Kitchens & Bathrooms News June 2022 by Hamerville Media Group

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KI TCHENS &

BATHROOMS NEWS THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR KITCHEN & BATHROOM PROFESSIONALS

JUNE 2022

HAIER CONFERENCE Outlining its ambition to be number one UK appliance brand

PUZZLE KITCHENS Technology and sustainability have been missing pieces in retail, says CEO

WILL KBB SUPPLY EVER RETURN TO NORMAL? Industry leaders say supply issues are far from over but there are solutions news ■ expert views ■ company profiles ■ products ■ SME support www.kandbnews.co.uk

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NO 170 VOL 16 JUNE 2022

contents 5 First word

Editor’s comment

News Round-up of industry headlines

12 People Promotions and appointments

13 Inbox Reader feedback

14 Analysis Kbb leaders say supply issues are far from over but there are solutions

BATHROOMS 27 Furniture Why bathroom furniture is no longer about satisfying a practical need for storage but enables designers to create a living space

34 Just out The latest bathroom products on the market

21 KITCHENS 16 Filtered water taps How wellbeing and sustainability continue to drive demand for filtered water – on tap.

21 Built-in ovens Technology is playing an ever-greater role in oven specification as consumers still aspire to cook from scratch, albeit with far less free time than during the lockdown

24 Just out The latest kitchen products on the market

BUSINESS 36 Retailer profile Technology and sustainability have been missing pieces in retail, says CEO Rajan Amin who has opened his first kitchen retail business

38 Supplier profile Haier has outlined its ambition to be the number one appliance brand in the UK and top three player in Europe

40 Company matters SME advice covering marketing, financial and management issues as well as personal development www.kandbnews.co.uk K&BNEWS JUNE 2022

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FIRST WORD

NEWS & VIEWS

Control the controllables Despite serious economic headwinds ahead, with consumer disposable income squeezed the most since the 1950s, kitchen and bathroom sales seemingly remain strong. Confidence in the market is supported not only by the return of exhibitions such as Salone del Mobile, IFA and Cersaie, but also manufacturers investing in distribution, catering for this demand and easing pressure on the supply chain. When times are tough, historically large-scale home renovation projects, such as kitchen and bathroom refurbishments have been put on hold, with homeowners opting for refreshes instead. But in a recent Houzz survey, home improvement firms are bullish about business momentum, with more than three-quarters anticipating revenue growth (76%) and two-thirds expecting profits to increase (66%). The report revealed design and build firms were the most optimistic about 2022 (88%), followed by interior designers and architects (80% and 76% respectively). Independent kitchen and bathroom showrooms have also reported buoyant business, still booked months in advance, and many taking on designers to cater for demand. It’s a reminder, if any were needed, in this challenging and unpredictable trading environment that no retail rules apply. Of course, it could depend on the market served, with some independent retailers reporting clients are reducing their budget. Increased cost of building materials may have a knock-on effect for kitchen projects in

extensions, driving consumers towards DIY and trade suppliers. It could be the reason why Howdens geared up for a positive Spring trade with a growth of its average order value and why the Builders Merchants Building Index reported kitchen and bathroom value sales were up 28.8%. If the UK is plunged into a recession, as the Bank of England has warned, the fight for kitchen and bathroom sales is likely to be in the mid level market. It may even see players in the lower segment move upwards, placing a further squeeze on those retailers working in the midmarket. Already we’ve seen the likes of Wren and Howdens investing in the manufacture of premium kitchen worktops. However, independent kitchen and bathroom retailers have faced and survived many an economic recession. Product knowledge, customer service which offers peace of mind, and agility to quickly react to local market changes are independent retailers’ superpowers. They will be aware the sands may shift in any direction but, accomplished retailers will have a laser-focus on what is within their control and what is not. It’s all about controlling the controllables.

KBN LIKES ✔ …to see the return of Salone del Mobile, IFA and Cersaie to the exhibition scene.

KBN DISLIKES ✖ …announcing the death of founder of Trojan Maurice Mosley

KBN WANTS ! …Suppliers to continue effectively communicating stock issues and price increases, allowing independent retailers to prepare their businesses.

Philippa Turrell Editor Email your views on this subject, or any other, to pturrell@hamerville.co.uk To be removed from this magazine’s circulation please call 01923 237799 or email circulation@hamerville.co.uk Editor Philippa Turrell e: pturrell@hamerville.co.uk Designer Donna Booth

Group Advertisement Manager Craig Jowsey e: craig@hamerville.co.uk

Group Production Manager Carol Padgett e: carol@hamerville.co.uk

Advertisement Manager Marcus Hooper e: mhooper@hamerville.co.uk

Printer Walstead Roche

HOME IMPROVEMENT JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR 2014

TRADE JOURNALIST/ EDITOR MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR 2014

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© 2022 KITCHENS & BATHROOMS NEWS accepts no responsibility for damage or loss, however caused, to any material submitted for publication. While every effort is made to ensure facts are correct at time of going to press, no responsibility can be accepted for incorrect product descriptions or facts. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in any form, without prior written permission from the publishers.

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MAKING HEADLINES

NEWS & VIEWS

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Confident outlook for rest of year

Home renovation professionals “bullish” about business Home renovation and design platform Houzz has found trade professionals are “bullish” about business momentum for 2022. According to the 2022 Houzz UK State of the Industry report, businesses have a conﬁdent outlook for 2022, with more than three-quarters anticipating revenue growth (76%) and two-thirds expecting proﬁts to increase (66%). It follows strong 2021 results with more companies reporting year-on-year revenue growth, as compared to the previous four years (69%). Based on data reported by industry professionals in the Houzz community, the report revealed

design and build firms were most optimistic about 2022 (88%), followed by interior designers and architects (80% and 76% respectively). Nearly three quarters of design and build firms and architects reported an increase in gross revenue in 2021 (72%), followed by interior designers (70%). Companies across all industry sectors plan to grow revenue in 2022 by bringing in larger budget projects (60%). Businesses have also increased their headcount with more than a quarter recruiting (29%), compared to 17% of businesses in 2020. Design and build firms were the

most likely to hire last year (35%), compared with architect and interior designers (29% and 26%). Hiring is also expected to continue among nearly two in five of businesses in 2022 (38%) to support revenue growth. This is despite increases in the cost of doing business, with more than three quarters of business reporting higher costs (77%). Design and build firms have been most impacted by rising costs (94%) followed by interior designers and architects (70% and 65%, respectively). Price volatility of products and materials was one of the top challenges reported by one in five

businesses (22%). Senior economist for Houzz Marine Sargsyan said: “The positive outlook is prevalent across industry groups from interior designers to builders, despite global challenges and increased costs of doing business.”

Strong start but calls for more employers

BiKBBI urges kbb industry to take on apprentices The British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom and Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI) has reported a “strong” start to its apprenticeship programme, but calls for more employers to take on apprentices. It follows the launch of its Skills Plus apprenticeship package, which enables installers to take on apprentices without having to deal with recruitment and employment. Training is also supplied by BiKBBI approved Centres of Excellence to teach the KBB Fitted Interiors Apprenticeship. BiKBBI developed the programme and the associated support service, BiKBBI Skills Plus, in partnership with leading Apprenticeship Training Agency (ATA) The Apprenticeship Management Group. The BiKBBI reports there have been over 30 applications for every vacancy that has been advertised so far.

Director of the Apprenticeship Management Group John Henry commented: “We are delighted to be part of this really exciting time within the KBB industry and help the sector bridge the skills gap by bringing on specialist apprentices to be the workforce of the future. “For each installation role that we are advertising, we are seeing unprecedented numbers of applicants wanting to learn real trades in a growth sector. “This is bucking the trend in the overall recruitment market and shows the high level of interest in young people looking to acquire planning, ﬁtting, electrical and plumbing skills and become installers.” BiKBBI has been driving interest with an outreach programme, backed by a six-ﬁgure investment by Quooker, promoting KBB installation as a career option to school-leavers.

Chief Executive of BiKBBI Damian Walters said “Seeing the interest that young people are showing in our industry has been incredibly exciting and I couldn’t be happier that a new generation of installers are now getting their careers off the ground. “We established the BiKBBI apprenticeship programme to meet the urgent need to bring in new talent and head off the skills gap crisis. This is a great start.” However, BiKBBI calls for more

employers to create job opportunities. Damian Walters, added: “The entire industry now needs to help us kick the programme on by opening up more apprenticeship vacancies. In a rallying cry to encourage KBB companies to create vacancies, MD of Quooker Stephen Johnson commented: “This crisis requires drastic change and immediate support. We will all feel the effects keenly if we do not.”

