Episodes
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is editor-at-large Rebecca Nottingham and this is another of our very special Rising Star episodes where we meet the upcoming superstars of kitchen and bathroom retail.
Between August 2024 and March 2025 we’ll be picking a monthly Rising Star to feature in the magazine, online and this very podcast. Those eight monthly winners then become the shortlist for the overall winner which will be revealed at the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2025 in April.
It's done with the support of our very good friends at Blum and you can find out more about them at blum.com.
You can nominate your rising stars, or indeed nominate yourself, via the awards website kbbreview.com/awards and there are only two rules:
They must be currently employed by a retailer - which we're defining as a company that sells direct to the consumer.
AND
They must be under 30 years of age on March the 4th, 2025.
Other than that, they can perform any job role within your business – admin, design, sales, finance, installation, we don’t mind as long as they’re a star!
So let's meet our Rising Star for November, Alistair Glover. After starting out on the supply side, he became fascinated by kitchen design, eventually joining retailer Alexander in Sussex and in the space of just two impressive years, he's gone from designer to showroom manager. Here's his story…
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Welcome to the kbbreview Podcast and this is Episode Ten and the last official episode of Season 13.
Season 14 will officially start in the New Year but we'll actually be back in December with a special mini-series looking ahead to 2025 AND, of course, the now legendary episode where we reveal the shortlist for the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2025 (entries close on November 14th!)
In this episode we're meeting two of our 2024/25 Adopted Retailers - you may have seen this in the magazine and online but we're following three independent retailers over the next 12 months as they embark on new endeavours in their businesses. The ins and outs, the ups and downs and everything in between as we map the very real experiences of independent KBB retailers.
In this episode we're meeting Joe Kardani, the co-founder of Point 5 Kitchens in North London. After opening their first showroom in Muswell Hill in 2016, they're in the middle of developing their second showroom just down the road in Belsize Park.
Then we have Olivia Weaver, aged just 25, she and her husband are starting a brand new retail business in Shropshire called Harrison James after several years on the tools.
Our third Adopted Retailer is the equally interesting Leamington Kitchen Company in Leamington Spa and you can read their first installment here and we'll meet them on a podcast further down the line.
All this is made possible by our Adopted Retailer Partner Alku, the exciting new range of Kitchen, Bedroom and Lifestyle furniture, created with the designer in mind. We're delighted to have them on board for this and you can find out everything you need to know about them, including how to become a dealer, at alku.co.uk.
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies and this is Episode Nine of Season 13.
Today we're delving back into the mysteries of the brain with another look at the psychology of you and your clients and, in particular, the effect of unconscious bias on how you view them and they view you.
Does the car they drive, the clothes they wear or the haircut they have mean that you form opinions on them the moment they come through the showroom door?
Or, more worryingly, is the same true for their gender, race or age too?
The answer, according to our guest - retail psychology expert Phillip Adcock - is an uncomfortable yes to all of them no matter what you might say. Hundreds of thousands of years of evolution have made you instantly judge everyone you meet and these unconscious prejudices are constantly battling with your conscious desire to treat everyone the same.
His view is that the more you're aware of how people's unconscious minds work - both yours and your clients - the more successful you can be in selling your services. And that could mean accepting some uncomfortable truths and actively consciously choosing to go against them.
And don't forget that entries close for the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2025 on November 14. Find out everything you need to know at kbbreview.com/awards.
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies as always and today we're asking the most fundamental and simple question that usually doesn't have an easy answer - how's business?
The market has been really poor for some time - you don't need me to tell you that - but what are the nuances within it, what are the different perspectives on why that might be, what are the positive signs of recovery and what's going to happen in the short to medium term?
September and October always bring the KBSA Conference and the Bathroom Manufacturers Association Conference and they're perfect places to grab those in the know to get a snapshot of opinion on where the market is.
So we grabbed some willing volunteers and asked them that question - how's business?
