RidgeWey | RETAILER PROFILE
luxury ideas. Siemens, Gaggenau, Bora, Miele and Sub-Zero & Wolf appliances are the finishing touches to the Siematic displays, each of which effortlessly projects an image of premium opulence. The effect is amplified further by a wide panoramic window at the front of the store, inviting onlookers to sneak a peek inside. Luckman says that although customers are welcomed with open arms, RidgeWey works hard to curate its image to attract the right client. “At this end of the market, customers might not see the end of their project for six, nine or even 18 months, so you need to reassure them that you know what you’re doing. It’s a leap of faith from their
point of
view, and you need to have the right ele– ments to associate a feeling of luxury with your business.” It’s clear that Luckman absolutely
it
You’ve got to be good enough at what you do, and brave enough to tell people what you won’t do either
loves working in the premium sector, and he’s got his fair share of stories about
too. He recalls: “When I worked in Knightsbridge, a guy came in with a literal blank cheque, and said, ‘can you fill it in for me?’. That’s just the kind of wacky world we live in.”
Strategic thinking
He explains that a unique aspect of luxury retail is knowing how to be
discerning about your clients. Luckman says: “Absolutely everyone’s had a kitchen, so a lot of customers presume they know what they’re talking about right from the get-go. It’s like how living in a house doesn’t automatically make you an architect. Everyone walks in here thinking they already know what they want. “Some people try to seem tough, saying ‘Oh, I don’t like this that you’ve got’, trying to offend me. That’s fine. But you’ve got to be grown-up enough to say ‘this just isn’t for you’. When people try and impress you by saying they don’t have a budget, they very quickly discover they do when you quote them for a £100k kitchen. “We
also get
people who just want a shaker kitchen with a marble top, which isn’t necessarily us either, and we tell them to try
somewhere like Clive Christian ins– tead. You’ve got to be good enough at what you do, and brave enough to tell people what you won’t do either.” Another thing that sets RidgeWey
apart from other studios is that it also undertakes full-scope interior projects. “We wanted to be more than just another kitchen retailer,” Luckman says, “and that opens us up to things like dining tables, bar cabinets, and console tables. If a customer wants a lamp, or a specific chair, we’ll help them
Stuart Luckman (centre) winning his kbbreview award
A view towards
RidgeWey’s hidden wine storage room
An eye-catching display at the front of the showroom
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