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NEWS & VIEWS

MAKING HEADLINES

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CVC Capital Partners own stone manufacturer

IN BRIEF ■ Kbb companies have been honoured in the Queen’s Award for Enterprise. UK shower surround manufacturer Roman, has been honoured with a Queen’s Award for International Trade – for a second time – and has been joined by ironmongery specialist Armac Martin. Used Kitchen Exchange (UKE), which buys and sells used kitchens, has been presented the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, in recognition of its achievements for Sustainable Development within the kitchen industry. Read the whole story at www.rdr.link/KAF001 ■ Bathroom manufacturer Duravit has appointed Faucets as a Master Distribution Partner, to improve service and offer a next-day delivery across the UK. Faucets will be distributing the bathroom brand and will be able to deliver its top 100 selling lines on a next-day basis, primarily for distress purchases. View more online at www.rdr.link/KAF002 ■ Kitchen and bedroom furniture manufacturer BA has opened a Training Academy for its Kitchen Kit trade brand in South Yorkshire. The facility includes a series of full-scale kitchens in lifestyle settings, helping professionals get handson with the product and to act as a visual aid for the trainer. View the whole story at www.rdr.link/KAF003

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Neolith sold to private equity firm Spanish sintered stone manufacturer Neolith, controlled by Investindustrial and founder the Esteve family, has been sold to private equity platform CVC Capital Partners VIII. Established in 2009, Neolith provides surfaces for a range of applications: from kitchens, bathrooms and furniture to building façades and is reportedly the ﬁrst company in its sector to have achieved carbon neutrality in 2019. Operating in more than 100 countries through direct and indirect distribution, and a network of commercial partners, Neolith is implementing an expansion plan into North America, Europe, China and Australia. According to the company, its “strong” organic growth and

profitability, alongside its market position were key factors in the acquisition. CEO of Neolith Group Jose Luis Ramón said: “It is a privilege to welcome CVC into the great Neolith project and its arrival will no doubt represent a new turning point in the group’s history, accelerating our ambitious strategic objectives. “Its extensive experience and global presence will be a great help to us in developing our enormous potential”. He continued: “We are grateful for the confidence and constant support of Investindustrial and the Esteve Family in making Neolith a unique platform that has enabled us to consistently expand the business with a firm commitment

based on innovation, branding, sustainability and a straightforward approach based on open collaboration”. Javier de Jaime, managing Partner at CVC, commented on the acquisition: “Our vision is to multiply value in the long term and help the company to unleash its full potential, behind sustainable growth, by committing to technology, research and development of advanced materials, design and branding”.

Improving next-day delivery by 30%

Ideal Bathrooms moves HQ and distribution Distributor Ideal Bathrooms has moved its HQ and distribution to a purpose-built facility in Milton Keynes, which will improve the company’s stock holding and strengthen its next-day delivery. The Milton Keynes distribution centre boasts 108,000sqft of warehouse space, and will serve as the company’s southern distribution centre. According to Ideal Bathrooms, it means the company will improve its next-day delivery by more than 30%. All staff have been retained and the move has created additional job opportunities in the new distribution centre. Operations director Kim KirbyEarnshaw said: “Our new purposebuilt distribution centre is equipped with the latest smart technology from a smart sensor suite to reduce

our environmental impact to rideon picking trucks, handheld terminals and wireless printers, which will ensure accuracy with picking and despatching our customers’ orders. “The additional capacity enables us to increase our delivery time window for our suppliers – and therefore customers too – which has improved stock availability for next-day delivery and strengthened our product portfolio to support our suppliers and customers’ needs.” As part of its commitment to

sustainability, the centre also boasts 13 electric vehicle charging points and reindeer moss in the stairwell to improve air quality and absorb noise. Commenting on the relocation, sales and commercial director Danielle Lillis stated: “Despite the challenges presented during the pandemic, Ideal delivered a strong performance in 2021, and this level remains as we enter 2022. We’re looking forward to building on this strong footing over the next 12 months and beyond.”

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NEWS & VIEWS

MAKING HEADLINES

IN BRIEF ■ Online retailer Victoria Plum has been ranked best performing bathroom retail site, according to the UK 2022 Digital Retail Index. Victoria Plum’s website was also rated the eight best overall retail website out of the top 500 retailers in the UK. Read more at www.rdr.link/KAF004 ■ International tile and bathroom exhibition Cevisama has been cancelled due to the “critical situation” in the ceramics sector. According to the organiser Fiera Valencia, it was “unfeasible” to run the event from June 13-17, 2022 in Valencia, Spain, so has been moved to February 27 to March 3, 2023. More on this story at www.rdr.link/KAF005 ■ CAD supplier ArtiCAD has joined with Anthill to provide a single system, for KBB retailers, offering initial design through to installation, invoicing and aftercare. ArtiCAD will integrate its design and pricing software, ArtiCAD-Pro, with Anthill’s CRM, process management and automation platform, providing a single dashboard. Read more at www.rdr.link/KAF006 ■ Wall panelling brand Showerwall has invested in digital printing technology to increase manufacturing capacity for its high-end acrylic panels by 400%. The technology will speed up the printing process, which means faster turnarounds for its trade customers. View the entire story at www.rdr.link/KAF007

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Maurice Mosely dies aged 92

Founder of Trojan passes away Founder of Huddersﬁeld-based bath manufacturer Trojan, Maurice Mosley has passed away aged 92. He founded Trojan in 1975 and in 47 years of business weathered many storms from national recessions to factory ﬁres, and built a business which now stands at 180 employees. Co-owners of the business, his sons Adam and David Mosley commented: “We are devastated at the loss of our beloved dad, but we are extremely proud of all he achieved in his lifetime. “Hartford Holdings owns a range of brands, from Trojan Baths, to Mantaleda Bathrooms, Thomas Crapper and Traymate, employing 243 people over a number of sites in the UK.

“We are one of the largest and most respected bath manufacturers in Europe; an industry brand that people trust and admire. And we really must thank our Dad for this. “Over the years he fought extremely hard to retain jobs in Yorkshire and truly believed in

British manufacturing. “He was and will continue to be a true inspiration to us both, as we continue to drive the business forward, with Dad’s ethics underpinning everything we do. “Dad was still coming into the office at 90 years old and whilst he had not been directly involved since 2012, he still had an opinion on everything – he was a true gentleman and we believe that the industry has lost one of its founding greats”. Having been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2018 Maurice Mosley passed away of natural causes on April 23 and leaves behind three sons, two daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Midlands-based showcase space

ASKO opens trade showroom Scandinavian luxury appliances manufacturer ASKO has opened a showroom in Stoke-on-Trent, following a six-ﬁgure investment in the space. The 3,000sqft showroom, based in the Blythe Bridge area, will be home to more than 50 products from ASKO’s UK portfolio, launched last year to consumers. Retailers and trade representatives will be able to access the space to see the brand’s Drying Cabinets, built-in Craft cooking range and Wine Climate Cabinet. ASKO’s national account manager Stuart Wilson commented: “It’s incredibly exciting to be opening our ﬁrst UK showroom in Stoke. “We launched to the UK last year and customer feedback has already been incredibly positive.

“ASKO promises sleek, minimalist design paired with ultimate functionality, making our products some of the most premium on the market. “We pride ourselves on the quality and longevity of our machines and can’t wait to show off our range at the new showroom.”

ASKO was founded in 1950 in Vara, Sweden, when a young farmer decided to build a washing machine for his mother. Now, almost 70 years later, the company exports and distributes appliances through sales companies in the Nordics, USA, Australia and 50 other markets worldwide.

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Supporting double-digit growth

Samsung UK investment in supply chain Samsung is investing in its UK supply chain and expanding warehouse capabilities, to support double digit growth. Vice president head of home appliances Europe at Samsung, Dan Harvie reported on the performance of the company: “Our business has performed extremely well over the last two to three years, in terms of our core categories. We are on track for our built-in business to be twice as large as it was pre-pandemic. “We’ve had a really great last couple of years building momentum, both through introduction of new product, expansion of portfolio, but also through expansion of our distribution partnership as well.” Despite reporting the appliance market was starting to see some post-pandemic slowdown, Dan Harvie was optimistic about sales in the second half of the year: “Market size across core categories like refrigeration, laundry and built-in is still larger than pre-pandemic. So, the market demand is still higher. “But some of those categories and certain areas of those categories have started to slow from a year-on-year perspective. Our position within that market, with all the incremental headroom for growth, means we’ll be able to grow and accelerate our growth within those categories.” Harvie said a major focus was on strengthening its distribution of kitchen retail studios, “which we’ve been making great progress on” and was “one of the areas we are growing fastest, in terms of our kitchen distribution.” He pointed to the success of trade exhibition Kbb Birmingham helping strengthen partnerships through kitchen studios. To support the continued growth of its business, Samsung is investing in UK warehousing to help mitigate the global challenges of supply, as Harvie explained: “We’re not immune to some of those global macro challenges. Every brand and manufacturer has had to face into some of those things.” However, he pointed out: “There are clearly advantages of being part of a sizeable business, globally, in terms of scale when it comes to sourcing components, freights and transportation. We’ve been able to mitigate the vast majority of some of those challenges and headwinds. “Our future logistic set-up and warehousing capability, which will be onstream from the second half of the year, will give us enough headroom to continue with the double-digit growth that our business has seen.”

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NEWS & VIEWS

PEOPLE

Position filled Appointments and promotions across the industry

IMPERIAL BATHROOMS

SMEG

REGINOX

British manufacturer Imperial Bathrooms has promoted three members of its team. Former product design engineer Hannah Hart (centre) is now design and technical manager, with Sarah MacDonald (left) promoted to sales and customer service manager and Alison Burland (right) as key accounts manager. In her new position, Hannah Hart will provide direction and support across all technical aspects of a project, liaising

between the design team and senior management to coordinate work and problem solve. Whereas Sarah MacDonald will focus on customer satisfaction, managing enquiries and developing new procedures. In addition to staff coaching, she will be involved with performance monitoring. Alison Burland’s promotion to key accounts manager will see her nuture and sustain existing and future customer relationships.

Smeg UK has appointed Pete Jarvis, who has over 20 years’ experience in electrical retail and national accounts, as head of national accounts. In his new role, Jarvis will lead a team which nurtures relationships with the likes of John Lewis, AO, Currys, Wren Kitchens, Magnet, Appliance City and Buy It Direct. Jarvis joins the company from Montpellier Domestic Appliances, where he was sales director and prior to that worked at BSH for 15 years.

Sinks, taps and accessories manufacturer Reginox UK has brought Greg Warwick on board as logistics & operations manager. With more than 30 years of experience, he will be managing the Reginox UK warehouse team, as well as maintaining all Health & Safety measures, managing stock levels and checking ﬁnance and budgets. Warwick will report to Reginox UK’s commercial director Dave Mayer, outlining processes and workload ﬁgures.

