KITCHEN RETAILER PROFILE | Kitchens International
Paul O’Brien on… Economic uncertainty
“We’ve got no idea what is going to happen to the economy in the future and we can’t control that, but we can control and improve our performance, we can control how effi cient we are, we can control how effective we are in what we do.”
Retail planning “Some retailers think too short-term. They’re so focused on making more margin right now that they fail to see the bigger picture. We prefer to take a more holistic, longer-term view.
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1. Leicht display highlighting a variety of storage solutions 2. This Stoneham kitchen features a curved island unit with a Silestone worktop
“Understand your customers and their needs. Also understand who your target market is and who it is you want to be dealing with. This way you can align your products and services to meet the needs and expectations from your clients in that particular demographic.”
The kbbreview Retail & Design Awards “The awards are very important to us. They offer a
great opportunity for us to promote ourselves and form a part of our marketing strategy and it’s also always nice to be recognised by your industry. “The past doesn’t equal the future. Just because something has worked before, doesn’t mean you should shut the book and close yourself off to change. The reason we’ve won a few times is that we’re constantly developing and learning.”
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Most retailers, including myself, are guilty of getting stuck in the thick of their businesses and the awards entry process gives us a chance to refl ect – have we made the improvements we said we would, or implemented the ideas we said we would?
Kitchens International is also focused on training and has run an apprenticeship scheme since the very start. The company currently has seven apprentice fitters on its books and 34 staff members who have been with the company since leaving school or university.
As a consequence, along with the nurturing environment built by senior management, staff retention is high and all team members are passionate about the work they do. I wonder if all this has helped the brand weather the various economic storms over the past 25 years and navigate the rapidly changing retail landscape?
Development
O’Brien explains that training is key, but that it is constant reflection, evaluation and development that have seen the company grow to where it is today. “We’ve got no idea what is going to happen to the economy in the future, and we can’t control that, but we can control and improve our performance, we can control how efficient we are, we can control how effective we are. “And we never take the easy road,” O’Brien continues. “I actually think we try to address the most difficult challenges in this industry – how do you train your people, how do you find the right people? And these are things that retailers complain about, but are reluctant to do anything about. “Some retailers whinge and moan, but don’t change things, and your employees are influenced by the people they engage with on a daily basis, whether that be the senior management or the installers. So if you’re dynamic and flexible and open to change and new ideas, you’ll empower your staff and encourage them to be just as dynamic and flexible and come up with their
98 own ideas.”
As this issue of kbbreview is all about how retailers can add margin by taking a more holistic approach and selling add-on products and services, I ask what recommendations O’Brien has for them to broaden their horizons and improve their businesses. “First and foremost understand your customers and their needs,” he suggests. “Also understand who your target market is and who it is you want to be dealing with. This way, you can align your products and services to meet the needs and expectations of your clients in that particular demographic.” Kitchens International has also greatly invested in all of its clients – past and present – and is always looking for ways to engage with them and create future sales opportunities. On its website, the company has the ‘My KI’ section, where past customers can share pictures of their new kitchen and also their experiences of the company. It also has a dedicated after- sales department designed to take care of clients who have bought from the company previously. As well as making sure everything is working in their kitchens and fixing any problems they may have, O’Brien says this service also creates opportunities to make add-on sales, such as new appliances, or a new kitchen for the client or a neighbour or friend. O’Brien tells me that he’s faced criticism from fellow retailers with the after-sales service and has been told the brand is “asking for trouble” because of the number of calls they’ll get requesting small remedial jobs.
“But if we go out and we fix or replace handles or drawer runners and that customer’s neighbour needs a kitchen, it was probably worth that effort as that neighbour is very likely to come to us based on the recommendation they’ve had from Mr and
kbbreview · September 2019 „
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