Adapting to change | ANALYSIS


Lisa Kyme, MD, Ripples London


The Covid pandemic may have started almost four years ago, but the experience and aftermath will continue to provide us with tangible evidence of resilience among KBB retailers. Lisa Kyme explains how key changes she implemented as a reaction to Covid lockdowns are still paying dividends today


We – like many in the KBB sector – were very fortunate that during the


Covid period incredibly busy.


After having been sat at home for months, many consumers went off on a home-improvement rampage. Our turnover doubled and, while the situation itself was a big factor, it also had a lot to do with the changes I made to the business in order for us to adapt to the challenge.


One of the things we did in the Ripples London showroom, as a direct result of Covid lockdowns and not being able to invite customers into the showroom for a time, was to develop and introduce an


online


booking system. This was rolled out across all


we were


franchises and is something we still use today. This system not only made the process more flexible for consumers and made our lives easier as retailers, it also meant survival because, without it, we wouldn’t


have been able to do business. Not only did the online booking system help us survive the Covid lockdowns, it has also helped us win new business since. While we actively encourage people to come into the showroom, for some consumers, being able to start the process from home, via an online appointment, just makes it more of a possibility.


There are always ups and downs in retail, but with a positive mind-set and being open to change, you learn to roll with the punches and keep going


Prior to implementing the online booking system, we would be relying on people remembering to pop into the showroom and make an appointment in person. There’s a chance they might forget and could end up looking at a different


bathroom showroom altogether. Giving them the option to


Dan Stronge, MD, Jones Britain, Tunbridge Wells


To combat falling consumer confidence as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, Dan Stronge changed his business by relocating and redesigning his showroom to appeal to high-end consumers less affected by financial strains


The past few years have been challenging to say the least. We’ve had Brexit, then Covid, then conflict in Europe. All these combined have made the market tough and it’s that bit harder to get people across the line. I wouldn’t say there’s just one specific plan I’ve put in place that has helped us navigate the challenges, but making our business appeal to a wider market is definitely one. In all honesty, we’ve yo-yoed in the marketplace over the years, precisely to deal with such scenarios, with low consumer confidence. We generally aimed at the mid-market, but as people began tightening their belts after the Covid-boom, we decided to target the upper end.


So, we pushed our marketing in a February 2024 •


direction that catered for consumers less affected by the economic pressures – those that are prepared to spend £80,000+ on a kitchen.


Audience We haven’t stopped catering for the middle market, because there are still people spending in that sector, but we’ve upped our marketing, our offering and moved our showroom to appeal to a wider audience. The move to a new showroom and


new area was costly, but I was able to invest money that I made from selling the previous showroom. The new showroom is nearer to


Royal Tunbridge Wells, which has got a huge footprint of people who all need kitchens and it’s got a high percentage of the demographic


we’re trying to tap into. The new showroom is a larger,


more visually appealing space that not only features more displays, but larger ones that mirror the kind of kitchens that consumers at the high- end have. All of the products we sell will work for the mid-range customer but the way we’ve displayed them, they will attract interest from those willing to spend more. We’re also doing more targeted marketing – in print and online – so that we attract those that are not only willing to spend more on a kitchen, but those who are prepared to spend even in the current economy. This is a strategy we have been implementing for years in order to adapt to challenges in the market. Seven or eight years ago, we were


book an appointment or a call back via our website has made the whole process much easier and flexible for time-poor consumers. Not only that, but it’s also made our lives in the studio easier too. It helped us appeal to a wider audience and opened up busi ness opportunities much further afield. For instance, I’m working with a client at the moment that lives in Amsterdam. He has a flat in London too, which is how he knew about us, but he is predominantly based in Amsterdam. So, because we do online appoint-


ments and presentations, he knew that he could get the ball rolling on the project from his home in Amsterdam.


Online I’m pretty sure that without the online appointment function, that client wouldn’t have considered working with us. There are obviously a number of lessons that we learned during Covid and the changes we made to survive, I’m still carrying on to this day and will going forward. There are always ups and downs


in retail, but with a posi tive mind-set and willingness to change, you learn how to roll with the punches and keep going.


the other way around. We were aiming solely at the top end of the market. Back then, our showroom was basically all bespoke product, but we suddenly realised that we were missing out on the mid-market consumer. That’s when we changed our portfolio to include a more mid-market offering. It was a very successful move and we still sell that brand today. So now we have Master class alongside our bespoke, Jones Britain kitchen collection and both can cater for the mid-high end. You always have to monitor the market and be prepared to adapt to those changes, so that you don’t miss out on any opportunities. We’re reaping the benefits too. Our


turnover is growing each year. The quantity of kitchens that we do in a year has actually gone down, but because our average order value is higher, were making more.





You have to monitor what’s going on in the market and be prepared to adapt to meet those changes so that you don’t miss out on any opportunities


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