WILSONART

KINEDO

WHIRLPOOL UK APPLIANCES

RANGEMASTER

Surfaces manufacturer Wilsonart UK has appointed Dionne Starr as sales development manager, to support kitchen and bathroom retailers. With a background in customer service and account management, Starr will lead a team, responsible for merchandising and sales strategies. Prior to joining Wilsonart, she managed a team of account managers for a packaging supplier.

Shower cubicle, enclosure and tray manufacturer Kinedo has expanded its sales team with the appointment of James Day as area sales manager – south. He has worked in the plumbing sector for 18 years as manager of two merchants in Sussex. His new role will entail generating displays, as well promoting general awareness of Kinedo products to retailers and merchants.

Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited has appointed Steph Ferreira to head of brand and digital, UK & Ireland. She joins Whirlpool UK with over a decade of advertising and marketing experience, across a variety of high-level roles, during time spent living in South Africa. Most recently, Steph Ferreira was the global brand manager for Asilia Africa, a luxury safari company.

Appliance and sink manufacturer Rangemaster has promoted national account manager Lee Harris to head of Rangemaster sales UK, with immediate effect. Harris joined Rangemaster in 2018 with more than 11 years’ experience will be responsible for developing Rangemaster sales. He will be in charge of both national account and retail teams.

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YOUR THOUGHTS

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Kitchens & Bathrooms News Staying independent and retaining the name following the acquisition of Barwick, were priorities explains managing director Gary Campbell. Read www.rdr.link/KAF008 Simon Romaines Love this! So proud to have been part of this amazing business for almost 30 years. Wishing you, the Barwick team and your valued supply chain continued success. Angela Ortmann-Torbett Congratulations to you and your team Gary

Kitchens & Bathrooms News “Strong” start for The British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI) apprenticeship scheme, but CEO Damian Walters urges more kbb companies to create apprentice vacancies. Read the story at www.rdr.link/KAF050 Helen Lord We have two amazing apprentices in the UKE office – such a rewarding scheme for both our business and the individuals

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Kitchens & Bathrooms News Despite increasing costs, design professionals are bullish about business momentum in 2022, finds Houzz. Read the story at www.rdr.link/KAF009 Sean Carter That’s interesting. I think they are ignoring the continuing price rises. All the market place is doing is pushing people away from independent retailers to the cheaper ones like Wren and Howdens. Many component suppliers and manufacturers in the UK are choosing to profiteer from how busy the market place has been in the last 18 months. It may come round to haunt them. Kitchens & Bathrooms News Founder and designer at Puzzle Kitchens Rajan Amin talks about how sustainability and technology form essential pieces of his new retail business. Stephen Johnson Great article, thanks for sharing! Claire Hillier-Brook Wonderful showroom! Delighted that you are offering #carbonneutral #Dekton

Anna Rump – The Social Media Lady What Ho! It’s that very exciting time of the month when the latest copy of Kitchens & Bathrooms News lands...complete with my column! I started out writing social media copy for a bespoke kitchen and bedroom furniture company, before branching out to cover a famous children’s furniture brand and a huge bathroom brand. The KBB industry is close to my heart. Nowadays my clients come from all over the world and cover almost any industry you can think of from pet accessories to diamonds to authors, coaches, consultants, construction and engineering, beauty and stationery. But the kitchen and bathroom industry is always going to hold pride of place in my heart, and to have the backing of Philippa Turrell means a great deal. You can read the May issue here www.rdr.link/KAF010

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NEWS & VIEWS

ANALYSIS

When will we be free from supply disruption? Kbb manufacturers say supply issues are far from over but there are solutions, which rely on relationships and communication Retaining trust and maintaining continuity of supply MD of Fisher & Paykel David Woollcott explains how the company has retained the trust of its retail customers and maintained continuity of supply The industry has experienced unparalleled upheaval in the last two years. The uncertainty caused by the pandemic, unprecedented consumer demand, Brexit’s impact on logistics and, to a lesser extent, the knock-on effect of the worldwide interruptions experienced by global shipping companies, all conspired to create a perfect storm that has caused one of the worst supply issues on record. With no real end in sight yet, there are things that can be done to mitigate many of the issues, and Fisher & Paykel has worked hard to assimilate and take action on the learnings from the last 18 months. In a nutshell, the key to reliable supply and inspiring trust is communication – two way between retailer and manufacturer, being open and honest – keeping your promises, and people. Despite extended lead times in 2020

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and early 2021, which stretched to 8-9 weeks for some products, we are now able to deliver on time and in full around 95% of the time, as we have worked closely with our retail partners. This measure is really important to us as we understand the importance of being reliable and trusted. Our trade partners expect this, as do our luxury and premium customers. We asked all customers to provide us with as much notice as possible to improve our forecasting capability. This was in a year where

demand was at times more than twice our local budget! We still ask for this forward notice and are improving our forecasting tools weekly, whilst increasing our capability. During this time, we have increased our local inventory levels to prepare us for the mid-year and end of year demand, which we believe will be higher than last year as complex and fullscale renovations and new home builds (that have been delayed) are completed. Today, we are seeing severe supply disruption from some of our high-volume competitors, and we are more than happy to work with customers on planning a long-term future partnership. We are not willing to take short-term sales opportunities as we have commitments to our existing partners. We will always develop sustainable and long-term plans, rather than short-term opportunism. As ever, we rely on the direct engagement and trust from our partners and continue to be thankful for this. The supply crisis is far from over but we believe we have the people, processes and the trust of our retail partners to adapt and develop long-term value.

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Relationships, communication and investment minimise issues Managing director of Faith Furniture Company (FFC) Paul Jenkinson explains why those who invest in the right areas will be ready for whatever challenges come next. The word unprecedented has been used continuously over the last couple of years and the kitchen industry has experienced supply chain issues, the extent of which few of us have ever seen. Brexit, the COVID pandemic, a surge in consumer demand in the home improvement sector and now the war in Ukraine have challenged the industry like never before. Whilst this period certainly hasn’t been easy, at LochAnna we consider ourselves incredibly fortunate to have grown the business whilst minimising the impact of these supply chain issues. Much of our success has been down to focussing on sustaining and strengthening relationships with our suppliers and customers. We have strived to be as open and honest as possible, whilst at the same time investing in the areas of the business that allowed us to shield our customers from much of the volatility in the supply chain. These same investments will enable us to help them, and us, continue to grow our business in a managed and sustainable way.

We believe the key to a strong supply chain is building sustainable relationships with our suppliers; we have worked hard at creating a network of ﬁrst-class supply partners who work with us to manage lead times and price pressure, whilst also enabling us to continue to launch new products. Strengthening the relationships with our customers during this time has also been of huge importance – understanding their needs has enabled us to service them better. We have found good lines of communication and accurate forecasting to our supply partners has given them early visibility as demand has surged. Communication is so important, and we ask for openness and honesty from all our suppliers. We operate this same philosophy with our customers – letting them know, as soon as possible, about supply issues allows them to manage their schedule and divert resources if necessary. Recognising early the increasing lead times and the supply chain pressures, we increased our stock levels substantially. Record levels of stock has allowed us to meet our customer demands – our ‘on time in full’ is currently running at 98%. Continued investment in our systems has helped our supply chain team provide our suppliers with quicker, more

accurate forecasting. We have invested hugely in people to create a strong team, focussed on delivering the best results, consistently. We have also taken on an additional overﬂow warehouse to help accommodate our increased stock levels, which in turn has created a more efficient order picking process. The issues the industry has been facing are by no means over. But those who, like us, have invested during the challenging times will be ready for whatever comes next.

with strong investment in local stock holding. We also remained fully operational during the height of the pandemic to continue to fulﬁl demand. In addition to this, the fast-tracking of three new strategies has provided a strong foundation should we need to turbo-charge a response to supply chain issues in the future. These include: Consolidated communication – In early 2021

we launched a new digital platform – Grohe X – to streamline our communication with partners and keep them up-to-date on when new product developments will land in the UK. Alongside news, training, and sales tools, Grohe X has allowed us to unite UK retailers and the international community as well as provide a faster way to go to market. Skills investment – Simultaneous to supply issues is a national skills shortage. In some cases, even when retailers may have access to stock, they fall short on installation capacity. Through our on-going investments in facilities, such as at the Colchester Institute and the launch of Grohe Professional and our GIVE programme, we are actively training and motivating the next generation of tradespeople. Supply taskforce – We set up a taskforce. We have optimised communication and improved planning based on customer demand and anticipation through modelling and increased stock holding. Partnerships are the key in these challenging times. We want to work with our customers to ensure we do everything in our power to offer them the best in class supply possible, even in the most challenging times.

Providing a learning curve Leader marketing of leading global sanitaryware brand Grohe, Raj Mistry says the last couple of years have served as a learning curve. Perspective is extremely important when we look at the issue of supply chain; not least because it is almost always a side effect of larger, human-centred issues. The pandemic, then a war in Europe, were simply not macro factors that could have been predicted. And with the uncertainty ahead, supply will remain a challenge, but not an unsurmountable one. If the last two and half years have taught us anything, it’s that from a crisis comes an opportunity for improvement. For many brands, the global supply chain issue has revolutionised the way they interact with retail partners and the way supply chain is anticipated, planned, and executed. At Grohe, we’ve seen consistent strong demand for our products and, like many other brands in this industry, we have had to manage shortages on components which has inevitably had an impact on production lead times. For UK retailers, we have been able to mitigate most signiﬁcant delays by being well prepared

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KITCHENS

FILTERED WATER TAPS

Hydrate days a week How wellbeing and sustainability continue to drive demand for filtered water – on tap.

1 The UK lockdowns caused many consumers to rethink the way they live their life, from improved health and wellbeing through to the impact humans have on the environment. Ticking all the boxes, filter taps not only provide better tasting water, which encourages greater hydration, but also reduces the need for bottled varieties. A triple threat in kitchen sales, if you will. It’s no surprise, then, that commercial director of Reginox Dave Mayer points out: “The sales of filtered water taps has continued to see unprecedented growth over the last two years.”

