NEWS | Round-up
NEWS IN BRIEF
• Howdens has partnered with men’s health charity Movember to raise funds to support projects and research. As part of the partnership, which will run year- round, Howdens is encouraging employees and its customers to take part in a month-long fund- raising event during November.
• UK range cooker brand Leisure has announced the return of its successful cashback promotion. Until January 3, 2024, customers can receive £100 cashback when purchasing a 900mm range cooker, £150 cashback on a 1,000mm range cooker, and £250 cashback on a 1,100mm range cooker.
• Kitchen and appliance supplier Waterline has released its winter 2023 online ‘blue book’. The 465-page catalogue features a host of new appliance innovations, including a bumper selection detailing 20 promotional savings.
• French kitchen and furniture manufacturer Schmidt has launched a new UK website. Said to use an intuitive and user-friendly interface, visitors can navigate through the brand’s extensive product collection, with sections dedicated to kitchens, wardrobes, bookcases, home offices and more.
• Retailer InStil Design in Oxford has recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Initially focusing on selling bathrooms to clients, it later expanded and added kitchens to its offering. As part of its anniversary celebrations, the team unveiled several new partner brands and showroom displays.
• HPP has launched a new blogging microsite which it says aims to help inspire and inform consumers about the latest colours, materials and design trends for the home, office and retail spaces.
• Sir Bob Murray, the founder of kitchen furniture brand Omega and former chairman of Sunderland AFC, has published his autobiography. Titled ‘I’d Do It All Again’, 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the Foundation of Light charity.
• Kitchen brand Callerton has introduced the newest edition of its Callerton Designer Guide. Said to encapsulate the evolution of kitchen design, it features sleek Handleless 780 cabinets, its brand- new contemporary door ranges, and an updated paint palette.
10
2023 business has been a ‘mixed bag’ for retailers
CAUTIOUS CONSUMERS taking time to come to firm decisions is one of the main factors leading to a quiet market, according to KBB retailers. Speaking to kbbreview at the Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association (KBSA) conference, retailers’ anecdotal views were mixed on how their business was performing, but a clear consensus described a fall in enquiries and delays in decision making.
Dan Stronge, MD of Jones Britain in East Sussex said business was currently ‘quiet’. “Most of the year’s been up and down,” he said. “I was expecting September to pick up, but it didn’t, so it’s been a mixed picture. Enquiries are quiet, but we’ve had a good run of clients in the past few months.” This view was echoed by Graham Robinson, showroom and design manager at Halcyon Interiors on Wigmore Street, who said: “It’s not easy, but it’s OK. People are dithering and can’t really make a decision. The people coming in are serious, but they’re taking longer to make the final push.” Luke Wedgbury, owner of Coalville Kitchens took a pragmatic view, saying business was “OK, but that’s as good as it gets. Nobody’s breaking any records. But equally I don’t think there are dangerous levels of
people going under. We’re getting a lot of feedback from clients saying they probably want to wait til next year. Those projects will come home to roost so we’re not worried. Our lead generation hasn’t dipped but getting leads converted into sales is a bit difficult.” Phil Beechinor, MD at Alexander in Worthing, said business for him has been ‘a little bit uncertain’. “We had slow footfall during the summer, but it’s gradually picking up,” he said. “We’re starting to see a few more orders come in but it’s definitely not as busy as this time last year. Overall, we’re generally back to where we were a few years ago. I think everybody had a boom over the last two years and it’s mellowing back to where it was pre-lockdown.” Richard Hibbert, KBSA chairman and owner of KSL in
Sudbury, said that he was also getting a ‘mixed bag’ of reports back from members. “I think if you’re in the upper
level of the market, you’ve been fine. We’ve found that our order values are much higher than they were last year. People working in the middle and lower market levels have found it tough. I’ve spoken to a lot of our members recently, and it’s been a really mixed bag for them. But, I believe there’s still a massive opportunity for independents next year.”
AI is ‘absolutely’ here to stay for the KBB industry, says technology expert
RETAILERS AND designers must train
themselves up technology now so on that AI they
won’t be left behind as the technology develops.
That was the stark warning from Artificial Intelligence (AI) expert Mike Bradley, speaking at this year’s Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Asso- ciation (KBSA) conference.
Bradley was asked about whether AI will create new requirements for training, and if so, how it will affect the KBB industry. He responded: “Absolutely, I think it will have to. Everyone has to take a conscious decision to realise that this is here, so it has to be part of what they do. We
have to look at how we can upskill people to ensure that we’re developing the very best in the very best way and meeting our customers’ needs in every single facet of what we do. “If you’re going to accept AI, train
everybody and make sure that it happens sooner rather than later. The only other caveat is that things happen so quickly that things you were working on two weeks ago can already change – things can move really quickly. So there
is something to be said for
research and taking one’s time. Don’t rush into it, but you definitely need to make it part of your long-term plans. “For good or ill, AI is here, and if everyone in your organisation is using
it ethically and responsibly, it will be a benefit for everybody.”
Other questions posed to Bradley focused on the recurring issue of AI potentially becoming a risk to professionals. When asked about whether these fears were valid, he said: “The expert is still the expert. We’re the bridge, so nothing would happen without that expert. “It’s something to be discussed and considered. Would someone ask AI to design their kitchen for them? Potentially. Is someone going to then ask AI to navigate the whole supply chain from beginning to end? No, it still can’t do that yet, and we’re still a long way off.”
• November 2023
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