Shopfloor RETAILER PROFILE: ABBEY APPLIANCES


There are two things you need before putting in a kitchen display. You’ve got to have a good fitter – someone that’s going to make sure it looks good – and a good knowledge of design. You’ve got to consider all the little things, it’s not just ‘oh that will look nice’


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with Symphony Group – the ongoing training and support is so important. The turning point for us was joining the Sirius Buying Group. The support and the camaraderie of the Group, you can’t beat it. All the members are always there for each other; there’s no competition, no backstabbing, no secrecy, we all get on and we all help each other. Since we joined the Group, Andrew and I have both said that it was the best thing we ever did.


At the end of the day, they’re working for us. Isn’t


that wonderful? I’m looked at more favourably by sales reps because I’m part of the Group and that really means a lot. For a retailer out there on their own, especially in today’s climate, if they’re not part of a buying group I think they’re missing a trick.


Q: What would your advice be to other retailers considering selling kitchens? LK: There are two things you need before you can even think about putting in a kitchen display. You’ve got to have a good fitter – someone that’s going to make sure that whatever kitchen you sell, it’s fitted correctly and it looks good. Kitchens are, in most cases, a one-off purchase for most people. The second thing is having a good knowledge of


design. It’s not just ‘oh that will look nice’, you’ve got to consider all the little things, like pipes and electrical supplies, for example, between these things will determine where appliances can go. Andrew and I have both got experience in how to do that sort of thing. If you’re confident using a CAD design system, then that’s another string to your bow. So if you’ve got those two things sorted, then I would say kitchens are worth considering. Obviously, it depends on how big your showroom is and what you want to display. We’re not as big as others but we’ve made it work.


At Abbey Appliances we’ve always done electrical work and repairs and we sell freestanding and built-in appliances. We know how to install a built- in washing machine or we can re-drill a kitchen cupboard door if necessary. We’ve always done this kind of work – we offer the full package really. Our kitchens offering is just another part of the business which enhances all of this.


Q: What do you think the future holds for Abbey Appliances? LK: I feel as though we are growing. We’re not just doing the single £199 washing machine sales


anymore, we’re more high-end selling more packages of multiple items.


Of course, we do get some people buying just one thing, but most people are looking for a whole range of appliances for their homes and that’s why we went into selling fully-fitted kitchens because we know we can sell both. We’re moving at a nice steady pace – I haven’t even advertised about our kitchens yet. I haven’t needed to. I don’t want to open the door tomorrow with 25 people walking in wanting a new kitchen designed, because we couldn’t cope with it! At the moment, people come in the shop and see that we’ve changed or it’s word of mouth and that’s our promotion for now, because I don’t want to overcommit or let anybody down. That’s the way I’ve always operated – we’re just getting a feel for it for now. Once the ball starts rolling we’ll definitely plan an open evening and get a chef in cooking and all of that, but we’ve been busy enough so far, so hopefully in the future we’ll have great success. We don’t really need to plaster a load of brand names across our walls; we are very well known in the local area and beyond and people know that when they visit Abbey Appliances they will be looked after. So we have to keep hold of that.


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