Dominic Worsley | THE KBBREVIEW INTERVIEW HONESTY, AGILITY
and seeing what I can use at CDA, but it’s not a template approach – I’m not trying to position CDA as another Miele, because it wouldn’t work. What’s exciting for me is that CDA is a company that can talk to far more people because it’s an accessible brand. If we can make a virtue of our agility to bring exciting products to market, I think there’s a huge opportunity for us in the UK.
Q: Do you have a specific management style? A: Yes, I’m very open and collaborative. I want to know what people think and how we can also support them.
Q: What are your thoughts on manufacturers selling direct to consumers? A: It’s about putting a value on the product and understanding where your priorities lie. Look at sports brand Nike. They know they need retail partners to introduce people to the brand. It’s the same for us. By all means, sell direct, but don’t forget that you’re relying on independents to make that introduction. In the UK, independents are the second biggest channel for kitchens after Howdens. But it’s also the channel that’s going to add value, that will talk about your innovations better than anyone else and support you as a brand. For CDA, that is our priority. You’ve got to get it right there first before making any decision about selling online. You can’t undermine that relationship with independents. Whether it’s using that channel to launch new products, you need to manage those channels well and understand why your consumers are in those channels. Yes, you can sell direct and it’s easier for that consumer to buy a replacement product from you, but what are you taking away from somewhere else and what is the long-term effect of that? I want to grow CDA through independents because that’s where we grew originally, and I’m convinced it’s where our strongest growth will happen again.
Q: What new products are you excited about ? A: We want to see a greater differentiation for CDA in the marketplace. We have a combi steam oven coming out and I’m a big champion of combi
time getting to know people and walking round the business just to understand it. I feel genuinely privileged to be here because it’s a cracking brand, and I think that’s down to its people — they are incredibly passionate about CDA. Not only has everyone who works here had two or three years of turmoil, but also CDA being bought out by the Polish group Amica [in 2015], and they’ve had to come to terms with the whole subsidiary/owner dynamic. Our people are resilient and incredibly passionate with a lot of optimism about the future. That’s half my job done for me! I just need to harness that passion and turn it into something meaningful in the independent kitchen channel. One of the things I’m enjoying about CDA is our autonomy. Yes, Amica bought the company, but chairman Jacek Rutkowski is passionate about CDA being successful as a brand. So, we have all the support we need. There are very few jobs in the MDA market where you have the backing of a big company, but the freedom to do what is right for your market.
June 2022 ·
Q: How will what you learnt as Miele’s global marketing director influence you at CDA? A: At Miele, we developed a forensic understanding of the customer journey in the UK. We went out and spoke to designers and independent kitchen companies to ask about how people buy kitchens, what’s important to retailers and what independents want from their suppliers. That information is gold dust. The crucial thing that makes this industry so
different is the bond of trust between the consumer and the designer. If you can’t understand that and treat your retail customers in the same way they treat their own clients, then you’re going to let the retailer down. You must understand the importance of that relationship. Miele was a wonderful brand to work for with its 120 years of history and its clear positioning with the ‘Immer Besser’ (Always Better) ethos – always improving the products brought to market. It’s obviously a premium brand and very good at what it does. For me, it’s taking the things I learnt at Miele
The SL670 is CDA’s top-of-the-range steam oven 35
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