The kbbreview Podcast

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host as always is Andy Davies and this is Episode Seven of Season Seven.

This week we're going on a journey. We're talking all about that most vital of experiences, the Customer Journey. It's a phrase that gets used a lot in kbb world but today we're meeting a bathroom retailer that has put it at the heart of its whole strategy.

What does it mean? What are the steps of that journey, where does it begin and, most interestingly, where does it end?

We're meeting Michael Queen from Thistle Kitchens and Bathrooms in Aberdeen.

Speaking of journeys, it's another huge thanks to our very good friends at Heritage Bathrooms, our illustrious Bathroom Sponsor on the journey that is Season Seven. As I'm sure you all know, Heritage has been a leader in UK bathroom products for nearly 40 years. They’ve just had the biggest launch in their history with FIVE fabulous new looks, a wealth of new products, and of course a brand-new shiny brochure! You can find out all about it at 

heritagebathrooms.com

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Welcome to  another of our very special bonus episodes of The kbbreview Podcast all about the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2023.

Between now and the big day in April we'll be meeting the judges, finalists and organisers that make up the biggest event in the kbb industry this year.

The event itself in Cardiff on Thursday, April the 20th - and if you haven't booked your tickets yet then you are risking missing out on being in the room with hundreds of the industry's biggest brands, retailers, designers and influencers.

You can find out everything you need to know at kbbreview.com/awards - all the info you need is there and you can book your places there too.

And Cardiff itself is at the heart of today's show as I'll be chatting to a couple of our design finalists who live and work in the great Welsh capital. They're our locals who will have the homegrown advantage.

We'll be meeting kitchen design finalist Kate Lusty from Elementi Cucina and bathroom design finalist Daniella Fantini-Griffiths from The Tap End.

A huge thanks to our very good friends at Sonas Bathrooms, our awards Podcast Partner for 2023.

They're a hugely successful company in Ireland and they've just launched themselves into the UK with their stylish and high-quality range of products. You can find out more about becoming a Sonas Bathroom retailer by going to sonasbathrooms.co.uk

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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies and this is episode six of season seven.

Now, that's the official designation but in reality this is a very, very special show, as in the grand timeline of The kbbreview Podcast this is our 150th episode.

We love round numbers on this show so what's the best way to mark this momentous occasion, this grand milestone?

By telling some mucky stories of course.

That's right, this is an industry that is built on one simple fact - you must, at some point, go and visit people in their homes. And people, and therefore their homes, can be really, really strange.

So we asked you to send us your best stories, the top tales you always tell all about customers and the weird old stuff you've found in their gaffs.

And you did not disappoint...

Andy was joined by kbbreview editor Rebecca Nottingham and Kitchens Bedrooms & Bathrooms acting editor Georgina Townshend...

If you've got a great story to tell us for next time, then let us know at [email protected]

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Welcome to the kbbreview Podcast, this is episode five of season 7 and your host is Andy Davies.

We're returning to the thorny subject of installation this week, thorny because the number of skilled, experienced kitchen and bathroom fitters out in the market continues to be as concerning as ever.

It is clearly so essential to the survival of the UK kitchen and bathroom market that whether you're a manufacturer, supplier, retailer, designer or, indeed, one of the skilled, experienced fitters that are out there then this is going to affect your business massively - even critically.

Last week I went to the annual conference of the British Institute of Kitchen Bedroom and Bathroom Installation - better known as the BiKBBI - and this crisis, this potential catastrophe as CEO Damian Walters describes it, loomed large over the whole event.

There were lots of very interesting speakers there but we're focussing on two of them - Damian himself who, as you will hear, didn't beat around the bush in his views on what the industry is doing, or more precisely isn't doing.

And Mark Farmer, author of The Farmer Review - a report he wrote for Government in 2016 looking at the UK Construction sector. Even then he called that report 'Modernise or Die'. He is now one of the government's most senior advisers on the UK construction industry and, again, his warnings are very stark indeed...

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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host as always is Andy Davies and this is episode 4 of Season 7.

This week we've got another great episode packed with digital marketing advice for kitchen and bathroom retailers from our guru Josh Delane from The Wood Works in London.

In previous episodes we've talked about TikTok, Instagram and Getting the Most Bang For Your Buck and this week we're looking at that other essential  - Google Ads.

In theory it's about creating online ads that reach people exactly when they're interested in buying something from you - but how does it work and how do you make sure it's working for you?

We'll be getting all the tips from Josh and hearing how he has used Google Ads to grow his family business.

Don't forget to book your tickets for the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards, the event is on Thursday April 20 th in Cardiff and you can find out everything at kbbreview.com/awards

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Welcome to the first of these very special bonus episodes of The kbbreview Podcast all about the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2023.

