exclusive: interview for IER “A missed


opportunity for independent


electrical retailers”


With 16 million disabled people in the UK, IER asks leading accessible kitchen designer Adam Thomas, what independent retailers can do to explore the business potential to take their share of the lucrative Purple Pound


A


dam Thomas is well known in the kitchen industry for his work with


manufacturer Symphony. Originally, he was a kitchen designer for an independent kitchen showroom in the late 1970s and 1980s and had been with the firm for around 18 months, when, in 1981, he had a motorbike accident, broke his back and is now paralysed from the chest down. During his interview, he told IER that the


Purple Pound, a term which refers to the collective spending of disabled consumers and families, is worth £274 billion a year in the UK – relating to more than 16 million disabled people [ * SCOPE.org.uk] Adam Thomas continued, “I very quickly


realised that you can’t modify standard products, because we worked with set sizes, set heights and doors,”


“Nothing in Britain back in the early 1980s and 1990s was accessible; disabled people had no basic human rights at all. For example, they had no right to a mainstream education and no right to easily access any type of transport.


Accessibility is imperative Looking at the independent electrical sector,


where a number of retailers have entered the kitchen channel, Adam said, ‘There is a tremendous opportunity for showrooms to develop their ‘accessible’ offering, alongside their traditional ranges.” “Currently it’s a missed opportunity for independent electrical retailers. Disabled people will do online research first and approaching those retailers who advertise they cater for this


14 | www.ierdaily.co.uk


market and promote their showrooms as being fully accessible.” Adam continues, “Needless to say, Showrooms


have to be accessible. They’ve got to have accessible toilets and accessible parking, and staff have obviously got to be trained in accessible design, and be trained in equality, including language, which is equally important.” With it being such an important sector, Adam added that electrical retailers need to partner with a manufacturer that knows and understands this valuable and important market, which is where ‘Freedom by Symphony’ comes in.


Needs based – Not money based – but rewards are immense “There are three markets to consider,” Adam


PEOPLE MAKE THE DIFFERENCE Adam Thomas


confirmed. “At the top end, which is a lovely market to work in, is what’s called ‘the catastrophic injury market’ - anyone who’s had a catastrophic injury, so that could be a heart attack, stroke, amputation, and, in my case, a spinal injury, there’s many other different injuries.” “A lot of those cases will get compensation.


For example, if somebody had knocked me off my motorbike [in my case it was purely due to a punctured back tyre], they would have been at fault, their insurance would have paid out. Where some people have critical injury insurance, money is paid out to make that person’s life easier should they become disabled. It’s estimated that the average compensation claim now is around the £6 million mark. “There’s a lot of money about, and the lovely thing about working in this market is, it’s not money based, it’s needs-based,” stated Adam. “If a client needs a rise and fall worktop, they will get it. If they need a hydrotherapy pool, they will get it. If they can’t fit a hydrotherapy pool into the person’s existing house, they get a new house, and somebody has to build the house – it’s a very big market.” The mid-market opportunity is the retail


sector. “You treat those people exactly as the way


you would a non-disabled person,” Adam added. “For the majority of the retail market, money is an issue, so you’ve got to design accordingly.” The third market to consider is grants, which is another big market. Mr Thomas said: “What disabled people really want is a great product that works for them, and the same level of service that a non-disabled person would get. The market really is massive, and everything is done through word of mouth.”


Valuable advice for electrical retailers For retailers interested in selling accessible kitchens, Adam quoted, “It helps if you are passionate about making a difference and embracing what accessible kitchens can bring to your business.” “At Symphony, our Freedom training


programme covers everything from showroom requirements, kitchen design, appropriate language, marketing advice and ongoing design and sales support, plus installation tips.” Adding Adam’s valuable close, “Disabled individuals, along with their friends and families, make up a substantial segment of the population; ignoring this demographic means missing out on a massive potential customer base.”


 For further details about Freedom by


Symphony, contact https://www.symphony- group.co.uk


Summer 2024


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