ABBEY APPLIANC
ABBEY APPLIANCES
18
What’s selling? Inside the showroom, the product mix reflects a careful balance between trusted brands and a broad range of price points. Hanna explains that certain manufacturers remain consistent best-sellers, forming the backbone of the store’s offering.
“Leading brands such as Bosch and Hotpoint would always be on our shop floor,” she says. “They’re brands customers know and often request.”
At the same time, the team is careful to
ensure customers feel they have genuine choice. Stock is reviewed regularly to ensure the selection reflects local demand and evolving consumer preferences.
“Our customers like to see a good range of
products so they don’t feel pushed towards a certain manufacturer or cost,” Ms Haines explains. “It can be hard to balance this because some brands sell more than others, but we try to review our core stock regularly so we can be responsive.”
In recent months, Bosch has been performing particularly strongly across several product categories. Hanna attributes this to a combination of brand recognition, product reliability and extended warranties offered on many models.
Built-in appliances - particularly cooking appliances and dishwashers - are also proving popular as more homeowners invest in kitchen upgrades. “Freestanding cooking and dishwashing have taken a bit of a backseat,” she says. “That reflects the number of people upgrading their kitchens and moving towards built-in appliances.”
Changing consumer habits While sales trends provide opportunities, the past few years have also presented significant challenges for independent retailers across the UK. The Covid pandemic had a profound impact on the sector, forcing many stores to close temporarily while also creating long- lasting supply chain disruptions.
“The pandemic played a huge part in the struggles many independent retailers have faced,” Hanna says. “Not only because we couldn’t open the store at times, but because it had such a lasting effect on the supply of goods.”
Those disruptions were followed by rising costs and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, both of which have squeezed margins and reduced consumer spending. “I feel we are only just beginning to properly navigate the market post-Covid,” she shares. “But the knock-on effects, combined with the cost-of-living crisis, have meant people are spending less money. That was particularly apparent in 2025, which was a poor year across the industry.”
Like many independents, Abbey Appliances has had to adapt quickly to external pressures. One particularly difficult moment came with the loss of Domestic Appliance Distributors (DAD), a supplier that had worked with the business for three decades.
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