The kbbreview Podcast

Welcome to the kbbreview podcast, your host as always is Andy Davies and this is episode five of season six.

Couple of great bits of advice today - and we start with Trevor Scott from RFK and Sofia Charalambous from Origins LIving as they're two of our business judges in the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2023. 

And why are we talking to them now?

It's because entries close on this coming Thursday - that's November the 17th at 5pm. There will be no extensions, it's called the closing date for a reason.

So if you're there beavering away on your entry you'll want to hear some insight from the very people who might be reading your entry. What are they looking for? What do most entries not do enough of? And why waffle is your biggest enemy…

Then, in a total change of gear, we're talking mortgages and the housing market with friend-of-the-show Iain Swatton from mortgage tracking and comparison site Dashly. What happens to the market is, of course, directly linked to kitchens and bathrooms and with everything that's happened in the last couple of months, we all definitely need a bit of expert help to get our heads around it.

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Welcome to the kbbreview Podcast, your host as always is Andy Davies and this is episode 4 of season 6.

We've got a couple of features for you today and they couldn't be more diverse.

Firstly, we're looking into what help is available to you and anyone who works in the wider kbb industry if you fall on hard times. 

This is, unfortunately, depressingly relevant  as we begin what could be a long period of economic hardship to which no one is immune. We're talking to Sue Dean from the Furniture Makers Company - a charity that covers the vast majority of those that work in this sector.

It's definitely worth a listen because it could happen to any of us and if it's not you it might be someone you know that you could help just by pointing them in the right direction.

Then sometimes it's worth featuring a story on here just because it's really fun, so we have retailer Steve Root from Roots Kitchens Bedrooms Bathrooms telling us how he set off on a quest to claim a little 3m by 3m square of a Corsican hillside for this industry.

Trust me, it's a good 'un, it has goats, hitchhiking, a record breaking storm and a non-slip shower tray.

LINKS

Roots Kitchens Bedrooms Bathrooms 

Steve Root travel videos

Furniture Makers Company

Sue Dean email: [email protected] 

Sue Dean phone: 07366568458

Mental health text service: Text COMFORT to 85258

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Welcome to the kbbreview Podcast, your host  as always is Andy Davies and  this is episode three of season six.

That's the official classification, but much more  importantly this is Part Two of our top retailer round table.

Last week was Part One of this in-depth discussion that took place at the KBSA Conference a few weeks ago.

And we've got a roster of some of the most high-profile kbb retailers in the UK talking about some of the biggest issues. We have…

• Tony Robson from DayTrue in London
• Keith Myers from the Myers Touch in Winchester
• Diane Berry from Diane Berry Kitchens in Manchester
• Paul O'Brien from Kitchens International in Scotland

and

• Ron Mascari from Mascari Design in Nottingham.

And you'll also heard from Dawn Short from Callerton and Stephen Johnson from Quooker giving the supplier's point of view.

In Part One we covered two big topics - how business has changed post-covid - including a great discussion on who is still running by appointment only - and we also looked at how our retailers are approaching the thorny subject of sustainability,

So if you haven't listened to that yet here's a link to listen now in your browser, or if you're using a podcast app you can find it in there.

In Part Two we're going to deal with another couple of BIG subjects, including probably the biggest of them all at the moment, the floundering supply chain in some categories and the disruption it is causing the retailers day-to-day business.

And then we talk training, development, apprentices and the next generation and whether or not this industry really has a plan.

Two big subjects for Part Two of this discussion, so don't miss it.

Don't forget that entries close for the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2023 at 5pm on Thursday, November the 17th. It's totally FREE to enter and you can get all the details at kbbreview.com/awards

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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host as always is Andy Davies but that's really not important, the bit you actually need to know is that this is episode 2 of Season 6 and we're off to a flying start with the first of a two-part special.

Yes indeed, a double whammy this week and next. 

We're going to hear from a roundtable of top retailers discussing some of the biggest topics in the industry - post-lockdown business, supply chain problems, training and sustainability and it's all such good stuff that we're splitting it across two episodes.

At the end of September the KBSA ran a very successful conference and part of it was a fascinating on-stage discussion between Rob Mascari of Mascari Design, Paul O'Brien from Kitchens International, Paul O'Brien from Diane Berry Kitchens, Keith Myers from the Myers Touch, and Tony Robson from Day True. We'll also hear from Dawn Short from Callerton and Stephen Johnson from Quooker representing the suppliers.

There's a lot to unpick but we've dug out all the best bits for your delectation. In this first part we'll be looking at how their business has changed during and since the lockdowns, including some really interesting comments and opinions on working by-appointment only, and then we'll move onto sustainability and they're very candid about their views on who is responsible for what and whether consumers are actually bothered.

If you're interested in the episode mentioned by Tony Robson, here's the link

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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, we’re back back for this first episode of Season 6, and in the next ten weeks we’ll be running up to Christmas with top guests, big name interviews, industry updates, fun stories, great case studies, in depth analysis, loads of hints and tips to help you run your business better.

Your host as always is Andy Davies and we're afraid you’re stuck with him, but don’t let that put you off as we’ve got a great season opener for you.

We’ve got an exclusive interview with Anthony Sant, he’s the managing director of AO Business – now over the last couple of years many of you will have turned to AO with a furrowed desperate sweaty brow to try and fulfil those elusive appliance orders.