Education reminder So does that mean, sales should simply be focused on consumers’ trading-up in filtered taps? Not according to design manager of Abode Paul Illingworth: “I think it’s important to remember that there are always new consumers coming into this market, so there is always scope to point out the

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benefits of filtered water, especially if a retailer is based in a hard water area.” Highlighting the long-term financial benefits of filtered water taps, marketing director at Franke UK Jo Sargent comments: “For anyone regularly buying bottled water, a trade up to a filter tap will save them significant amounts of money whilst also feeling better about their environmental impact. This is an easy message for retailers to convey to consumers who have probably never been more receptive than in the current times. Franke’s Vital Capsule Fiter tap dispenses 500 litres of filtered water per cartridge, potentially saving a household hundreds of pounds per year compared to buying bottled water.” What, then, is preventing filtered water taps from taking an even greater share of the market? Elina Enqvist-Twomey, leader category of Lixil EMENA and Grohe UK, says there can

1. FRANKE Vital Capsule Filter Semi-Pro with Pull-out now comes with a choice of two cartridges – a High Performance and High Flow Filter. See the video at www.rdr.link/KAF011

2. ABODE The Swich Water Filter System works with any kitchen mixer tap and can be retrofitted to provide filtered water. Watch the video at www.rdr.link/KAF012 still be misperception about high initial cost, as well as installation requirements and maintenance issues: “While many consumers would be interested and benefit from installing a filtered water tap, there continues to be pockets of misunderstanding surrounding product availability, cost, and installation requirements. Further education and continued awareness

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3. THE 1810 COMPANY Curvato Trio delivers hot, cold and ﬁltered water, with a cartridge that provides up to 1,000 litres of puriﬁed water. Order at www.rdr.link/KAF013 around the products available will support in reaching more customers and improving understanding to support customers making more informed purchases.”

Entry to premium In fact, manufacturers have worked hard to create models to capture consumer interest, for consumers with a variety of experience with filtered water. Abode offers the Swich Water Filter System which can upgrade an existing kitchen mixer into a filtered water tap, while InSinkErator recently introduced Moderno Side Taps at Kbb Birmingham to complement kitchen mixers. Marketing communications and customer service manager of Europe at InSinkErator Anne Kaarlela commented: “For those just starting out and wishing to add the benefit of a filtered water tap to their kitchen there is the brand new InSinkErator Moderno Side taps, which are designed to sit alongside a standard mixer tap.” While at the premium end of the market, there are options to provide chilled water, and a choice of sparkling water, which may be controlled by an app. Elina Enqvist-Twomey of Grohe UK continues: “In the filtered water domain, brands are utilising app functionality to allow homeowners to track their water intake and monitor their levels of hydration whilst also making purchases of new filters and CO2 possible with just the tap of a button.

Maintenance engineering It neatly segues into how filter water taps have been engineered not only to meet a variety of budgets and kitchen aesthetics, but also to simplify maintenance, minimising barriers to purchase. Jo Sargent of Franke UK adds: “We know that making the filter cartridge replacement process more streamlined and user friendly will make the trade up decision much simpler. We recently upgraded the filter cartridge choice

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KITCHENS

FILTERED WATER TAPS

4. REGINOX

5. GROHE

Aquadzi is a 4-in-1 model which dispenses instant ﬁltered boiling, cold, hot and ﬁltered drinking water. Read the story at www.rdr.link/KAF014

Grohe Blue Pure has a ﬁlter cartridge that can purify up to 3,000 litres of water. Download a brochure at www.rdr.link/KAF015

with our Vital Capsule Filter tap to include two filter cartridges that cater for differences in water quality depending on whether a customer lives in a hard or soft water area, and whether their property has older pipes or is a new build. This type of customisation gives customers confidence to invest more in a filter tap purchase because they know it will be fit for purpose and long-lasting as buying cartridges is very easy too.” And industry experts believe once filtered water has been available on tap, there is no going back. Elina Enqvist-Twomey states: “Once customers have enjoyed filtered water straight from the tap it’s hard to go back to a standard model.” This added to the growth of the 4-in-1 model offering filtered hot as well as cold water, which Dave Mayer of Reginox UK says is “one of the most excting innovations within the tap sector”, offers room for growth.

especially as Gen Z and Gen Alpha come of age, having absorbed a message of ‘drink more water from a young age.”

Sustainable solution Of course, this is the ‘woke’ generation that is acutely aware of social issues, such as the climate crisis and need for the world’s population to focus on being more sustainable. Anne Karalela of InSinkErator adds sustainability is already playing its part but this will continue into the future, commenting: “According to

research conducted by Trend-Monitor, sustainability is ranked as the number one priority consumers have for their homes in 2022 and that recycling, water efficiency and reduced food waste are at the top of the list of sustainability goals. The future will continue to be about sustainability.” Managing director of Quooker UK Stephen Johnson agrees, as he concludes: “The ﬁltered water tap market is growing and it’s a growth that’s driven by the need for more sustainable solutions and less plastic in the kitchen.”

Strong sales Certainly there are sales opportunities in the filtered water tap market, as Paul Illingworth of Abode reports on the demand for bottled water: “We note that overall UK consumers drink 2.5million litres of bottled water a year, which stood at 45.8 litres per person per year in 2020, with this expected to grow to 58 litres by 2026, according to Statista.” And he believes the market will grow in strength with the next generations, as he continues: “Given how the perception of bottled water and mineral water has evolved from a luxurious commodity to a wall-stratified mass market product since the 1990s, it would be reasonable to assume that within the next 15-20 years having a filtered tap will be standard practice in the mid-market,

18 JUNE K&BNEWS www.kandbnews.co.uk

6. INSINKERATOR Moderno Side taps come with two spout shapes and a choice of four colours, including its new Polished Nickel ﬁnish. View more details at www.rdr.link/KAF016

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BUILT-IN OVENS

KITCHENS

Oven ready

Technology is playing an ever-greater role in oven specification, as consumers still aspire to cook from scratch, albeit now with less free time than during the pandemic The pandemic refocused consumer attention on cooking in the home and built-in oven sales spiked accordingly. Even now, as we learn to live with COVID, built-in ovens sales remain reassuringly strong. According to Whirlpool, there was signiﬁcant growth in the market for built-in models driven by large cooking appliances. It cited built-in cooking volume sales grew by 3.1%, reaching 2.59million units, with a value of £881.5million and reports market analysts expect volume sales of built-in ovens will continue to grow, forecasting a 1.8% growth annually over the next few years.

Easy cooking But while the interest in cooking remains, as we continue to move out of the pandemic, spare time for culinary pursuits has diminished. Consumers have now returned to the office, hybrid or at-home working in both part-time and full-time capacities, meaning they have less time to experiment in the kitchen. Founder of Bora Willi Bruckbauer explains: “We’re cooking more

meals from scratch these days, but in our postpandemic lifestyles we don’t necessarily have a huge amount of time to dedicate to it. So, the focus is on ovens that can make the cooking process easy and enjoyable, with results that are equal to or better than as if you were dining at a restaurant.”

1. SAMSUNG Samsung has launched its 4, 5, 6 and 7 series cooking appliances, including ovens with steam programs, as well as air frying option and air sous vide. Discover the entire collection at www.rdr.link/KAF017

2. HAIER The Chef@Home oven features a presence sensor, which turns on the 19” touch screen automatically. It boasts PreciTaste technology which recognises food placed inside the oven and automatically sets cooking parameters. Read all the technical details at www.rdr.link/KAF018

Premium connectivity It means technology is playing an ever greater role to assist the time-pressured cook. It spans a variety of cooking functions and cleaning programmes, to reduce time spent on household chores, and intuitive interfaces for ease of use. At the premium end of the market, connectivity continues to come to the fore, with functions that can provide cooking recipes, automatically control the cooking process and notify the user of its progress. Haier recently introduced its ﬁrst collection of Haier brand built-in appliances on to the UK market, featuring a connected cooking range. Its hero model the Chef@Home oven, uses Artiﬁcial

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KITCHENS

BUILT-IN OVENS

WHIRLPOOL

RANGEMASTER

Whirlpool W7 built-in ovens boast 6th Sense Live connectivity, where the oven will work out settings. Download the details at www.rdr.link/KAF019

This top-of-the-range Eclipse oven boasts a 69-litre capacity with 13 functions, is supplied with a meat probe and telescopic runners as standard. It also has a pyrolytic cleaning feature. Read more on this at www.rdr.link/KAF020

Intelligence for its Cook With Me function, automatically detecting food types and setting cooking parameters, all of which is controlled by a 19” touch screen for ease of operation. While Smart Miele appliances can be teamed with the Miele@Mobile app which has a recipe function, enabling consumers to check on the progress or turn off the oven, and can be controlled by voice. However, Willi Bruckbauer of Bora states: “Connectivity is becoming more important to consumers but is still very much at the higher end of the market. It doesn’t yet rank above oven capacity and ease of use. What we’re seeing is consumers increasingly asking for a wider variety of cooking functions to help create authentic dishes.”

Samsung that revealed 70% of Britons have steamed their food to try and eat better, and more than half (53%) have tried air frying. Swedish appliance brand Asko has also recently launched the Craft built-in range which features a steam combination oven and a 5-in-1 compact appliance using full steam, hot air, combination hot air/steam and combination hot air/microwave. And Smeg has unveiled Galileo – a ﬁve-strong range with models which combine steam, microwave, and traditional cooking all in one. According to Smeg, the ovens make food tastier, healthier, and can

decrease cooking times by up to 70%, including cooking a whole roast chicken in just 30 minutes

Kitchen assistance And that’s the signiﬁcance for kitchen retailers, to provide cooking appliances for consumers that assist them in their daily lives, from ease of use – whether touch operation or automatic pyrolytic cleaning – through to providing restaurant quality results at speed. Ovens that help that provide some or all of these processes are likely to be, and remain, at the top of consumers’ wishlists for some time to come.

