STORAGE SOLUTIONS Rachel Tuckey


Häfele broadens its interiors proposition with customer value at the heart


BKU’s Matt Broughton speaks with Rachel Tuckey, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Häfele UK, about customer value, changing homeowner priorities, smarter storage and the company’s expanding interiors proposition.


H


äfele UK has spent 2026 broadening the ways in which it


supports its customers, with the business placing added emphasis on services, insight and solutions designed to help KBB companies navigate challenging market conditions. One of the year’s key moments came at


kbb Birmingham, where Häfele was able to engage directly with customers and industry peers while showcasing its products and services. The event also marked the launch of its partnership with Miele, making Häfele the exclusive UK distributor of a selected range of Miele domestic appliances to authorised kitchen retailers, studios and showrooms. For Rachel, the partnership is part of a wider


focus on making life easier for customers. “This year we’ve focused on broadening how


we support our customers and how Häfele can add value to their business in what are still, to some extent, challenging market conditions.”


Putting customer insight to work That emphasis on value extends beyond individual products. Häfele’s Lighting Configurator, for example, enables customers to develop lighting designs around specific project


requirements, with services such as cutting products to size incorporated into the process. The company is also using its Homes for Living


research to give KBB businesses a clearer picture of changing homeowner priorities. Now in its third edition, the 2026 report is based on independent research among 2,000 UK homeowners and has expanded beyond kitchens to cover areas including utility rooms, bedrooms and understairs storage. The research points towards a more


considered approach to spending, with homeowners increasingly assessing what constitutes genuine value rather than simply looking for the lowest price. “For the first time in our Homes for Living


research, quality and longevity overtook budget and overall cost as the number one consideration when homeowners think about their next kitchen. Quality and longevity rose from 10% in 2023 to 16% in 2026, while budget and overall cost fell from 18% to 15%.”


Storage becomes part of the design The findings also highlight the growing importance of storage that is tailored around how people actually use their homes. Rather than simply increasing capacity, homeowners are looking for


solutions that improve organisation and make better use of available space. Among the research findings, 32% of


homeowners expressed an interest in a pantry or larder, while 31% wanted dedicated appliance storage and 28% wanted tall or full-height storage. Almost a fifth also prioritised solutions for difficult spaces. Rachel sees lighting as an increasingly important


part of this wider storage conversation, helping functional elements become more integrated into the overall design. Meanwhile, Häfele is continuing to develop its


own product proposition, with further door and handle collections planned for early 2027. These will build on a coordinated approach across cabinet handles, interior door handles, locks, hinges, accessories and storage. “Consumers increasingly want interiors that feel


considered as a whole, rather than choosing individual elements in isolation. That means coordinating finishes, materials and details across a room, while still giving customers options at different price points.” The company is also building awareness of its


Utensio internal storage range through a mobile showroom, allowing the team to take products directly to studios and workshops.


A broader interiors partner Häfele’s ambitions extend beyond its established kitchen, storage, lighting and hardware categories. In early October, the company will launch a partnership with Palio by Karndean, bringing luxury vinyl tile flooring into its KBB offer. The move is intended to give studios and


designers another element of an interior that can be sourced through Häfele, reinforcing the company’s positioning as a complete interiors partner. For Rachel, the overarching objective remains


straightforward: helping customers create better businesses by giving them products, services and insight that can add value at every stage of a project. “Customer insight is also part of that added


value and why we develop our Homes for Living report. If we can help customers understand what homeowners want, where demand is developing and how buying behaviour is changing, they can use that knowledge to shape their own offer.”


30 BKU OCTOBER 2026


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