NEWS | Round-up VIEWPOINT The generation game


The KBSA national chair says independents are ideally placed to make the most of the growing inclusive market


Installers CEO pleads with PM to rethink immigration plans


A TYPICAL independent KBB retailer designs


kitchens and bathrooms for many different types of families. Designers usually begin by asking about the make-up of the family and how they want to use their new space. If this includes children or elderly parents, then features that will make the space safe and easy for them to use will be incorporated. But, with increasing evidence that multigenerational living is on the rise, do retailers need to do more to make the most of this opportunity? Independent retailers are well placed to gain a competitive advantage, as it is part of their skill set to spend time with each customer, so that the design they provide is unique to them.


There is a market for inclusive bathrooms that don’t compromising on design


While this may be something a retailer takes for granted, marketing the ability to design for multigenerational living could open up new markets. Recent statistics from The Resolution Foundation show that the total number of all multigenerational households in Britain was around 1.8 million. They suggest that even if customers are not already living multigenerationally, maybe more should be planning to future-proof their kitchen. This is already something that we see in bathroom design. Replacing baths with


walk-in


showers, for example, is something that customers think about before they have a need for it. Manufacturers have realised there is a market for this and there is a wide range of beautifully designed products available


that provide safe,


inclusive bathrooms without compromising on design. When it comes to kitchen products, designers can make suggestions – high-level, built-in appliances, rather than range cookers or drawers hidden within drawers to keep knives out of reach, and ergonomically-designed handles, are all easy examples. But there is not yet much furniture designed specifically for this market. There are signs that this is changing. A 2018 RSA student design awards competition, Eat, Share, Live, was conceived to bring imaginative thinking to kitchens for multigenerational households. Another project likely to make a difference is the brainchild of Peter Gore, professor of practice in ageing and vitality at Newcastle University. This is a Government-funded project at the National Innovation Centre for Ageing (Nica). Known as, The 4 Generational Kitchen, it addresses the challenges of an ageing population through kitchen design. A prototype is due to launch at Nica’s new £50 million Helix building headquarters later this spring [For more on this project, read our interview with Johnny Grey, pages 63-64]. Independent retailers can embrace this challenge by supporting these initiatives to enable them to continue to


provide family spaces that are safe, functional and fun. 8 sociable,


THE PROPOSED government overhaul of immigration will put ‘enormous pressure’ on the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom installation sector, according to the chief executive of the main industry installers body. In a letter to the Prime Minister, , Damian Walters (pictured), CEO of The British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom and Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI), said that the post-Brexit plans – which propose a points-based system – could exclude many fitters from working in the UK.


“The [reported] introduction of measures to limit foreign labour… have the potential to add enormous pressure to the home-improvement and construction industry – an industry already in crisis with a severe skills gap,” Walters said. The


Government believes that these


changes will encourage employers to “move away” from “cheap labour” from Europe and invest more in home-grown staff. Walters says that the Farmer Review, a 2016 report commissioned by the Government to look at labour in the UK construction market, identified many key issues, including a chronic lack of skilled workers. “With our departure from the European Union, the UK labour market now faces additional challenges,” he said. “Challenges that didn’t exist at the time of the Farmer Review now present additional unmapped complexities that I believe will almost certainly


be catastrophic for the construction and home- improvement industry if not handled carefully within proposed immigration policy.


“While some progress has been made following the recommendations of the review, the simple fact remains that there is not enough skilled labour to deliver against the demand of both construction targets and indeed consumer need.” He has asked the Prime Minster to work with trade associations, such as the BiKBBI, to understand issues more thoroughly before embarking on wholesale immigration changes. “The vast majority of our SME members, hard-working and highly skilled home- improvement specialists, may not meet the formal qualification requirement for a number of reasons, let alone the unskilled labour that support their respective businesses. “I believe that [trade associations] can play an integral role in supporting the Government to achieve a balanced policy that accepts that hard- working people from across the globe do not necessarily arrive with paper qualification, but perhaps do possess the skills to support Government


targets on construction and


consumers expectations on home improvement.” In a recent kbbreview survey [January, pgs 52-58], kitchen and bathroom retailers said that finding skilled fitters was the single biggest issue they faced – placing it much higher than Brexit.


Victorian Plumbing appoints new MD


ONLINE BATHROOM brand Victorian Plumbing has announced the appointment of Stephnie Judge as its new managing director. She takes over from current MD Mark Radcliffe – the founder and owner of Victorian Plumbing – who will move into the role of chairman. Both changes are effective as of March 1. Judge has been with the firm since 2013, joining as office administrator and PA to Radcliffe. Her business acumen and leadership skills were recognised in 2016, when she was promoted to the position of general manager, overseeing operations, logistics and personnel. Her promotion to a top-level management position comes at a time when there has been much debate about the gender divide in the KBB industry. Commenting on her promotion, Judge said: “After seven rewarding years with Victorian Plumbing, I’m delighted to be stepping into the role of managing director. I’m grateful for the faith the company has shown in promoting from within and the new role feels like a natural progression after years of becoming increasingly involved in the strategy of the business. “2019 was a great year for the company and a testament to the hard work of our staff. Continuing the consecutive years of growth and profitability is a trend that I intend to oversee as managing director.”


The change in leadership coincides with a strong period of growth at the business. In January, Victorian Plumbing revealed it had achieved record sales in 2019 of £151.7 million – an increase of 28% over the previous 12 months.


It also reported that profits had also jumped 188.6% to £10.1m. · April 2020


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