INDUSTRY UPDATE THE KBSA COLUMN
Five new members for Kbsa T
he Kbsa has announced that five new retail members have joined the association in September. The members include The London Bath Co, with three showrooms in St Johns Wood, Blackheath and Chiswick; Impact Kitchens Ltd in Blackpool; Bold Kitchens Limited in Barnsley and Kitchenality Ltd in Macclesfield and Foundation member Quarrybank Boutique in Wilmslow. The London Bath Co offers luxury kitchens and bathrooms. With a reputation as one of London’s leading bathroom design, supply, and installation specialists, they’ve been bringing outstanding London bathrooms to life for over 30 years.
Impact Kitchens is an independent kitchen retailer with over 30 years’ experience in the kitchen industry. They sell quality kitchens at affordable prices, with a choice of over 40 classic and contemporary designs. Showroom owner Richard Webster said, “I am delighted to have the Kbsa sign above our door, giving customers extra confidence in our business. The wide range of business services on offer will also provide a real boost to our business.”
The Bold Kitchens Showroom in Barnsley is a family business, owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Matt and Tracey Turton. Matt has worked in the kitchen industry for 37 years, having first started out as an apprentice for Sheffield’s Crosby kitchens. Kitchenality is the vision of Tracy Mackey and Ollie Pickard. The showroom is located in the exclusive Arighi Bianchi store to showcase and sell bespoke, luxury kitchen design and exquisite ranges. Foundation member Quarrybank Boutique was established in 2021 in Wilmslow. Quarrybank Boutique is a unique showroom that brings together the quality of care expected from an independent boutique style shop, together with the expertise of experienced bathroom designers and technical knowledge of the installers. With carefully curated space which includes art displays, the showroom evokes a feeling of elegance and uniqueness. Co-owner Koralia Hume said: “We are thrilled to be accepted to the Kbsa family. The membership provides our clients with further confirmation of our unparalleled services and showroom experience”.
Retail and Corporate membership director Malcolm Scott said, “I am delighted to welcome all of these retailers into the Kbsa. “It is pleasing to see another new retailer take up the Foundation membership in recent months. This membership provides invaluable support for those that have been trading for more than 6 months but less than 2 years. Foundation members benefit from the model Terms and Conditions and free legal advice alongside the discounts available to full members. Their membership fee is discounted by 25%, from corporate sponsorship, and they have two years to apply and be vetted for full membership.”
More details are available from The KBSA
www.kbsa.org.uk or call 01623 818808
UWLA says government plan for water will create confusion and unnecessary expense
WLA MD Yvonne Orgill says that the plan for a mandatory label announced by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), on Friday 29 September will not be good for the industry and calls for support to help reverse the government’s decision. Yvonne said, “Defra’s conclusion from the consultation is a mandatory water label for relevant consumer goods, for the UK only. The detail is sketchy, with Defra proposing that these will be discussed during the next 2 years with a host of workshops yet to be planned. The timescale for introduction of this mandatory label is 2025, which is considered extremely unlikely by most industry commentators.
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“It seems that Defra is intent on pursuing its own solution, despite the overwhelming support for the Unified Water Label from industry. “There are many areas of concern within Defra’s report, apart from the confusion and extra expense, it is possible that trying to introduce a mandatory label could actually be detrimental to the reduction in water use that has already been achieved.
“The inclusion of a third-party certification system, could cost industry over £50 million pounds, it will create uncertainty with long waiting times on testing capacity for many SME’s, already striving to survive during these difficult markets. Many manufacturers could see additional packaging with escalation of sku’s dependent on cross borders and channels to market, a further increase of costs that may or may not be passed to the consumer. “The document also omits any mention of a campaign to influence consumer behaviour, which is essential for any scheme to succeed, and something that the UWLA has been addressing since the scheme’s inception.
“The UWL is an established tool that does play a key role in achieving the Government’s Water Demand Target, whilst also giving consumers the information they need to make informed decisions. Recent research by The European Energy Network identified that consumers liked the Unified Water Label because if was simple and easy to understand. “The UWLA is fully committed to helping government address the issue of water efficiency and is ready to work with Defra and the industry. “With the support of members, we will continue to lobby and enhance the UWL, whilst growing the database – demonstrating to government that our industry does have a credible solution with the UWL.”
www.uwla.eu BKU NOVEMBER 2023 49
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