Entries for the kbbreview Retail and Design Awards 2025 are now open but the clock is ticking as we're closing them at 5pm on November the 14th - and we won't be extending that.
We have categories for kitchen and bathroom designs at different project costs, we have Showroom of the Year, Retailer of the Year, Installation Company of the Year, Supplier Team of the Year, New Retailer of the Year and our Rising Star Award for those in KBB retail under 30. In other words we've got something for everyone and it's totally FREE to enter so you've got nothing to lose.
Everything you need to know is at kbbreview.com/awards
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, you host today is editor-at-large Rebecca Nottingham and this is another of our very special Rising Star episodes where we meet the upcoming superstars of kitchen and bathroom retail.
Between August 2024 and March 2025 we’ll be picking a monthly Rising Star to feature in the magazine, online and this very podcast. Those eight monthly winners then become the shortlist for the overall winner which will be revealed at the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2025 in April.
It's done with the support of our very good friends at Blum and you can find out more about them at blum.com
You can nominate your rising stars, or indeed nominate yourself, via the awards website kbbreview.com/awards and there are only two rules:
They must be currently employed by a retailer - which we're defining as a company that sells direct to the consumer.
AND
They must be under 30 years of age on March the 4th, 2025.
Other than that, they can perform any job role within your business – admin, design, sales, finance, installation, we don’t mind as long as they’re a star!
So here's our Rising Star for October, Luke Niblett from Luxe Kitchen Designs. He started out as a cabinet maker but decided he wanted to run his own business and, before he's even 30, he's managed to not just do that but do it very successfully…
See our other Rising Stars at kbbreview.com/risingstar
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies and this is Episode Seven of Season 13.
And today we're delving into the world of franchises.
They've been around a long time in this sector, of course, but the accelerated growth of Kutchenhaus in particular has refocused attention on the business model that combines lots of the pros of being an independent retailer with the power of a national brand.
So names such as Kutchenhaus, as well as Schmidt, Kesseler, Ripples, Raison Home, The Kitchen Depot and many others are forging a whole new approach to kitchen and bathroom retail.
We interviewed Paul Lee from Kutchenhuas a few episodes ago - so go back and listen to that for more specifics on their head office strategy - but today you'll hear kbbreview editor-at-large Rebecca Nottingham talking to franchisees from three different companies and looking at why they chose this route, what the pros and cons are, and how far they think franchising can go in the KBB market.
So we have friend of the show Trevor Scott - who runs a Kutchenhaus franchise alongside his long-standing business RFK. We have James Casey from Kesseler in Sudbury, and we have Imran Azam who runs Ripples showrooms in Wokingham and Beaconsfield.
Now, heads up, Imran's sound isn't great but bear with it as his story and perspective is really interesting AND he was literally talking to us on his holiday from the balcony of his hotel in Monaco. Rather brilliantly, you can hear the birds singing in the background....
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Welcome to the kbbreview Podcast and, for those keeping meticulous records this is episode six of season 13.
Your host is Andy Davies, and we're getting all nostalgic in this one as we mark 40 years of kbbreview. Our very own George Dean has been having a chat with a couple of top retailers, who have both been in the game for more than 40 years, to get a view on what the industry was like back then and how it compares to now.
We have Tina Riley from Modern Homes in Leamington Spa and Phil Beechinor from Alexander in Worthing.
We've also got Mark Pearson in there, his day job now is kbbreview's Operations and Events Director - in other words the man behind the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards - but before he joined us he was a very accomplished bathroom retailer, specifically with Porcelanosa, and he started his career over 40 years ago too.
So, if you're fans of how it used to be back in the day, you don't want to miss this one!
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In the second of our very special episodes all about the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2025, we catch up with our Podcast Partner Sonas Bathrooms and a pair of their retailers to look at the importance of the supplier-retailer partnership.
