RETAIL | Shopping Around
Mystery shopper
Kingston & Surbiton
Our mystery shopper found a good range of showrooms in this busy area of south-west London appealing to all tastes and budgets. Disappointingly, there were two retailers whose lack of enthusiasm let them down on their marks for service
Acqua Kitchens Brighton Road, Surbiton
Showroom: Service: Total
5 4
9/10
This was a double-fronted show- room with plenty of passing trade in the middle of a busy ‘park and shop’ parade in a classy residential area of this suburb of south-west London. It was spacious and well laid-out with a comfortable seating area for design consultations at the back. The kitchens on display were impressive, especially the massive split-level island in veneered concrete as I walked in.
I was greeted straight away by a designer, who was helpful and initially keen to see any plans and happy to talk me through the whole design service and ranges they offer. She then left me to look round. She answered my questions and came up with plenty of options for mixing traditional and
A&B Waters
Twyford Parade, Surbiton Showroom:
Service: Total
3 4
7/10
You’ll find this showroom on the busy Tolworth High Street between Kingston and Surbiton, with a row of parking spaces outside. There was a lot of scrappy A4 signage on the windows and a half-price bath on display.
I was greeted by the owner/ designer who was very welcoming and gave me a lot of practical advice on both the kitchens and bathrooms, with a run-down of their services and possible timescales. They
had plenty and Blum on display,
including a good range of Caesarstone worktops, door samples from Crown Imperial along
internal with various Crosswater bathrooms. I was then left to nose around and
Bathroom Eleven Fleece Road, Surbiton
Showroom: Service: Total
5 3
8/10
This showroom came as a pleasant surprise as I was driving through the quiet residential roads of Long Ditton.
contemporary styles.
They sell German Häcker kitchens along with Bora and Miele appliances with a focus on Falmec, with three of its latest extraction units on display. This is a well established showroom that has been open for 10 years and will definitely appeal to a clientele with a substantial budget.
I felt confident they would provide a high-end design service.
l An impressive and stylish showroom
It described itself as a design studio and looked appealing from the outside, with several well-kept hanging baskets spilling over with flowers. There were three eye-catching hotel-style displays in the window, complete with brass fittings, stylish mirrors and soap dispensers. I was given a very short welcome by a staff member and did have to ask about their service and products, as she seemed keen to get back to the busy design office at the rear of the showroom. I did find out that they
specialise in wet rooms and provide the entire design service, offering around 80 different brands but generally recommending their
Burlington
fittings, and
was given two weighty brochures. I was rather distracted by two large teddy bears sitting at the kitchen island display, that had originally been part of a promotion, but customers apparently liked them and they had been there for years! Although
I wasn’t sure what to
expect when I walked in, I left feeling confident they would look after all their customers and provide good value.
l A practical approach to kitchen and bathroom design
favourites, including BoConcept accessories, Svedbergs and Geberit washbasins and vanity units, as well as a huge range of Ca’ Pietra tiles. I was then left to my own devices. It was packed with ‘Instagram- worthy’ bathroom set-ups that really sold a design concept.
I was impressed with this showroom and left with plenty of inspiration.
l Definitely a favourite, but a shame the service let it down
64
kbbreview · December 2019
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