Market and design trends | PRODUCTS
The Elswick Collection from LochAnna – a solid timber narrow- framed shaker door with a veneered centre panel
A 21st century take on wicker and vegetable baskets, the Crate Drawers in a larder from Masterclass Kitchens
suppliers both at home and abroad have been keen to reassure customers that supplies won’t be disrupted and that they are well-prepared and well- stocked in the case of any eventuality. Brexit has long been a concern now for European manufacturers and their retailers in the UK, who have been worried about price increases and longer
lead times because of
increased red tape. Most manufacturers, however, say they have fully-stocked UK-based ware- houses, or bases in the UK. Roca, Elica, Smeg, Verona and Bette were among those keen to emphasise their preparedness and commitment to the UK market and their customers, with all insisting they have plenty of stock and an equally strong supply chain.
Bette head of marketing and pro- duct development, Sven Rensinghoff, adds: “As well as sourcing our materials as locally as possible, Bette owns its delivery lorries and employs its own drivers. This means that we are not reliant on haulier companies, and we can ensure our weekly deliveries to the UK. To further safeguard supply, our partners have increased their stock levels in the UK, and there is good availability of our shower trays, baths and basins.”
January 2022 ·
can hope to be shielded from the impact of component shortages. TKC’s marketing manager Neil
Smeg’s new state-of-the-art and unique cooking technology Galileo has steam, microwave and traditional cooking all in one
Matt Phillips, head of UK operations
for Rotpunkt, says: “We have invested heavily into our supply chain and manufacturing plant in the run-up to our 100-year anniversary in 2030 and will continue to do so. The UK market is one of our key European markets.” For UK manufacturers who rely on European suppliers, the story is largely the same. Sinead Trainor, kitchen category manager at LochAnna Kitchens, comments: “We deal with some of the best Italian door factories and the UK is a critical market to them. It is in the suppliers’ and customers’ interests to find a way of working that maintains the status quo. So far, our suppliers have been great, and we don’t see this changing.” Wayne Dance, managing director at In House Inspired Room Design, adds:
“Focusing on relationships with our suppliers, retailers, and customers lies at the heart of everything we do. Brexit is another opportunity to nurture good relationships, showing how your business acumen can help others by guiding your communities through murky waters.” We asked whether UK consumers might look to spend money on products
made closer to home,
because of the difficulties in getting products from overseas and because of the perceived higher levels of sustainability or lower carbon footprint. The answer to this question largely depends on the types of product sold and materials used. Only UK manufacturers who source and use solely UK-based materials and who make everything they sell on UK soil
Taggart comments: “Over the past 18 months at TKC, we’ve benefited from being an in-stock supplier with very short lead times and have been able to continue servicing our customers through the ups and downs in the sector. Neither the trade nor their customers want a four to 12 week lead time and we have invested to maintain our stockholding.”
Design trends
As for design trends, it seems UK consumers will be looking for an antidote to the doom and gloom of the past few years, with buzzwords and phrases like ‘renewal’, ‘reinvention’, ‘hopeful’, ‘tranquillity’ and ‘bold’ dominating. There will also be a tendency this year toward anything nature-inspired. Other key words that came up frequently from our contributors include ‘earthy’, ‘sustainable’, ‘natural’ and ‘neutral’. In terms of new design aesthetics, there have been some new terms coined by HiB, Eggersmann and Daval respectively – ‘Bio Glam’ is a mixture of deep, rich blues, greens and purples that take inspiration from botanicals and the ocean, ‘Ultra Luxe’, uses
„ 41
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72
