comment


Wusthof and Sabatier knives, Brabantia can graters, wooden spoons, French whisks,


nowhere are so important. For example, Oxo But newer products that have come from openers and so on.


Good Grips tools and gadgets,Microplane


premiumproducts, commanding high prices in graters, Lock & Lock storageware: all are


low interest categories, which have seen off


Which housewares retailers do youmost cheaper imitations.


consistent and Lakeland for being empathetic. John Lewis for being clear-minded and admire and why?


But also, the dozens of small independent cookshops who gave these companies the


Which housewares suppliers do youmost ideas in the first place!


others such as CKS, Eddingtons and Robert doing. Ditto Dexam. Ditto Haus. Plus lots of KitchenCraft: their staff know what they’re admire and why?


customers. It’s the reps and agents who are the But toomany suppliers don't even know their Welch Designs.


themselves undervalued by the companies they making ofmany companies – and who find


Name one change you wouldmake to the work for.


housewares industry.


More stylish, lifestyle-orientated innovation. It y.


died, in themain, with the financial crash.


What advice would you give to someone starting out in housewares retailing? ‘Housewares’ and the ‘cookshop’ concept died some years ago. Retailers need to bringmore


excitement into their shops with brighter, cleverer, environmentally-relevant products that appeal to the younger lifestyle- orientated consumer.


r, r, What will youmiss?


The Salamander staff. I've knownmany of themfor over 20 years. And, of


course, some reps that I've known for that long too - not tomention one or two old


stagers still on the supply side. What won’t youmiss?


The gradual anonymity brought about by a new generation of suppliers and staff who don't realise that just because you look past it, doesn'tmean that you once weren’t!


And finally… y…


I would like to thank all the wonderful people in the industry, past and present, who helpedme and Diana over a lifetime of enjoyable, engaging, taxing, challenging, annoying and stimulating times.


DAV .


Michael with ‘The Magnificent Seven’: Michael celebrated his retirement with a party of seven staff from the Wimborne store, held at the Harbour Heights Hotel in the Dorset town of Poole on June 2


Talking Shop Ta


AVID SUGGProduct, Sales and Training Co-ordinator of Divertimenti cookshop at Knightsbridge in London


On the Floor


What’s’s your background? I worked in IT,


tourists and locals (yes, locals in T, design, sales andmarketing


before joining Steamer Trading at Bluewater [shopping centre in Kent] five years ago. I then transferred to Divertimenti three years ago.


Divertimenti is a cookware specialist shop and Tell us a bit about Divertimenti.


cookery school that’s been part of the London scene for over 50 years.


your kitchen, frompastry brushes to specialist Varied.We have everything you could need for How would you describe your productmix?


Italianmeat slicers.


Portuguese ceramics plus an exclusive range of We have recently extended our range of What lines have you stocked recently?


British knives.


We don’t really have a typical customer as we Who is your typical customer?


see a wide range of interesting visitors, from


Knightsbridge!) to people needing to fit out their whole kitchen.


What’s’s on your counter?


A range of colourful, handmade acrylic spoons, last of our limited edition London Victorinox ket knives, and doggy treats to give out to


poc the


our four-legged visitors. What’s’s keeping you busy?


and reta


As we’ve just returned to being an independent iler, we’ve got lots of newness coming in new lines to learn and explore.


What’s’s themost rewarding aspect of your job? Satisfying a customer. Thatmay be finding the right penguin-shaped cookie cutter or stocking out someone’s brand new kitchen and dining room. If they are happy, I’mhappy.


What’s’s themost challenging aspect of your job?


Satisfying a customer.


What’s’s themost exciting/amusing thing that has happened in your shop?


Without naming names, we’vemet rock legends and stars of stage and screen who you’d never know were as passionate about their cookware.


What advice would you give to someone starting out in housewares retailing?


Read the packaging - you can find out all sorts of useful information hidden away in plain sight - then tell your colleagues. And never be afraid


customer’s needs: they want happy customers to ask your suppliers for help in satisfying a


asmuch as you do.


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