NEWS | Round-up


Should you charge for designs?


KITCHEN DESIGNERS have split opinions about charging customers for design work. However, there is some agreement that top-end customers should pay while the mid-market and below should not, as the fee puts a significant barrier in place for the customer. Three top retailers - Jonathan Kneen from Creative Interiors in the Isle of Man, Anna Rock from Colin Maher Design in Dublin, and Nick Warrington from Stuart J Warrington in Macclesfield - debated this topic on a recent episode of The kbbreview Podcast.


One of the main concerns about not charging for designs is that it can attract time wasters. As a result, Kneen has taken a common approach, which is to charge for designs but then have that


amount deducted from the


deposit or total amount when the customer commits to the project. He explained: “With the amount of


time and effort that goes into doing a design, I do not think that it should be free. And, my train of thought in that is that if a potential client has to pay for their design, it can be refunded when they are signed up. I think free designs


that are open to absolutely anyone could attract the wrong people.” Colin Maher Design is a bespoke kitchen specialist who caters to the high-end, while Stuart J Warrington in Macclesfield is a mid-market kitchen brand. The former charges €250 per design, while the latter does not change anything. Warrington has been ‘caught out’ by


time wasters, as they design a project for free, and then clients do not follow through with the order. The top end of the market, where the designs can be more labour-intensive, is where he believes charging may be a good idea. But, for his bread and butter of the mid-market, the initial cost for the design may be too much of a barrier for some clients. Stuart J Warrington is surrounded by other mid-market kitchen showrooms and has to look at the competition; Warrington said: “As a business, I am looking at who our competition is, and that is a diverse section of the market, so we will have people who have looked at a B&Q kitchen and we will have people who have looked at other independents. Howdens, Magnet and Wren are all local


to us, and people will also go to them.


“I am starting from a point of getting the customer in and showing them what we offer that they don’t offer and that’s demonstrating the service we provide. But what I try to do is to prequalify people we are not on a main high-street, so we don’t get passing footfall and people have made the conscious decision to come in and see us.”


Pre-screening clients is also a way to help eliminate time wasters; Colin Maher Design filters its clients before the design stage. For example, at first contact on the website, the client fills in a form listing all of their basic requirements about the budget, which means the designer knows that the client is serious before it gets to the


Häfele Group announces new CEO


HÄFELE GROUP has announced the appointment of a new chief executive ahead of its centenary celebrations. Sybille Thierer, who has spent 20 leading


years


Magnet partners with Used Kitchen Exchange


USED KITCHEN Exchange (UKE) has partnered with Magnet to offer its customers the ability to trade in their pre-owned kitchens. Selling used kitchens is more common in the high-end market, but the founder of UKE, Helen Lord, hopes the new partnership with Magnet will make the concept more mainstream. Lord said: “While UKE’s rehome service is well known within our industry, the concept of selling a used kitchen when buying new is not mainstream. We are delighted that this is now being championed by a trusted retailer as large as Magnet, setting a high standard of sustainability within the industry and beyond. “Partnership discussions between UKE and Magnet began nearly three years ago, following a meeting with Nobia’s product developer at kbb Birmingham 2020 – just before the first lockdown. It took until earlier this year for planning to begin in earnest to become a partner of Magnet’s Mindful World concept.” Currently being trialled in Magnet’s in South Wimbledon, Kensington and Esher stores. Depending on their condition, old kitchens will either be refurbished for affordable charity resale, stripped for parts or converted into biomass. Customers will receive money back that can be put towards their new Magnet kitchen.


12 the German furniture


fittings and hardware specialist, is now handing over the role to Gregor Riekena, the company’s current MD, who will become the fifth CEO in the brand’s history and only the second non-family member to take on the role Riekena joined Häfele as head of marketing in 2011 and became chief marketing officer in 2015, supporting the company intensively at both a national and international level. He has overseen the brand strategy of the Häfele Group, as well as the development of its global e-commerce platform. He is now making preparations to move Häfele into its next century of business, by spearheading its Corporate Strategy 2030 project.


The succession will be completed by January 1, 2023, and Thierer will remain as chairman of the board of directors, integral to the future


decision-making of the group. Thierer said of his new role: “With this change at the top of the business, we are confidently underlining our launch into the next Häfele century. This is not about doing everything like we did before, it’s about the further development of the industry. “Everything I have done has always been about making spaces more liveable for people in a contemporary way, but this is only possible by taking a holistic look at


furniture and


furnishings. This was the only way for Häfele to develop from a hardware dealer and manufacturer into a specialist and consultant that is in demand all over the world for furnishing all kinds of rooms.


“As a group, we have worked together to lay the foundation for shaping the future. During this intensive phase, it became clear that the time had come to hand over responsibility to Gregor.”


· January 2023 first appointment. According to Rock, more than


90% of Colin Maher Design’s clients are happy to pay that fee as the people would already know the process and the business. She said: “When I know that I have built up the reputation of the company and explained all the benefits of going ahead with our company. This is the point where I am explaining how time consuming the process is for the designs including the 3D renders. At this point, I am asking the client if they feel comfortable because there is a fee of €250 for the design process and looking after their project.”


• To listen to this, and all of the other episodes of The kbbreview Podcast, visit pod.kbbreview.com


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