Steaming ahead The demand for a wider variety of cooking functions is evident in the popularity of steam. Managing director of Kuppersbusch Sales UK Bodie Kelay comments: “Steam ovens have seen a continued growth as people over the last couple of years have had the time to be more creative in the kitchen. They also appreciate the valuable health beneﬁts of steaming to preserve ﬂavour, moisture and nutrients.” Downdraft expert Bora recently launched the X Bo steam oven with built-in extraction. In addition, Samsung launched ovens with steam programs that promote healthy eating at Kbb Birmingham. The oven models boast three steam functions, full steam, add steam and natural steam, as well as air frying option and air sous vide program. It follows research by

22 JUNE K&BNEWS www.kandbnews.co.uk

5 5. BORA The Bora X BO steam oven has a 19” touch display, and extraction function built in to prevent steam escaping when the door is opened. It also boasts a fully automatic cleaning function. Watch the video at www.rdr.link/KAF021

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KITCHENS

PRODUCT ROUND-UP

just out

1. KNIGHTSBRIDGE

UK electrical brand Knightsbridge has introduced all-in-one dimmable LED kits for lighting under kitchen cabinets, delivering warm white and cool white outputs. The UNDKIT3 LED kits comprise three 2.5W downlights, a six-way connector and a dimmable remote driver. Designers can choose from surface or recess-mounted low profile lights, which come in a choice of brushed chrome and white bezel finishes. In addition, the LED fittings – pre-wired with 2.5m of cable – can also be bought singly (without driver). View the online brochure at www.rdr.link/KAF022

2 2. TKC Reflecting the popularity of green shades in home interiors, UK kitchen door and component supplier TKC has introduced Fir Green as a stocked colour across select door ranges. Fir Green has been added to its classic five-piece Cambridge timber Shaker, woodgrain-effect Cartmel Shaker and the contemporary Lucente handleless door. The colour has also been added as a Paint to Order finish across the Ascot, Newmarket, Vivo+ matt and Windsor ranges, as well as Grantham real timber. Read the whole story at www.rdr.link/KAF023

24 JUNE K&BNEWS www.kandbnews.co.uk

3. KAELO Open bottle chiller Kaelo, which uses patented dry-cold technology, has now become a range of models. The range features the original Kaelo with a curved crown, plus ﬂush with a crown level to the worktop and Undermount which is concealed under the worktop. In addition, Kaelo now comes with three settings – the original mode, which maintains a drink to within a degree of the opening temperature, Red Wine that keeps the drink between 14-18°C; and Boost to chill a bottle to 3-4°C colder in 30 minutes. Watch the video at www.rdr.link/KAF024

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4. ABODE Brassware and sink manufacturer Abode has introduced the Flow Limited Tap Collection, to reduce water consumption in the home and in anticipation of the Government’s Future Home Standard. According to Abode, the taps use up to 97% less water per minute, thanks to the use of aerators which reduce ﬂow rate but not water pressure. There are eight models in the collection, which have been curated for the luxury development market. Read more details about the range at www.rdr.link/KAF025

5 5. FISHER & PAYKEL

4 6. PRONORM Recognising the trend for transitional kitchen design, furniture manufacturer Pronorm has added a real wood shaker door to its X-line handleless furniture range. The Price Group 7 door features a solid wood frame in brushed oak with a veneer centre panel and is available in three colours: Oak White, Oak Agate Grey and Oak Basalt Grey Brushed (pictured). This real wood Shaker door is shown here on a combination of the X-line and Proline 128 ranges. Download an overview of the product range at www.rdr.link/KAF026

Premium appliance manufacturer Fisher & Paykel has launched the 11th generation of its single and double DishDrawers. The latest DishDrawers feature a stainless steel inner and boast eight wash cycles spanning light to heavy, Auto Wash, 60 Minute, Glassware, as well as Sanitise and Extra Dry. DishDrawers ﬁt plates up to 310mm with ﬂexible racking for larger cookware, new glass supports, an improved detergent dispenser, a knock to pause feature and a spray arm sensor that alerts if a utensil falls during the program. Discover more details at www.rdr.link/KAF027

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FURNITURE

BATHROOMS

What’s in store?

Why bathroom furniture is no longer simply about satisfying a practical need for storage but enables designers to create a wellbeing space

When bathroom furniture sales started to blossom, it was as a workaday solution for storage. Although still based in practicality, now furniture plays a much greater role in the overall aesthetics of the space. Sales and marketing director of RAK Ceramics Ben Bryden comments: “Furniture now plays a signiﬁcant part of a bathroom redesign and is considered over and above ‘just’ a storage solution. The furniture chosen plays an important role functionally, of course, but stylistically too, and is not considered as an add-on.”

Holisitic space But why this step change towards a more holistic approach to room design? Industry experts state it’s because we now consider the bathroom less as a purely functional space for washing but as a transformative space to relax and recuperate - a trend accelerated by the pandemic. Head of marketing at Utopia Helen Clark says: “Our homes have certainly become everything to us of late, we’ve spent a huge amount of time in them and how we view our spaces and rooms has changed as a result. However, for Utopia, it’s the holistic approach that has always been so important. The overall look needs to be well thought out and cohesive with all elements designed to complement each other, from the basins to the furniture and the ﬁnishing touches of handles and mirrors.” And consumer marketing manager for Geberit UK Sophie Weston agrees, commenting: “In recent years, the bathroom has evolved into more of a sanctuary space, where homeowners retreat to relax and unwind, with a long soak in the bath or hot shower seen as a small slice of solace in an “always on” world. Therefore it’s

1. PJH Sitting at the premium end of its furniture offer is the modular Statement collection, which is shown here as wall-hung but is also available with a matt black frame for ﬂoorstanding. Download the brochure at www.rdr.link/KAF028

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BATHROOMS

FURNITURE

certainly fair to say the homeowner’s approach to designing and decorating the bathroom is now more like that of a living space. It’s all about harnessing the home for happiness, and the bathroom is included in that ethos.”

Offering choice With this methodology to bathroom design, it means there is no longer a ‘one-size fits all’ approach to furniture choice. Sophie Weston of Geberit comments: “Traditionally, bathroom furniture has often run the risk of being boring, cold and harsh, with bright white colours and little personality. However, the modern bathroom is a much more liveable space, with many homeowners seeing to decorate the bathroom as they would any other room in the home. Furniture options and styles, therefore, have become more diverse, with even more colourways and finishes on the market. Indeed, one of the most significant trends in bathroom interiors is to get creative and reflect the individual’s personality.” It’s a view shared by sales director of HiB Ash Chilver, who comments: “As customers start to see the space as a room to enjoy rather than just utility, they have incorporated more interior design trends into their bathroom projects, resulting in a surge in demand for different styles, colours and finishes. In response to this, manufacturers have had to produce a number of ranges that fulfil these requirements. Now more than ever, we are seeing a need for customisable furniture with a wider palette of colour options and interchangeable finishes and details such as handles, brassware and accessories to suit individual design.”

2 2. AMBIANCE BAIN

3. UTOPIA

Showcasing the trend for a ‘total look’, Aviso furniture is shown in the colour Pomadour with colour-matched SMO basin, shower tray and wall panel. View the video at www.rdr.link/KAF029

Roseberry painted timber range features period detailing and spans open washstands, vanities, compact units for cloakrooms, as well as curved options. View the range at www.rdr.link/KAF030

Blending styles It has seen an array of furniture from neoclassical and Shaker styling, through to minimal, handleless storage embracing texture by introducing warm natural materials, such as wood. However, it is a combination of styling that is making its mark in popular bathroom furniture choices, as managing director of BC Designs Darren Allison comments: “Neo-classical will be popular and a driving force of bathroom furniture, as will Art Deco. Shapes and styles that can blend traditional and modern spaces will be a go to, as modern period will be a big trend into 2023, as it allows people to create and choose pieces that they really like, rather than sticking to a particular style.” Karen Jervis, product and marketing manager of Ambiance Bain, agrees: “The biggest trend at the moment seems to be from a mix of contemporary and traditional, with contemporary Shaker-style doors. There are

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BATHROOMS

FURNITURE

4. RAK CERAMICS

Rak Uno is a one drawer vanity which comes in a choice of four ﬁnishes Pure White, Urban Grey, Matt Grey and Scandinavian Oak. Discover the entire offering at www.rdr.link/KAF031

5. ROPER RHODES The Fairmont vanity is based on mid-century styling and boasts three drawers. It comes in a choice of 600mm, 800mm and 1000mm options. Read all the technical details at www.rdr.link/KAF032

Interior organisation However, designers are also reminded that interior organisation is just as important as exterior aesthetics. “Sometimes it’s what you can’t see that makes the largest impact”, says Martin Carroll of Duravit UK. He adds: “Interior elements of furniture are always important, they increase the functionality and often make an item much more user-friendly.” However, it’s not simply about enhancing use, interiors can also add to the bottom line profit. Ben Bryden explains: “Beyond the doors or drawer fronts is where the functionality of bathroom furniture kicks in. Features like internal drawer dividers, interior lighting and even wipe clean shelving can all be used as selling points and to help retailers trade up from standard units to more expensive options.” And managing director of Dansani UK Christian Asmussen believes furniture should be displayed and specified with all the options, such as lighting, as it is easier to take off a sale than add on. also new trends appearing with metal pull grip handles and unit fascias with angular markings for a different kind of look.” However, she also points to the use of block colours in the bathroom, as the next trend to watch, with basin, furniture, shower trays and wall panels all specified in the same colour.

