editor’s interview
RKW looks to engage with more independent retailers
Established in 1989, RKW is Europe’s leading distributor and manufacturer of small domestic appliances and housewares products. Rob Sutton, RKW’s founder and managing director, tells Simon King about the company and its plans to work with even more independent retailers
R
ob Sutton, and his wife, started the business with £200 in their pockets
and a van. The couple sold seconds from Russell Hobbs
and Morphy Richards, and developed the business over the years. Speaking at the company’s 750,000sq ft
distribution centre in Stoke-on-Trent, Mr Sutton said: “2022 was a really challenging year with one thing or another, but we’ve seen a lot of our independent customers really thriving – I just want to try and engage with the other ones and wake them up to share the experience, and let them benefit from the opportunities we offer. “This year, we will turn over more than £200
million; we’ve got 500 employees in total, and we can process 60,000 orders a week.” In addition to its superb facility in Stoke-on-
Trent, RKW has offices in Hong Kong, China and India. “We’ve 3,500 independent customers in total
and we see ourselves as the guardian of the independents,” Mr Sutton said. “We want our independents to sell top branded products, offering exceptional quality and unbeatable value – retailers that don’t engage with us are missing a big opportunity.” The Tower brand has grown significantly in the last couple of years, driven by phenomenal sales of air fryers.
“We focused the Tower brand on helping consumers save money through the benefits of energy efficient products,” Mr Sutton said. “The strength of Tower is the quality of the products, and the exceptional value that the brand offers.
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www.ierdaily.co.uk
January 2023
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