40 years of kbbreview
Founder, Ashford Kitchens & Interiors Richard Flower
How did you come to enter the industry? What was your role and when was that? I actually started working with a local furniture retailer in 1969! In those days, kitchens were sold by furniture shops or traditional hardware stores and were fairly basic by today’s standards.
Looking back, how do you think kitchen design itself has changed over your career? The choice is almost endless now and has moved from being a utility product to a ‘home fashion statement’. I think these changes have favoured the specialist over the multiples as a real specialist will have the knowledge, enthusiasm and expertise required to manage these complex projects.
What’s the best way you think the industry has changed in your time? The whole industry has become much more professional. In the 1980’s there were many ‘direct sales’ outfits with very poor standards which really gave the industry a bit of a bad name. There is much less room now for the dishonest salespeople offering false discounts and unqualified tradespeople to operate.
Gordon Stanger-Leathes Co-founder, Callerton
Looking back, did there used to be less product choice? In 1983, the choice was much smaller, and probably a lot simpler for client and designer. Back then, German kitchens inspired by Italian design were most influential. Now, the affluent strive to make a statement with a new kitchen that embraces Japanese and Scandi influences, and we are now all firmly competing in a fashion industry.
How have you seen the relationship between independents and national retailers evolve? We’ve concentrated on working with designers, who take a professional approach to customer requirements. Some national suppliers have concentrated on the art of closing a sale, with little effort spent on true design, working on overcoming customers possible objections rather than taking a measured approach to explore a project’s true potential.
What are some of the best ways that the industry has grown? Associations such as the KBSA have helped the industry to mature in its professionalism, which is so vital to making the industry attractive to a new generation of talented youth, with a better gender balance and full of new ideas as they try and make their mark.
Phil Beechinor Managing director, Alexander
Q: How did you come to enter the industry? Back in 1984 I started working for Paula Rosa, a kitchen manufacturer down in the South Coast. I started working off in the factory and then progressed from there.
Q: Is there anything you think the industry used to do a bit better in days gone by? There’s really a lack of good labour and installers now. It doesn’t seem to be a job for life any more. Younger workers want to be influencers or in recruitment. It’s not necessarily seen as an attractive industry for them now.
Q: Do you think customer expectations have changed since the good old days of the 1980s? Yes and sort of no. Ultimately, since this industry started, customers have always wanted a good, reliable service and good quality products. But I think that the way that we do business with the customer has changed. It used to be that everything was done on a Saturday in the showroom, so it was always very, very busy at the weekends. Everything’s digital now, meaning you have to be on call 24/7 to answer questions and there’s an expectation that you’ll respond immediately.
September 2024
kbbreview
55
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