Viewpoint
Do you REALLY need a showroom? viewpoint // Fiona-Jane Crook
Responding to last month’s opinion article about whether retailers really need physical showrooms, the creative director of Rejig Interiors believes it’s finally time suppliers started thinking beyond the showroom, too.
I
feel compelled to write this because I have spent the past six years building Rejig
Interiors from the ground up, relying almost entirely on reputation,
product knowledge and attention to detail. I also recently read an article in kbbreview about challenging the way independent businesses operate. It raised an important question: why does so much of the KBB industry still treat a physical showroom as the ultimate measure of credibility? When I established Rejig Interiors, securing
direct supplier accounts was extremely difficult. Instead, I often had to purchase products through a third party, allowing another company to take a share of the margin while adding very little value to the process. The message from many suppliers was simple: “Display our products and you will receive an account and better terms”. This approach is deeply rooted in the traditional
showroom model. However, it does not really reflect how many designers, clients and successful businesses operate today. Before establishing Rejig Interiors, I worked in the industry and negotiated terms with showrooms myself. Even then, I recognised that the showroom was not always responsible for generating demand. Much of my time was spent speaking to designers
interior and architects, educating
them about the product and giving them the confidence to specify it. An independent retailer, merchant or showroom would then process the order. The showroom received the sale, the rebate, the display incentives and the supplier support. However, the designer, architect or sales representative had often created the demand, without the specification, there was no sale. I now find myself on the other side of that
relationship. As an interior designer, I am rarely approached by suppliers. Instead, I make the effort to attend trade shows, examine products closely and understand exactly how they work. I am the person who looks inside the cabinet and almost tries to break it! I read installation manuals. I study technical drawings. I want to understand the mechanics, limitations and practical benefits of every product I specify. This level of knowledge allows me to
because securing displays was once one of my own performance targets. However, some of my strongest accounts sold significant volumes without displaying the product at all. Their teams understood it, trusted it and knew how to communicate its value. They did not need a physical display to make the sale.
Level playing field? Showrooms also face another challenge. A
What continues to surprise me is how little accessible information some major brands provide
"
recommend products confidently, even when there is no physical display in front of me. What continues to surprise me is how little
accessible information some major brands provide. The responsibility for explaining the product is often placed almost entirely on the showroom. Why are more brands not producing detailed videos, installation guides, technical demonstrations and honest explanations of their products? A showroom can contain hundreds of
competing products. Every brand is fighting for limited floor space and visibility. I know this
26 kbbreview
customer may visit a showroom, ask the staff for advice and then purchase a product online at a lower price. The showroom has paid for the premises, the display, the lighting, the utilities and the staff. It has provided the knowledge and customer experience, yet an online retailer receives the order. The showroom becomes an unpaid demonstration space for someone else. From a business perspective, why would a new independent take on the financial risk of opening a showroom to support such an inconsistent model? The economics are even more difficult for new businesses. Many established showrooms have operated for decades and may own the buildings from which they trade. Their overheads can be significantly lower than those of a new independent business taking on commercial rent, business rates, staffing costs and display requirements. The risk is not equal. The selling environment has changed, but parts of the industry have not changed with it. Rejig Interiors is fortunate to work with several major brands that trust us to specify and deliver their products in our clients’ homes. These brands recognise that influence does not always come from a shop floor. It can come from technical expertise, trusted relationships, strong design
August 2026
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