pace, that way we can be sure that the service never falters and we don’t outrun ourselves.”
What hopes do you have for the future of TourStock?
“I’m having a great time doing this. All I can hope for is that it continues to grow, and that we can keep making connections with people throughout the industry and provide a service that I hope makes peoples road lives easier. Every minute counts when you’re busy. If we can alleviate some of the stress of the road and develop the business whilst we do it. Then TourStock will have served it’s purpose to me.”
You can find more information about TourStock on the website or via Instagram, @tourstockuk. You can also email sales@tourstock.co.uk for more details on its services.