Hosted by kbbreview's Matt Baker, our special guests are:
Richard Sloan, the CEO of Sonas Bathrooms
Becky Price from Park Street Interiors in Camberley
and
Dan Tuff from Glenfield Bathrooms in Leicester.
Don't forget that entries are OPEN for the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2025. It's totally FREE to enter and if you're a kitchen or bathroom designer, retailer, supplier or installer, we have categories for you. The closing date is Novermber 14th and you can find out everything you need to know at kbbreview.com/awards or in our special awards podcast episode.
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, and this is the final episode of our special three-part series we're calling 'Changemakers'.
It's all in association with our very good friends at Hettich and together we're meeting people or companies that are truly forging their own path in the UK kitchen and bathroom sector. They're shaping opinions, trends and business practices in a way that genuinely shifts the industry zeitgeist.
Your hosts in this series are, once again, kbbreview's Andy Davies and Hettich UK managing director Simeon Gabriel.
This week we're meeting Richard Hagan from Crystal Doors - on the surface they're a manufacturer of vinyl wrapped doors but under Richard's guidance they're so much more than that. He is a true champion of sustainable manufacturing, and his relatively modest company based in Rochdale has shown that it is possible for anyone to genuinely have minimal impact on their environment.
He is a proper expert on the mechanics, economics and practical applications needed to do it too, there is nothing conceptual here, and he is a leading player in the business community of Greater Manchester sharing that expertise. No greenwashing here.
He's a fascinating character, an obsessive about the subject and he's been able to turn it into reality in a away that many talk about but few do.
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, this is the second episode of our special three-part series we're calling 'Changemakers'.
It's all in association with our very good friends at Hettich and together we're meeting people or companies that are truly forging their own path in the UK kitchen and bathroom sector. They're shaping opinions, trends and business practices in a way that genuinely shifts the industry zeitgeist.
Your hosts are kbbreview's Andy Davies and Hettich UK managing director Simeon Gabriel.
This week we're meeting Paul Lee and Gordon Robinson from Kutchenhaus. It is, of course, the retail franchise outfit that has managed to grow and grow in a way no other franchise company in this market has been able to do. Owned by German kitchen manufacturing giant Nobilia, it has now managed to reach a size and influence that is shaping market trends and share and leading other companies, notably Magnet, to launch franchise operations of their own.
How do you become a franchisee?What autonomy do they have?How does the brand maintain consistency in design, marketing, sales and service?Is there a critical mass?Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast and this is the first episode of a special three-part series we're calling 'Changemakers'.
It's all in association with our very good friends at Hettich and together we're meeting people or companies that are truly forging their own path in the UK kitchen and bathroom sector. They're shaping opinions, trends and business practices in a way that genuinely shifts the industry zeitgeist.
Your hosts for this series are kbbreview's Andy Davies and Hettich UK managing director Simeon Gabriel.
Our first Changemaker is a real pioneer in the field of accessible and multi-generational kitchen design - Adam Thomas. A wheelchair-user himself, he has a unique understanding of how kitchens can and should be designed to allow full use by everyone of any ability, age, size or shape.
He is also very inspirational when it comes to explaining just what a business opportunity this is for retailers and designers.
It's all here in a very special interview that you won't want to miss....
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2025 are open for entries and this is the first of our special monthly awards podcast bonus episodes.
We'll be following the whole process between now and the event in April - including exclusively revealing the shortlist of finalists just before Christmas.
In this first episode we get down to basics - what are the awards, who can enter, what are the categories and what are our top tips for doing your entries.
Huge thanks to our Awards Podcast Partner for 2025 Sonas Bathrooms for all their support. You can find out all about becoming a Sonas Bathrooms retailer at sonasbathrooms.co.uk
You can find out everything you need to know about entering the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2025, as well as booking tickets for the event, at kbbreview.com/awards
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies, this is Episode Two of Season 13 and we've got a great one for you today as we look into the world of distribution with one of the biggest names in the sector - Waterline.
