RETAILER SPOTLIGHT: NEUTRA KITCHEN
August/September 2026
housewareslive.net
or customer tastes change, meaning Khan is constantly looking for replacements and additions. At the moment, that approach is producing demand across a broad range of categories.
“Salt and pepper mills, cookware, chopping boards, frying pans and
even some foodstuff,” he says. “It’s a bit of everything.” Listening to the customer
Some of the most interesting additions have emerged organically. Neutra Kitchen had not previously sold tea, for example, until Khan’s daughter - who had worked in the tea department at Fortnum & Mason - suggested the category. “She’s a bit of a tea geek,” Khan laughs. “She was like, ‘You should get some teas.’” The important question then became which teas would actually complement the store. For Khan, that is an example of why retailers need to remain receptive
to ideas rather than rigidly following a predetermined range. “You’ve got to be able to listen to people, what they are requesting or what somebody suggests,” he says. “You think, ‘You know what? That could work.’ So we’re adding stuff all the time.” Food is another area likely to grow, particularly products that fit with
the broader idea of the healthy kitchen, while customer interest is influencing cookware materials too. Khan points to stainless steel as one example. As consumers become
more conscious about the materials and coatings used in cookware, he has noticed customers asking more questions and looking for alternatives. That plays neatly into the principles on which Neutra Kitchen was originally built. “It’s making sure you listen to your customers’ needs and what the
market is,” he says. Doing things differently
Earning a place on the shelf
That willingness to change is reflected in Neutra Kitchen’s approach to buying.
Khan does not believe that a product which performs well today will
automatically remain relevant tomorrow. “What works this year may not work next year,” he says. “You’re always looking to add products. That never stops.” Newness alone, however, is not enough. The retailer looks at whether a product complements its existing
range and, importantly, whether Khan is comfortable putting the Neutra Kitchen name behind it. Even inexpensive products are considered carefully. “Even if it’s a cheap item, you make sure it’s good quality,” he says. “It doesn’t mean because you buy a £2 item it’s not going to be good quality. You source it and make sure that it’s the right type.” Khan takes a similarly independent-minded approach to discovering
products. Trade shows form part of the picture – he attends Exclusively – but he does not want the buying strategy to become overly dependent on shows, agents or what happens to be fashionable elsewhere. “You have to be careful what you take on board,” he says. The reason is simple. When someone buys an item from Neutra Kitchen, any problem with that product can reflect on the retailer as much as the manufacturer. Products will inevitably come and go as suppliers discontinue lines
20 |
London consumers are hardly short of places to buy cookware and kitchenware. Independent specialists, department stores, multiples and online retailers all compete for attention. Khan, however, does not spend too much time trying to replicate what anybody else is doing. “We’re not trying to copy anybody,” he says. Instead, Neutra Kitchen’s differentiation comes from the combination
of products it carries and the way they are presented. Colour is noticeable throughout the Putney shop, while its offer
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