Storage variety However, there does seem to be a staple in bathroom design and that is the vanity unit which remains a best-seller. Managing director of Duravit UK Martin Carroll explains: “Vanity units continue to be our most popular style of bathroom furniture, where the basin sits directly onto the unit. The one that attracts the highest sales are either 630mm or 830mm sizes and this hasn’t really changed over the last two years”. Julie Lockwood, furniture product manager of Bathrooms to Love by PJH, agrees adding: “The basin unit is the most popular option and this isn’t surprising considering the amount of design innovation and product

30 JUNE K&BNEWS www.kandbnews.co.uk

development that has gone into this key bathroom component. Basin units with tops that can be combined with vessel basins has really taken off.” In addition, there has also been a move towards wall-hung models or freestanding with a frame or legs to provide visual lightness in small rooms. Ben Bryden of RAK Ceramics UK adds: “Modular, wall-hung units are very popular, particularly as the UK bathroom tends to be on the small side and such furniture makes good use of space without encroaching too much.” He adds: “Open shelving is also popular, increasingly so over the last couple of years or so, as the bathroom takes on more of a living room vibe and, of course, continues to take its design inﬂuence from the kitchen too.” And managing director of IBC Group Graham Bucktrout agrees, adding: “We’ve seen a marked increase in the demand for select pieces…and those keen to project an air of individuality are more likely to opt for a beautifully crafted item in order to develop their own distinct look.”

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BATHROOMS

FURNITURE

Growth market

6. IMPERIAL BATHROOMS

7. HIB

With such a design focus on furniture, it’s unsurprising sales continue to grow. Martin Carroll of Duravit UK says the company has seen an upturn in sales: “During the last two years we have seen an increase in the sale of our furniture”, stating it now forms 25% of the company’s sales. And Julie Lockwood, furniture product manager of Bathrooms to Love by PJH, also points to the popularity of bathroom furniture sales: “Bathroom furniture has been the fastest-growing bathroom category by far over the last few years and here at PJH we have seen a 34% increase in sales over the past year.” Whereas managing director at BC Designs Darren Allison is even more optimistic about the impact of furniture in bathroom sales, adding: “Around 70% of bathroom sales will now involve a piece of bathroom furniture, even it if it just a bathroom cabinet.” So. it’s unlikely that the requirement for furniture will falter any time soon, especially with storage that spans large scale refurbishments through to the creation of small ensuites and cloakrooms. In fact, Martin Carroll concludes: “We can only see the demand for furniture increasing over the next two years as more bathrooms are built to accommodate multifunctional spaces. New builds, extensions and renovations often create smaller bathrooms, which never have enough storage, so consumers will add their own.”

Reflecting the trend for basin units is the Carlyon Roseland wall-hung vanity with one drawer and in a Wenge finish. Discover the technical specification at www.rdr.link/KAF033

As part of its Kingsbury bathroom furniture, HiB offers a cloakroom vanity, which is shown here in Henley Blue. Watch the video at www.rdr.link/KAF034

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8 8. ROMAN Concept is a range of integrated furniture linking storage, vanity top and shower enclosure. Visit the website at www.rdr.link/KAF035

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BATHROOMS

PRODUCT ROUND-UP

1. HIB Elaborately patterned illumination is at the heart of the Bellus mirror, by HiB, which comes in two sizes. With integrated colour temperature changing technology, the user can alter the light to provide soft lighting for a relaxing atmosphere as well as cool illumination for practical tasks. In addition, hidden beneath the surface of the mirror is a heated pad, which reduces condensation on the mirror’s surface. Discover more about Bellus at www.rdr.link/KAF036

just out 3 2 2. IDEAL STANDARD Bathroom manufacturer Ideal Standard has added to its Atelier Collections with neoclassical-style Calla sanitaryware and Joy Neo brassware. Inspired by the Victorian age, Calla offers a timeless result with a sense of muted luxury and includes basins with pedestals or a leg set, WCs and bidets, and a free-standing bathtub. Joy Neo offers a variety of pieces, including single lever basin mixers, dual control basin mixers, wall-mounted basin mixers and three-hole basin mixers, as well as bath and shower products. Read more at www.rdr.link/KAF037

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3. AQUALISA British shower manufacturer Aqualisa has unveiled a premium showering brand – Elisa – featuring voice-controlled digital and heritage models. There are two smart digital showers in the Elisa brand, Intuition and Incite, which are accompanied by the ShowerMe app to program temperature and showering duration. Intuition also boasts a motion-controlled proximity sensor which automatically activates the ﬂow when the bather steps in. Discover more about the brand at www.rdr.link/KAF038

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4. KUDOS British showering manufacturer Kudos has introduced a slate-effect finish into its Connect2 shower tray collection. Offered in dark grey, the tray features a surface pattern taken directly from a piece of locally sourced slate, to provide an authentic finish. Manufactured from acrylic capped ABS, filled with resin bonded stone, the tray is slip and stain resistant and contains an anti-microbial additive. View the video at www.rdr.link/KAF041

5. ACQUABELLA Spanish bathroom brand Acquabella has unveiled a variation of its Opal Quiz freestanding bath, in a duo of ﬁnishes. Made from Akron, it features three of the company’s textures, and is available with contrasting inner and exterior surfaces. Designers can now specify the model in two colours from over 2,000 hues, including baby blue and white. Download the product data sheet at www.rdr.link/KAF039

6. CUBICO UK Designed by Italian architect Simone Micheli, the Infinity sanitaryware range has been unveiled by bathroom supplier Cubico UK. Infinity comprises wall-hung basins, including a 1000mm model, bidets and either wall-hung or floorstanding rimless WCs with an antibacterial glaze. All Infinity ceramics are available in a choice of Matt Navy, Grey, White or Black. Download a brochure at www.rdr.link/KAF040

5 7

7. UTOPIA Bathroom manufacturer Utopia has created a unicolor look for its You furniture collection, with the introduction of colour co-ordinated cladding panels. The cladding panels are available in all 19 You ﬁnishes, including four super matt, soft touch colours and 15 gloss, matt and textured options. They can be teamed with 12mm compact laminate worktops. View the company’s literature at www.rdr.link/KAF042

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BUSINESS

RETAILER PROFILE

Missing pieces

Founder of Puzzle Kitchens Rajan Amin talks about his decisions to create a new retail business. He decided to focus on sustainability and technology, which he says are missing in the majority of kbb retail studios

1 1. FOUNDER AND DESIGNER Having had a career in stone worktops, Rajan Amin established Puzzle Kitchens in 2020

2. SUSTAINABILITY ETHOS

Suppliers have been chosen on their sustainability credentials, which is core to the business, including Dekton and Silestone by Cosentino. The showroom runs on 100% green energy and has paper-free operation

Having worked in the stone worktop industry for 15 years, Rajan Amin said he always had an interest in building, and so designing kitchen spaces was a natural move. In December 2020, when the South East was still under “Stay At Home” restrictions, he made the bold decision to launch an online kitchen retail business, as he realised kbb retailers had to find new ways to reach their audience. “I literally had a laptop and a sofa for the first three and half months. I spent the majority of my day on social media. I got my name out there and did about 80-90 quotations in the first three-month period, but that’s where I hit a brick wall. The biggest problem was not my price point, nor my speed in delivering designs,

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it was that I didn’t have a physical location and I had only been around for three months.” So Rajan started looking at properties in April. He signed the lease of his high street showroom, in June and opened the doors in September 2021. And as part of its fast-paced development, Puzzle Kitchens has already been nominated for a New Kitchen Retailer award.

VR design charges Keen to shake-up the kbb market using technology, Rajan focused on Virtual Reality to differentiate his independent retail business. “I thought, if I’m going to do this, I need to do something different. That’s where Virtual Reality

came in.” He continues: “Some clients have been absolutely blown away by it. I had a customer who said she felt like she was going to cry because she was that overwhelmed with how real it looked and she was standing in an extension that wasn’t built. For me, that’s priceless and that’s the reaction I want. Emotionally you are connecting with that space, and it doesn’t get any better than that for me.” Rajan has further eschewed traditional conventions by charging £199 for VR design, which allows consumers to ‘try before they buy’. The design fee is then used as a credit against a sale. He admits there can be a “mixed reaction” from consumers but adds: “Some people think

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they are wasting their money by spending £200 but not wasting money by having an architect draw up plans for £5000 to submit to the council with no guarantee they will get it passed. The way I sell the design service, is say ‘I can offer more than the architect for just £200’.”

Choosing eco suppliers The 54sqm showroom, which cost around £80,000-£85,000 to complete, has five displays of Trend Interiors furniture and will also be adding Hacker to the offer, shortly. Choosing suppliers at a time when supply chains have been disrupted, produced a challenge for Rajan. He comments: “When planning displays, I did struggle with selecting which appliance manufacturer to represent, I didn’t want to be the same as every other independent retailer on the high street offering just BSH products. With the assistance of Mereway, I was put in touch with Caple, I loved the products, the end user price points and the fact they have availability as disruption took hold of the industry. They have been incredibly supportive throughout my journey as have Mereway, and now Hacker too.” Rajan explains he chose the furniture suppliers as they also have sustainability credentials, which is a core value of the business. Mereway Group, which manufacture Trend Interiors kitchens, uses timbers that are either Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, approved by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), or originated from managed forests. While Hacker Kitchens is a Carbon Neutral company. It adds to the environmental ethos of the business, with a showroom run on 100% green energy, banned single use plastics and reduced paper use. “I don’t give out design packs, unless it’s really required, because we work to reduce our waste, which helps our carbon footprint. The online account platform available from Compusoft delivers it online”, explains Rajan. In fact, Puzzle Kitchens has signed up to the SME Climate Hub, a climate action platform for small to medium businesses, which commit to halve greenhouse gas emissions before 2030 and achieve net zero before 2040. Rajan confidently adds: “I started in a strong place, by making sure my carbon use was as low as possible from the beginning, so I’m sure I’ll be carbon neutral by 2030.” It’s clear the importance Rajan pays to the environment, seeing it as a duty of the business rather than a sales advantage, particularly when he says people talk about sustainability but will often choose a cheaper or easier option. Undeterred, he explains: “As a retailer, if I don’t encourage it and educate consumers on what’s

available, they won’t know any difference. They need that guidance. They need direction.” But he believes manufacturers should also be helping educate retailers on how to push the ‘green’ agenda through to their customers. “I’ve not had that level of support from any kind of manufacturer – whether I decided to go with them or not”, reports Rajan.