However, AO have their eye on the independent kitchen retail market for more than just those very distressed purchases. They want to be a major supplier and distributor, they want you to come to them as a first resort not last. 

And you can see why, they have a hugely impressive logistical network, massive warehouses, the latest IT and there’s a huge chunk of the appliance market there that they just don’t have.

But, as you will hear from Anthony Sant, the USP is not the delivery part, it’s that they will take the old appliances away. The retailer’s legal responsibility for the removal and safe disposal of electrical waste will soon, Sant says, become an onerous burden for retailers and they will be looking for partners that will take care of it.

Please rate, review and follow us wherever you get your podcasts, and feel free to drop Andy a line - [email protected]

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Welcome to the kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies and as well as being episode 10 of Season 5, and it is also the last episode of Season 5. We're going to take a little break and we'll be back with Season 6 later in October.

But we're rounding this season off with a discussion about a topic that affects every single retailer in the country - what and how do you pay your staff?

In particular we're looking at sales designers - do you pay low salary and high commission? Or high salary and low commission? And how do you even work out what that commission is going to be in the first place? Is it based on turnover or profit? And if the whole point is to motivate people to sell, what does that mean for those who simply want to design.

We're talking all this through with two friends of the show - consultant Toby Griffin and top retailer Elizabeth Pantling-Jones.

It may be the end of Season 5 but we're right bang in the middle of entries for the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2023. As always, it's totally FREE to enter and we have categories for kitchen and bathroom designers, retailers, installers and suppliers. The closing date is November 17th and if you want to find out more you can either go back a couple of episodes of this very podcast or go to kbbreview.com/awards.

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Welcome to the kbbreview podcast, this is episode 9 of Season 5 and your host as always is Andy Davies.

Great episode this week as we chat to one of the most high profile designers in the UK – Linda Barker. She is one of the original ‘celebrity’ designers, shooting to fame on Changing Rooms of course and is now a very successful interior designer and interior product designer plus, of course, a judge at the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards.

We talk about how she got into design as a profession, how she got the Changing Rooms gig, and she tell us all about her new kitchen that she designed herself that will feature on the cover of the next issue of our sister consumer title Kitchens Bedrooms & Bathrooms.

There’s no question in my mind that we wouldn’t have the huge choice and variety in the kbb industry today if the public’s understanding and interest in interior design hadn’t been kick-started by Changing Rooms. It’s a hugely influence on the trajectory of this industry and we discuss all that too.

Once again, a massive huge thank you to our very good friends at Masterclass for being our Season Five Kitchen Sponsor, as many of you will know, they are a proudly British manufacturer of quality kitchen furniture, offering an amazing range of unique products for over 45 years. To find out more about you can become part of the Masterclass family go to masterclasskitchens.co.uk/hello-studios

And don’t forget that entries are open now for the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2023. It’s totally FREE to enter and we have categories for designers, retailers, supplier, and installers so there’s something for everyone.

Go to kbbreview.com/awards to find everything you need to know.

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Welcome to the kbbreview Podcast, your host as always is Andy Davies and this is episode 8 of Season 5.

And it's a very special one because we're all about the launch of the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2023. Entries are now open, it's totally free and we've got categories for retailers, designers, installers and suppliers so there's something in here for everyone.

We're going to catch up with a few of the 2022 winners,  answer some of the questions we get asked the most, hopefully dispel some myths and we'll give you our top tips for putting together a winning entry.

In other words, everything you need to know about the awards is in this episode.

Special guests: Chantel Elshout, Kenny Luck, Shehryar Khan and Neil Gokcen

For all info on the awards go to kbbreview.com/awards

If you’ve got any questions at all about entering or booking your seats and tables, feel free to give Tracey a call on 020 8515 2113 or [email protected].

If you fancy finding out about sponsoring the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2023, contact Dean on 020 8515 2071 or [email protected].

Alternatively, you can have a chat with your usual Taylist Media account manager who’ll be happy to help.

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The availability of appliances is STILL causing massive headaches for kitchen retailers, so this week your host Andy Davies is catching up with the man in charge of one of the biggest brands in the UK to get an update from the horse's mouth - Luke Harding, the managing director for the UK & Ireland for Electrolux.

• What is availability like for AEG?
• What's causing all the problems?
• What does it mean for prices?
• What does it mean for new product development?
• And, the big question, when is it all going to get back to normal?

Big questions for one of the biggest brands in the sector.

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This week we’re talking all about bathroom showrooms with a fantastic case study from TBK Design, a brilliant retailer in North London who recently moved to a brand new 30,000sqft showroom that it planned, built and designed with amazing results.

In fact, TBK won the Bathroom Retail of the Year 2021 in our very own kbbreview Retail & Design Awards

So coming up we have Chris Frankland from kbbreview talking to showroom manager Gary Parker on design, layout, customer journeys, and displays as well as the most important things - music and smells.

It’s an absolutely fascinating look at the thought process behind putting that showroom together so don’t’ miss it.

This week's episode is sponsored by PJH, one of the industry's leading distributors supplying over 3,000 customers with a range of brands including its own Bathrooms To Love and Prima Appliances, Sinks & Taps. It’s been at the top of the game since it started in 1972 and, for those of you quick with your maths, that means it's celebrating an amazing 50 years this year.To find out more go to pjh.uk

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