Between now and the big day in April we'll be meeting the judges, finalists and organisers that make up the biggest event in the kbb industry this year.

And judging is going on as we speak - the business category judges are out on the road visiting all the finalists in person and next week we have the design judging days where finalists present their project to the design judges.

So it's all warming up nicely as we approach the event itself which is in Cardiff on Thursday, April the 20th - and if you haven't booked your tickets yet then you are risking missing out on being in the room with hundreds of the industry's biggest brands, retailers, designers and influencers.

But you can rectify that right now by going to kbbreview.com/awards - all the info you need is there and you can book your places there too.

We're kicking off this special awards series with a special interview - we're talking to Richard Sloan, the CEO of Sonas Bathrooms who are our 2023 Awards Podcast Partner.

They're a hugely successful company over in Ireland and they've just launched themselves into the UK with their stylish and high-quality range of products. 

So we'll find out all about their plans from Richard and you can find out more about becoming a Sonas Bathroom retailer by going to sonasbathrooms.com

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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, this is episode three of season seven and your host is Andy Davies.

Great episode this week talking about something that is a rare sighting within this sector - a bathroom retailer that has diversified into kitchens.

It's much more typical to see kitchen retailers start a bathroom arm but much less common to see it the other way around. But in uncertain times there are many retailers out there almost certainly looking to try news things and expand their offering and appeal.

So we're going to hear from a very experienced retailer who's done just that - Tony Passmore of The Passmore Group based up in Yorkshire - and, trust us, it's worth it just to hear his views on what makes a successful kbb retailer.

A huge thanks to our Bathroom Sponsor for Season 7 - our very good friends at Heritage Bathrooms. As so many of you will know, they’re a UK leader in bathroom products and have been for many, many years. They’ve just had the biggest launch in Heritage history with FIVE fabulous new looks, a wealth of new products, and a brand-new brochure! You can find out all about it at heritagebathrooms.com

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Welcome to the kbbreview Podcast, this is Episode two of Season Seven and your host as always is Andy Davies.

And this week we're talking about....tax. No, don't switch off because we're only a week away from January 31st when everyone who has to fill in a self-assessment needs to have pressed submit.

So it seemed like a good excuse to talk to a kbb retail tax expert to find out how this sector approaches something we all know we need to pay, but we all don't really want to do it.

We'll meet Kevin Bannister, who is the MD of The Accurate Accountant. There's some great advice in here AND you get to hear Andy's favourite accounts joke. It's worth it just for that.

Speaking of tax, you know what's a bona fide professional work event? The kbbreview Retail & Design Awards of course. You can attend with a clear conscience and leave with a pocket full of certified VAT receipts from the bar. It's the biggest industry event of 2023 and if you want you, your company and your customers to be there with the rest of the sector's top names and influencers then book your tickets today. 

It's on  Thursday, April the 20th in Cardiff and you can find out everything you need to know at kbbreview.com/awards

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Welcome to the kbbreview Podcast and this is a brand new season for a brand new year. It's Episode One of Season Seven, it's 2023 and your host is still Andy Davies, you're stuck with that we're afraid. 

However, we've got such an interesting episode to kick the year off with as it doesn't get more important than getting the money off the customer and into your bank account.

But when it comes to card payments, why do kbb retailers have to pay such comparatively high fees? And that's after all the hoops you have to jump through to get an account with a provider at all.

It turns out that kbb retail is classed as 'high risk' by card service providers,  so we'll find out why and get some proper advice from card payment expert Libby James.

Here's Libby's website 

And...

It's 2023, and that means the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2023 is only a few months away! To be precise, it's on April the 20th in the great city of Cardiff. If you think you and your company should be represented at the biggest gathering of the industry in the year then book your tickets now as places are very limited this year.

All you need to do is go to kbbreview.com/awards to book your places right now.

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Welcome to this special bonus episode of the kbbreview podcast, I'm your host Andy Davies.

This is the final instalment of our Insights 2023 series today -  a fascinating series where we talk to kbb industry leaders about their thoughts looking back at 2022 and where they think the opportunities, pitfalls and growth lies in 2023.

It's a dive look into some of the sharpest minds in the industry and we’ve been very lucky to get their views

This week I'm talking to Dominic Worsley, the head of appliance brand CDA. He took over the company a year ago with ambitious plans for growth and expansion but the applaince market has not had an easy time of it this year.

So, how does he view 2022 as it draws to a close, and how is his confidence as he looks forward to 2023 for both CDA and the industry as a whole.

This bonus episode is commercial content.

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