Rising extension costs Although open for less than a year, Rajan says he has lots of leads coming in and business hasn’t slowed. However, he admits conversion has been slightly more difficult as he has been attracting clients with lower budgets than his target range of £25,000-£40,000. Since the majority of his clients want kitchens for new build extensions, he believes the rising costs of building materials may have impacted the value of kitchen orders. Rajan says “The vast majority of quotes going out are in extensions. If clients are still discussing the build with architects, for me to close that deal it’s going to be another two or three months at least. It’s a big time gap, allowing them to shop around. I would like to have people come in and say ‘we’ve got an existing space, we just want to change our kitchen’. They don’t seem to exist right now.” Rajan continues: “I had a client, recently, with a budget of £20,000. I specced it to budget, design was spot on, spoke to them a week later and they loved the kitchen, but couldn’t afford it as they had overspent on the build.”

Learning lessons Although social media has helped raise exposure for the company and educate consumers into what it sells and why, it hasn’t yielded high results for sales leads. However, Rajan says being a member of business networking organisation BNI, with a local group of 18 companies including an architect, interior designer and builder, has already reaped rewards. He exclaims the architect has been able to pass on four leads and he has just started on a project with the builder, which works on exclusive developments, focused on sustainable eco-efficient housing. So has the business met his expectations? Rajan admits he set a “very high” target of selling a kitchen each week. He comments: “I’m conﬁdent with the amount of leads coming through the door and that I will get to one kitchen a week. I think it will take me another 18 months. I know I can achieve it.” And he says it has been a learning curve. But Rajan has bold ambitions for the business “to be in the position that I’m the goto for someone who wants a sustainable kitchen with a personalised service, and it’s not going to cost them the earth.”

3 3. VIRTUAL REALITY To differentiate the business from high street competitors, Puzzle Kitchens has focused on offering Virtual Reality design consultations

4 4. SURREY-BASED SHOWROOM Starting out online, Rajan recognised the need for a physical showroom and took the lease on this high street location in June 2021

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KITCHENS

SUPPLIER PROFILE

Haier and higher Haier outlined its ambition to be number one appliance group in the UK market and third in Europe at its 1 Vision conference for trade partners

In a return to a physical version of its 1 Vision conference, held at Manchester Central, Haier outlined its ambition to be number one appliance group in UK & Ireland by the end of 2023 and number three in Europe. The Haier Group, which owns Hoover, Candy and Haier brands is already the biggest appliance manufacturer in the world. Despite only being established in 1984, it has over 120 factories supplying to 160 countries, with appliances present in 1billion households and a network of 140,000 retail partners globally. CEO of UK and Republic of Ireland David Meyerowitz explains the company plans to leverage group resources and experiences: “We are afforded the luxury to dream big, with conﬁdence, in the knowledge that we can leverage the winning resources and experiences of Haier in order to repeat their global successes right here. Together, we can harness the strength of this proven winner to provide the foundations on which to build our own dreams and our ambitions.” He added: “Our dream is to be supplier of choice for our trade partners and to help us to be number one in the UK and Ireland by the end of next year.”

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Meeting milestones Haier has already prepared for a much bigger UK business, including the expansion of its HQ in Birchwood, Warrington and launch of brand activation centre. And Meyerowitz listed the sales achievements of its built-in business and premium Haier brand. He said the built-in appliance business had an original plan of delivering 500,000 units by 2022, but which was achieved in 2021, with sales growth of 65% on the prior year. He commented on built-in sales: “This is an incredible business that has doubled in size within the last three years.” All this has been achieved without the premium Haier built-in brand, which was launched into the UK in March, so the company now has a target of 1million sales by 2026. In addition, Meyerowitz stated sales of its premium brand Haier were also reported at 65% growth, which he said made it one of the top 30 fastest-growing Chinese companies in the UK for two years running. The Haier brand has tripled in size in the UK in the last three years, and last year the group had sold 1million connected appliances in the UK & Ireland.

1 1. CEO OF UK AND ROI David Meyerowitz explains the ambition is to be the number one appliance group in the UK

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2. CEO OF HAIER EUROPE

3. BUSINESS DIRECTOR FREESTANDING UK AND ROI

The vision of the group remains “to enter into the top three home appliance companies in Europe by 2026”, says Yannick Fierling

Steve Macdonald highlighted the group’s work in sustainability with aims for 100% of its products to be remotely updated Over The Air

Accelerating value The company’s vision is not just to sell more product but to “optimise the positioning” of its three brands Hoover, Candy and Haier. Last year, it announced it planned to deliver another £200million at retail value with its trade partners. Its multibrand freestanding and built-in appliance business grew UK market share from 11.6% in 2020 to 12.6% in 2021 with a peak share of nearly 14% and grew value of its built-in, freestanding cooling and freestanding washing machines, outpacing the market. There are also plans to extend the premium appliance brand Haier, in the coming years, to gain a bigger share of the market. “Our business in the UK and Ireland is going from strength to strength. Last year we recorded a fantastic 25% growth in sales and a doubling in our proﬁts. That means we can reinvest to go again for our dreams for this year” explained Meyerowitz. However the brand has bigger ambitions becoming “the UK’s favoured trade supplier” and a top three player in Europe.

third parties to create an ecosystem, such as with supermarkets. Although the company already has 40% of market share in connected products, it has further plans in connectivity, as Fierling adds: “We want to have 100% of our appliances connected between themselves and also with third parties, creating value, generating revenue and generating proﬁt.”

Investing in growth To support this growth, the company has invested €71million in a cooling factory and a €50million tumble dryer plant in 2021. In addition, it is set to launch a €45million dishwashing factory in Turkey, with a cooking factory also planned in the same country, to open in 2023. In addition, Haier has invested in digitalisation – such as Artiﬁcial Intelligence including picture recognition for ‘snap and do’ functions, for ease of use, and enhancing sustainability by extending appliance lifespans, with Over The Air maintenance and upgrades.

Haier has also invested in its supply chain and team to feed the company’s growth ambitions, including doubling number of UK & Ireland ports, tripling shipping contracts, increasing inland hauliers to six and expanding its rail network. Although Haier expects disruption for the remainder of the year, through planning it believes it will be an improved situation to last year. Setting out why Haier has been successful and why he believes it will continue to achieve further growth, Yannick Fierling concludes it is because of entrepreneurship and empowerment “leaving the control to the markets and zero distance to the end consumer. We don’t want to offer a product for the world. We want to offer a product which is responding to the needs in the UK… When the markets have control, they are allowed to move much faster with our trade partners in terms of decision-making and in terms of sales.” Discover more about Haier at www.rdr.link/KAF043

Growing business Despite the volatile trading environment, CEO of Haier Europe Yannick Fierling reports the company has been the fastest-growing home appliance company in Europe for the past three years. It has also been the biggest home appliance group in the world, for the sixth year in a row. Yannick Fierling stated over the last ﬁve years, the company has grown by 20%, with growth of Haier Europe close to 22% in 2021. He exclaimed the vision of the group remained “to enter into the top three home appliance companies in Europe by 2026.” Working to this plan, Haier has been developing an “ambitious but also practical and articulable” plan, which includes moving from a product to an experience offer and working with

4 4. CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER UK AND ROI Jim McEwan states product availability has been less affected than other manufacturers and although the company expects disruption, with its recent investments, it anticipates supply to be improved on last year.

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BUSINESS

SME ADVICE

Company matters

Offering support for independent kitchen and bathroom firms because your business is our business

RECRUITMENT

FINANCE

Think before you link

5 Accounting mistakes made by KBB business owners.

There’s no doubt business has become more intertwined with our personal lives in the wake of the pandemic. We all began to communicate differently and, over Zoom meetings, we got to virtually visit each other’s homes – often meeting partners, pets and children, which removed social barriers and created new team dynamics once we returned to the workplace. As we continue to explore hybrid and remote styles of working, sharing our professional and personal lives is becoming increasingly commonplace. This style of digital activity is now inﬁltrating platforms like LinkedIn, which is fastbecoming a ‘business casual’ Facebook for some users wanting to network behind the screen or convey their personal brand and achievements as a job seeker.

Social media caution As a recruiter and someone old enough to remember how revolutionary ‘dress down Friday’ was back in the Noughties, I want to point out job seekers and businesses need to exercise caution when using social media posts. Every post is part of the rich tapestry of your online footprint and your attractiveness as a company or an employee. If you’re not happy with what comes up when you Google yourself or your company, you need to do something about it pronto and remember that if you wouldn’t shout something in your workplace or in public, keep it zipped online. The digital space is fantastic but it is all too easy to get it wrong with a jokey comment that misﬁres or an emotional response to a world event which although heartfelt is not relevant in a business context. Don’t give an employer a reason to turn you down or bracket you as potentially ‘unprofessional’ or ‘out of touch’.