We have a great interview with Michael Marriott, who's the new CEO, and sales director Rob Taylor who's chalked up an astonishing 39 years with the company.
Waterline is, of course, owned by Crown Imperial and Michael is the grandson of the founder, continuing the lineage of the family-run business. His brother Barry Head is the current MD of Crown.
There are huge changes happening with distribution in the KBB industry - with consolidation, buy outs and big names calling in the administrators. Big brands who always relied on distributors are starting to go direct and margins are getting tighter and tighter across the chain.
Against this backdrop, Waterline has just launched its first ever bathroom range - an ambitious move into a very crowded market.
So why have they done it, what do they think about the direction of distribution in general, and how does a new CEO get under the skin of such a well-established company?
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is editor-at-large Rebecca Nottingham and this is another of our very special Rising Star episodes where we meet the upcoming superstars of kitchen and bathroom retail.
Between August 2024 and March 2025 we’ll be picking a monthly Rising Star to feature in the magazine, online and this very podcast. Those eight monthly winners then become the shortlist for the overall winner which will be revealed at the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2025 in April.
It's done with the support of our very good friends at Blum and you can find out more about them at Blum.com
You can nominate your rising stars, or indeed nominate yourself, via the awards website kbbreview.com/awards and there are only two rules:
They must be currently employed by a retailer - which we're defining as a company that sells direct to the consumer and they must be under 30 years of age on March the 4th, 2025.
Other than that, they can perform any job role within your business – admin, design, sales, finance, installation, we don’t mind as long as they’re a star!
So let's meet our Rising Star for September, Georgia Astley. She's the branch manager at Kutchenhaus Lutterworth. At just 22 she's already clocked up experience in installation, design, project management and running a showroom and, as you will hear, she's loving every minute of it...
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies and this is Episode One of Season 13.
For this very special episode we're meeting the founder of one of the industry's most enigmatic companies - Paul O'Leary from deVOL.
He and his team have managed to establish the hugely successful deVOL as a true lifestyle brand that, yes, will make you a beautiful traditional kitchen but they do it by inviting you into their world and giving you the warm and uniquely British deVOL experience. It is based in Cotes Mill, a 16th-century water mill set in twelve acres of natural meadows on the banks of the River Soar, just outside Loughborough and this rambling five-storey building and its gardens have since become synonymous with the deVOL brand and featured heavily in its own Emmy-nominated TV show - For The Love Of Kitchens.
If you haven't seen it we highly recommend seeking it out via the deVOL YouTube channel.
Paul is the embodiment of deVOL and to hear him talk about the philosophy of it and his views on design and his customers is just fascinating as well as just listening to him tell his own personal story, it all makes up an interview that you just don't want to miss….
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Welcome to the kbbreview Podcast and this summer special episode dropping right in the middle of August.
We've got a cracking whole new season starting at the beginning of September but today's episode was just too good, too relevant and too insightful to wait until then.
Now we all know that the market is, at best, flat and, at worst, way below that and that leaves business owners and leaders with a difficult decision - do you hunker down and wait for it to pass, or do you actively attack the market with initiatives designed to spark it into life?
And that's why we're very lucky in this episode to have Stephen Ewer the CEO of one of the biggest UK suppliers in the industry Bathroom Brands. I went over to the always impressive showroom at their HQ in Dartford to talk to Stephen - and a very enlightening conversation it was too.
Bathrooms Brands is, of course, one of the biggest names in the sector, and is therefore always a real bellwether for what's happening. For a company with such a unique relationship with the independent retail sector, its plans and strategies are always worth examining in detail if you get the chance.
And its latest initiatives are more exciting than most as it launches a comprehensive package of products, promotion and price alignments designed with one goal in mind - to actively stimulate the depressed market.
This episode is sponsored by Bathroom Brands and we promise this is a very candid case study of how companies can take a lead and revitalise a market with some clever and creative ideas so we do really recommend this one.
