It started with a leap and ended with a high-tech retail leader: for nearly a century, Sturminster Newton retailer E.B. Marsh has been serving Dorset
When Sarah Palmer’s great-grandfather was 13, he jumped off a Newfoundland-bound boat in Poole Harbour … and walked home to North Dorset.
Henry got as far as Fiddleford, just outside Sturminster Newton, where he was taken in by a chimney sweep. The rest of his family sailed on without him – they couldn’t get off the ship – and by the time they returned, years later, he had changed his surname from March to Marsh and become a chimney sweep himself.
That unlikely moment of teenage defiance was the first chapter in a family story that’s lasted nearly 100 years. Today, E.B. Marsh is one of Dorset’s most trusted names in electrical goods: a third-generation family business that has continued to adapt, thrive and serve the community since 1930.
Moving with the electrical times
The E.B. Marsh story, as we know it today, began in 1930, with Edward Bramwell Marsh and his brother Harry. Together they opened a garage at the top of Station Road, trading as H.W. Marsh. Back then, it was a garage for charabancs – early motor coaches that took locals on outings – but the brothers also built bicycles and even their own cars, ran a petrol pump and offered mechanic services.
As electricity crept across rural Dorset, the business adapted. In 1940, the brothers moved into the Market Square shop which the company still occupies today. Seeing a new opportunity, the brothers started wiring homes, and before long, they were selling and repairing electrical appliances too.
They parted ways in 1942 – Harry went off to become a builder in Blandford, while Edward – Ted – continued solo under a new name: E.B. Marsh.
By the 1950s, the shop had become a local hub for modern living. Edward was one of the first in the area to sell televisions – he’d often leave them running in the shop window during national events so passers-by could watch.
From redundancy to reinvention
Edward eventually retired in the 1970s, but his son Richard – ‘everyone knew him as Dick’ – was already a familiar sight in the business, and he kept the business steady through the following decades.
‘Dad’s van was a familiar sight at fetes and gymkhanas,’ says Sarah. ‘It had huge speakers strapped to the top, and he’d provide the sound. That van went everywhere – we still have the speakers up in the attic!’
But by the mid-1990s, change was coming again.
Sarah Marsh had built a career in finance, working for big names like Ryvita and Johnson & Johnson. When she was made redundant, her father had just turned 65 and was ready to step back.
‘Some of his cronies asked him, “What are you doing? Sarah’s a girl. You can’t give it to a girl!” And he replied, “Oh, it’s not only a girl … it’s Sarah!”’
Sarah wasn’t there to simply take over the reins. Instead she transformed the business. Her first move was to knock down the internal walls behind the front counter, reclaiming rooms that had once been a house and offices.
‘I’d won a competition in an electrical retail magazine,’ she says. ‘The shop front was basically unchanged since the 1960s, and the prize was £5,000-worth of shopfitting. So I thought – brilliant. Let’s open up the space properly.’ the changes kept coming. The original garage in Station Road, still bearing its big glass doors, became storage space. In 2001, Marsh’s opened a second shop in Sherborne, converting a long-neglected furniture store halfway down Cheap Street. Sarah reflects on how fast things have changed – and how quickly customers’ expectations have evolved: ‘I remember my mum had a Keymatic Hoover washing machine – you put a little key into the top to select the programme. It had a drop-down door you just closed. Fifty years ago, twin tubs and spinners were big sellers.’
Holding their ground
While other independents disappeared under the weight of online shopping and retail parks, Marsh’s quietly held its ground.
‘We’re always working to stay ahead of the curve,’ Sarah says. ‘I’ve spent hours in dark rooms comparing TVs – thinking “surely the picture can’t get better than this model” – and then it does. Not just the picture, the sound too.’
That attention to detail runs deep. The team doesn’t just sell products – they learn them inside out: ‘Every item that goes on the floor is tested. The guys check the energy ratings, open the doors, run through the programmes. It’s not just about what a machine can do – it’s about what you actually need it to do.’
That knowledge isn’t held back for high-spenders either: ‘We don’t pay commission – we just pay good wages. So there’s no sales pressure. We ask the right questions, find the right product, and build trust. That’s why people come back. And it can’t be that wrong – most of my team have been here for years. Clifford’s 80 now – he joined Marsh’s at 15 and still works three days a week. He’s our white goods engineer. If Clifford can’t fix it, it’s not fixable.’
Click, deliver, compete
Marsh’s has never been stuck in the past. Long before ‘Euronics’ became a high street name, they were already part of it.
‘People think it’s a modern thing,’ says Sarah, ‘but it began as Combined Independent Holdings (CIH) – and we’ve been members since the 1960s.’
CIH started as a buying collective, giving independent retailers the bulk-buying power of the big chains. Today, it still means Marsh’s can offer competitive pricing – with frequent deliveries from distribution hubs. ‘We get two or three deliveries a week,’ says Sarah. ‘It means we can match John Lewis or AO.com on most prices – and still provide proper service.’
That personal service is where the big box stores often fall short. ‘If it’s not in stock, we’ll get it. If you need it delivered in a hurry, we’ll find a way. It’s that flexibility customers really value – and it’s what makes us different.’
So, what’s hot right now?
‘For TVs it’s a Panasonic – the Z95B,’ says Sarah without hesitation. ‘We’ve got one on display. The picture is stunning, but it’s the sound that really sets it apart. Panasonic have built Technics speakers straight into the set – the full sound spectrum, proper amplification … it’s a really big leap forward.’
For years, she says, manufacturers prioritised slim design over sound quality.
‘Everyone was chasing “thin”. But what’s the point if you can’t hear the telly properly? Now it’s about the full experience – picture, sound and connectivity.’ And in the kitchen?
‘Air fryers were huge – they still are. But people are starting to explore different cooking styles. I’m not sure what the next big thing will be…’
Some things, though, never change: ‘Washing machines always sell. They do a hard job – 8kg of clothes, probably at least once a day for a family household. And during this summer’s heatwave, we sold loads of fridges and freezers – they really struggle to keep up when it’s hot.’
Delivery, too, is no small-scale operation.
‘We were down in Weymouth today, then Bridport and Crewkerne. We go over to Glastonbury. Up to Salisbury … And for big items like American fridge freezers we often send two teams. We’ve taken off doors, gone through windows, lifted them over garden walls … People always forget to measure the route to the kitchen – not just the space it’s going in!’
A look to the future
So, is there a fourth generation Marsh waiting in the wings?
‘They’re too young,’ says Sarah. ‘And besides, I think Dad had the right idea – you can’t force your children into the business. They have to decide for themselves if it’s right for them. And they might decide it’s not. That’s okay.’
She pauses, then adds: ‘Plus I’ve got a few years left in me yet.’
After nearly a century in business, E.B. Marsh’s is still evolving – holding fast to the values it was built on, while staying nimble in a changing world.
‘We’re just a local company for local people,’ Sarah says. ‘We try to look after every single customer the best we can. And if something goes wrong? They know they can come back to us, and we’ll sort it – properly.’
And her advice if you’re thinking about upgrading?
‘Just come in and have a chat. Whether you’re looking for a new kettle, a 65” TV, or someone to carry a fridge through your kitchen window – Marsh’s will get it sorted.’