Consider online presence I therefore invite you to give your online presence and activity, some serious consideration. Job seekers, if you wouldn’t say it in an interview, please don’t say it on your LinkedIn proﬁle – keep your settings for Facebook or Instagram private. Remember future employers want someone who will

40 JUNE K&BNEWS www.kandbnews.co.uk

represent their brand in front of their customers so being a loose cannon with an eclectic range of opinions and interests may not necessarily tick their boxes. LinkedIn is a tool for people to meet and collaborate and do business, and as such needs to be a helpful support to your actual business in the real world. Business owners, think of it as part of your broader corporate strategy and brand story.

Work life balance In my opinion, you need to separate work and home life and a great way is to create a dedicated page for your business. It’s also worth noting our members of staff will have their own social media proﬁles and depending on their roles (and your business model), it may be appropriate for them to also tell your brand story in their voice, to their connections. My only advice here is to nail down the dos and don’ts when posting through your staff. Business is business, so it is in everyone’s interests to think before you link. EXPERT: Peter Jones COMPANY: Foyne Jones BACKGROUND: Peter Jones is founder and managing director of Foyne Jones, specialist recruitment agency for kbb retail, independent and national merchant and construction sales. He is also the host of podcast The Peter Jones Show, which covers recruitment and industry news and features guests which are leaders in the industry CONTACT: www.rdr.link/KAF044

Accounting is notoriously complex but as a small business owner, good accounting practices are essential to the ﬁnancial health of your organisation. Taking your accounting seriously from the start is the best way to set your small business up for success and it will allow you to operate much more efficiently in the future. Bad accounting, on the other hand, can lead to ﬁnancial and legal difficulties that may seriously threaten the survival and success of your enterprise. Here are the most common accounting mistakes made by small business owners so that you can avoid them. Mistakes compound over time, so it’s important to pay close attention to your accounts right from the very beginning.

1. Procrastination One of the most common accounting mistakes that small business owners make is waiting too long to prepare their financial information. When tax season is months away, it’s very tempting to put accounting off until later but this is a dangerous misstep. The longer accounting mistakes go unnoticed, the more damage they are likely to do to your business. In order to make sure that your financial information is as accurate as possible, update your books on at least a weekly basis. This makes tax season far more manageable and prevents you from making mistakes that will require a lot of time and money to fix.

2. Misunderstanding metrics Many business owners, in particular, often confuse terms such as revenue, net profit and cash flow. A common financial mistake that small businesses make is focusing solely on revenue without subtracting expenses to calculate their net profit. This can lead to serious overspending. Furthermore, many business owners get carried away and forget that there may be a significant difference between their net profit and their net profit after tax. As well as encouraging overspending, this can lead to significant financial problems when it’s time to file a tax return.

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SOCIAL MEDIA How to generate leads

3. Mixing personal and business banking Sole traders are legally permitted to use their personal bank accounts for their business, but this is not the wisest course of action. It’s best to separate your business and personal bank accounts as soon as possible, in order to avoid ﬁnancial blunders. For one thing, going back over your bank accountants and trying to remember which transactions were personal and which were business-related is a sureﬁre way to give yourself a headache. It’s also a huge waste of valuable time that could be better spent growing your enterprise. Additionally, you may face an array of legal problems should your business be audited.

Inspiration’s a bit like an unruly teenager, it comes and goes as it pleases! But one of the key requirements of success on social media is consistency, which can be a pain if you’re wanting to post but can’t decide what to write about. So, for those moments when your mind and screen are blank, here are some suggestions to get those post creative juices ﬂowing! There are three categories of post you can create, depending upon what you are looking to achieve. 쎲 Gaining visibility, to get your connections to know, like and trust you. 쎲 Lead generation, ‘this is what I do and how I can help you!’ 쎲 Sales conversion, ‘Look how great this is, come and get it!

4. Miscalculations Simple mathematical mistakes are all too easy to make, but an innocent error can compound over time and damage the ﬁnancial health of your business. It’s important to concentrate fully and double-check every entry. Accounting software can automate many calculations for you to ensure accuracy, so a subscription may prove a worthy investment.

5. Trying to do it all yourself Trying to handle your accounts by yourself is a costly and timeconsuming mistake. Many small businesses attempt DIY accounting when they first start out, in order to keep costs low, but this can actually slow down their growth and threaten their financial health. At a basic level, partnering with a good accountant that understands your industry, helps business owners to avoid expensive accounting mistakes and saves them a huge amount of time, allow owners to focus on growing their business. Furthermore, the right accountant can save businesses a significant sum of money on their tax returns, thanks to their upto-date knowledge and financial expertise. Like it or not, accounting is part and parcel of running a business and it’s very important to do it correctly. By taking accounting seriously from the very beginning and hiring professional help, you can protect your business against the above accounting mistakes and focus on growth instead of putting out fires. EXPERT: Kevin Bannister FCCA COMPANY: The Accurate Accountant BACKGROUND: Managing director of The Accurate Accountant, Kevin Bannister works with KBB business owners to help them maximise their income and be as tax efficient as possible while ensuring they are fully compliant with HMRC. CONTACT: www.rdr.link/KAF045

Posts are like diets in that variety is the spice of social media life, too many of any one type and your readers will be bored and unsatisﬁed and will scroll on by! But here we’re going to take a look at how to generate leads from social media posts. It’s great to socialise on social media, of course it is, but never lose sight of the fact that you are here to gain leads and hopefully convert these into sales! Lead generating posts show your industry knowledge, your ability to offer solutions to problems and help you establish yourself and your brand as people to do business with!

own business, but people take far more notice when somebody else does! Good reviews and testimonials are postal gold – use them!

Thought leadership You know your industry, spread that knowledge and give your own opinions about what needs to be improved. Giving your opinions on top of just the facts really shows you think about your industry and try to come up with solutions to problems within it. Facts plus opinions about them go together very well!

Company news Have you just secured that big order you were chasing for ages? Are you moving into a swanky new office? There’s always something going on in your workplace that deserves to be broadcast to the widest possible audience. Anything that shows your company in a good light makes it a more attractive prospect to do business with!

Case studies and testimonials

Blogs

Case studies are perfect to showcase your knowledge in action, identifying a problem and coming up with a solution to solve it. You and your business in action, showing you walking the walk, not just talking the talk! And what can be better for a business than the praise of others? It’s one thing to big up your

Do you upload blogs to your website? If you do, posting about them is a useful method of directing traffic to your website, enabling your website and social media to work together to effectively promote your business. Next time we will look at posts to convert sales.

EXPERT: Anna Rump or #thesocialmedialady COMPANY: Amelia Rose Media BACKGROUND: Social media consultant Anna Rump of Amelia Rose Media works with lifestyle brands to help boost their income. She has recently taken engagement on social media, for one company, from under 1% to over 20% in three months and brought in sales worth over £50,000. Anna Rump achieved this in under 90 posts across three platforms. CONTACT: www.rdr.link/KAF046

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NEWS & VIEWS

MAKING HEADLINES

Top 3

Compusoft + 2020

website stories What has been driving Kitchens & Bathrooms News website traffic? Here are the three stories with the biggest hits in April on www.kandbnews.co.uk Smeg UK

Recently merged company Compusoft + 2020 has appointed Joerg Jung to the position of chief executive officer. Most recently, Jung was president and general manager international (EMEA & AJP) and member of the executive leadership team with speciﬁc cloud solution provider. Infor. He was responsible for all business, customer, employees and partners in that region, which was more than half of Infor’s global business. Discover more on this at www.rdr.link/KAF048

Smeg UK has appointed Pete Jarvis, who has over 20 years’ of experience in electrical retail and national accounts, as head of national accounts which nurtures relationships with the likes of John Lewis, AO, Currys, Wren Kitchens, Magnet, Appliance City and Buy It Direct. He joins the company from Montpellier Domestic Appliances, where he worked as sales director. Find out more at

ASKO

www.rdr.link/KAF047

www.rdr.link/KAF049

Scandinavian luxury appliances manufacturer ASKO has announced it is opening a showroom in Stokeon-Trent, following a six-ﬁgure investment in the space. The 3,000sqft showroom will be home to more than 50 products from ASKO’s UK portfolio. Retailers and trade representatives will be able to access the space to see the brand’s Drying Cabinets, built-in Craft cooking range and Wine Climate Cabinet. Read more on this story at

ADVERTISEMENT INDEX Here is a useful summary of all the adverts that appear in this issue of Kitchens & Bathrooms News. Each is listed with its page number and a direct URL that will get you straight to the relevant online information. Ambiance Bain ........................................................................(page 33)

HIB Ltd ......................................................................................(page 31)

www.rdr.link/KAF100

www.rdr.link/KAF109

BIKBBI ......................................................................(inside back cover)

Hills Panel Products Ltd..........................................................(page 11)

www.rdr.link/KAF101

www.rdr.link/KAF110

Blanco Ltd..................................................................................(page 19)

Mantaleda Bathroom Co Ltd ..................................................(page 31)

www.rdr.link/KAF102

www.rdr.link/KAF111

Caple ..........................................................................................(page 20)

Nolte Kitchen GmbH & Co KG ..................................................(page 6)

www.rdr.link/KAF103

www.rdr.link/KAF112

Cossentino UK ............................................................................(page 9)

Reginox UK Ltd ........................................................................(page 13)

www.rdr.link/KAF104

www.rdr.link/KAF113

CR Laurence UK Ltd ................................................................(page 23)

Riobel ......................................................................(inside front cover)

www.rdr.link/KAF105

www.rdr.link/KAF114

Crown Products ..................................................................(back cover)

Trend Kitchens............................................................................(page 4)

www.rdr.link/KAF106

www.rdr.link/KAF115

Franke UK Ltd ..........................................................................(page 17)

Utopia Furniture Ltd................................................................(page 29)

www.rdr.link/KAF107

www.rdr.link/KAF116

Geberit ......................................................................................(page 26) www.rdr.link/KAF108 42 JUNE K&BNEWS www.kandbnews.co.uk

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