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Welcome to a new series of episodes brought to you by The kbbreview Podcast. Your host is kbbreview editor-at-large Rebecca Nottingham for these monthly episodes meeting the Rising Stars of the kbb independent retailer sector, brought to you in association with Blum.
In this first episode we’re meeting our Rising Star for August, Melissa Halliday from Archispek in East Lothian.
But first, let’s explain what the Rising Star is all about and how YOU can nominate your own.
Yes, We’ve teamed up with Blum to find the industry’s upcoming stars because successful businesses and industries are always looking for fresh, new, creative talent.
These rising stars often drive companies to innovate and embrace new practices and technologies and, guided by experienced hands, they can grow into valuable team members or even the next generation of business leaders.
The development of this pool of new, young talent is so important to the future of the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom retail sector and that’s why we’re expanding the scope of our annual ‘Rising Star’ award.
Between now and March next year we’ll be picking a monthly Rising Star to feature in the magazine, online and this very podcast. Those eight monthly winners then become the shortlist for the overall winner which will be revealed at the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2025 in April.
It’s all very exciting so we need YOU to tell us who your Rising Star is - who are the members of your team that you believe stand out as a star of the future in this industry?
There are only two rules:
They must be currently employed by a retailer - defined as a company that sells direct to the consumer.They must be under 30 years of age on March 4, 2025. Other than that, they can perform any job role within your business - admin, design, sales, finance, installation, we don’t mind as long as they’re a star!You can find all the info you need at kbbreview.com/risingstar
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies and this is Episode Eight of Season 12.
You may remember that, all the way back in episode two a few weeks ago, we looked at the ever-present stalwart of the kbb showroom - the brochure. You can listen to that one here.
This week we're looking at the brochure's ever-present companion on the showroom shelf - the sample.
Every showroom has them whether it's for doors, worktops, handles and just about everything else but how do they use them, how do they manage and keep on top of them all, are there too many, and what do you do with them when the new ranges come out?
This is proper shopfloor stuff and we're talking it all through with a couple of great retailers in the shape of Stuart Luckman from RidgeWey and Al Bruce from Olive & Barr. We also have the supplier's perspective from Andy Noble, the Managing Director at CDUK.
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Welcome to the kbbreview Podcast, this is a special bonus episode counting down to one of the biggest events of the year - the InstallerSHOW 2024.
It's from the 25th to the 27th of June, that's Tuesday to Thursday, and thousands of visitors will descend on the NEC in Birmingham to see the latest products, mix with peers and hear the latest advice and debate on some of the biggest issues facing the sector.
For the first time there will be a dedicated Installer Kitchens & Bathrooms area and that's where you'll find a special extra one-off issue of kbbreview, as well as big supply brands and big topics being discussed.
So in this episode host Andy Davies finds our what;s happening with Mike Costain, the managing director of show organiser Lyrical Communications.
You can find out all about InstallerSHOW 2024 at installershow.com, and you can also register to attend for FREE there too.
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast and this is PartTWO of a special two-parter reporting from our very first Retail Safari.
A Retail Safari is a walking tour of interesting and innovative retail stores and environments and we're taking a group of independent kitchen and bathroom retailers out of this industry and hoping to expand horizons and provoke some new thinking on how to view their customers, their showroom, their displays.
We have a retail expert as our guide in the shape of Ian Scott, who's actually been on this podcast before, to lead us round.
In Part One you heard the running commentary from host Andy Davies and kbbreview's editor-at-large Rebecca Nottingham as they talked us through what they spotted in each store. We also heard from some of our retailers to find out what their learnings, takeaways and observations where.
Now, in Part Two, we'll find out what the rest of our retailers thought as well as a chat with Ian Scott and Hettich MD Simeon Gabriel.
This whole endeavour has been supported by Hettich UK and we wouldn’t have been able to do it without them so a public thank you to them. If you want to find out more about Hettich then you can them here.
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