Afleveringen
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies and this is Episode Three of Season 15.
We've got a great interview for you today - Phil Cole, the co-owner of Clive Christian.
Founded in 1978 by Clive, it has become one of the few well-known kitchen brands in the ultra luxury arena - certainly in the traditional style.
It's had it's ups and downs though as we will hear, going into administration in April 2022. That's where the then global sales director Phil Cole bought the company with Jim Denos - the owner of the US operations.
So we'll hear all about that, how the luxury market is performing, what people expect for the kind of costs they deal in, how discretion is a valuable skill, finding skilled artisans, how to keep growing and lots and lots more.
Andy met up with Phil at their flagship London showroom - which is actually a beautiful townhouse in Kensington and sat at a desk in a proper wood-panelled office...
But first….
We're only a WEEK away from the InstallerShow at the NEC where everyday at 1:30 on the Kitchen Of The Future stand we'll be recording a LIVE episode of this very podcast.
On Tuesday the 24th we'll have a panel of top retailers discussing the health of the marketOn Wednesday 25th we've got some greatest accessible design experts giving us some proper top tipsOn Thursday 26th we're looking at how small to medium, sized KBB showrooms can use social media to grow their business.So that's 1:30 on the Kitchen Of The Future stand come along listen in, join in or just say hello.
Go to installershow.com to register for your FREE ticket.
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Welcome to another very special bonus episode of The kbbreview Podcast, you host is Andy Davies and today we've got a really interesting conversation with Rob Ginsberg from hib.
Until very recently it was better known as H.I.B and was founded by Rob's father Warren Ginsberg 35 years ago. But it has undergone a major rebrand - and subtle name change - to underline its status as one of the leading accessories suppliers in the bathroom industry.
So new name, new brand, new ranges, new products and new philosophy and strategy all underpinned by decades of heritage, industry knowledge and experience.
And Rob is going to talk us through it all.
You can find out more about them at hib.co.uk
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host as always is Andrew Davies and this is Episode Two of Season 15.
This week we're building up to the InstallerSHOW - the huge exhibition of all things plumbing, heating, electrical, renewables AND, of course, kitchens and bathrooms.
It's at the NEC on June 24th, 25th and 26th and it is packed with loads of product, obviously, but also networking, demos, seminars and training as well as, most importantly, LIVE recordings of this very podcast.
You can come along and see us at 13:30 every day at the Kitchen Of The Future stage.
The InstallerSHOW may be in its 10th year but it's still growing all the time. While the dedicated kitchen and bathroom section is relatively new it is also growing and this year it is packed with loads of top brands and content 100% relevant for KBB retailers.
So we really do recommend coming along but if that isn't enough - and it almost certainly isn't - then we really recommend listening to this episode with the organiser MIke Costain. You can let him tell you all about the show, what's there, what to see, what's in it for you and what's next.
You can register for your free ticket now, as well as find out everything you need to know, at installershow.com.
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies, and this is a very special bonus episode where we catch up with one of the biggest brands in the sector - InSinkErator.
They've got a bold new strategy, an eye-catching rebrand and a cutting-edge product launch with their new Next Generation range. They're reinventing the food waste disposal market yet again and Andy caught up with managing director Ashley Munden on changing markets, colourful campaigns and the science behind food waste solutions.
You can find out more at insinkerator.co.uk
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Welcome to a new season of The kbbreview Podcast, your host as always is Andy Davies and we're kicking it off with a very special and exclusive interview with Dr Reinhard Zinkann - one of the two co-owners of Miele.
Andy met him at the global appliance giant's new Experience Centre showroom bang in the middle of Wigmore Street in London.
Dr Zinkann's view of the market is about as top level as it gets so...
What is his take on the current state of the market?What is the strategy behind the rollout of the Experience Centres and what it means for their independent dealers?Can dealers make a decent margin on appliances?Market was in disarray during lockdown boom - what lessons has he taken forward?The InstallerSHOW 2025 is coming up at the end of June and we'll be there every day doing a LIVE episode recording of this very podcast. The show runs on June 24, 25 and 26 at the NEC and every day at 13:30 you can come and see us at the Kitchen Of The Future stand. For more info and to get your FREE ticket to the show go to installershow.com and I'll put that link in the episode description.
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast and the first of TWO very special episodes coming live from Blackpool and the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2025.
Since we launched these awards back in September we've been putting out special monthly awards episodes talking to judges, organisers and finalists and it's all thanks to our 2025 Awards Podcast Partner Sonas Bathrooms.
You can find out more about them at sonasbathrooms.com
Your awards podcast host Matt Baker managed to find a quiet-ish spot at the back of the legendary Tower Ballroom where he also found our very kbbreview managing editor Andrew Davies.
We grabbed all our winners as they came off stage so we're hearing from them all split it over a couple of episodes. In Part One we heard from our design winners as well as the Special Achievement Award and now, in Part Two, we're catching up with all of our business category finalists, including the Kitchen Retailer Of The Year and Bathroom Retailer Of The Year.
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast and the first of TWO very special episodes coming live from Blackpool and the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2025.
Since we launched these awards back in September we've been putting out special monthly awards episodes talking to judges, organisers and finalists and it's all thanks to our 2025 Awards Podcast Partner Sonas Bathrooms.
You can find out more about them at sonasbathrooms.com
Your awards podcast host Matt Baker managed to find a quiet-ish spot at the back of the legendary Tower Ballroom where he also found our very kbbreview managing editor Andrew Davies.
We grabbed all our winners as they came off stage so we're going to hear from them all split it over a couple of episodes. So, in this first one, we'll hear from our design winners as well as Andrew giving out the Special Achievement Award.
In the next episode you'll hear all of our business category finalists, including the Kitchen Retailer Of The Year and Bathroom Retailer Of The Year.
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies and this is a very special bonus episode of the show where we'll be finding out all about our Adopted Retailer Partner Alku, the new range of kitchens from Getley.
In our usual episode that came out yesterday you will have heard our latest catch-up with our Adopter Retailers themselves so today is the perfect time to learn more about Alku.
Andy met up with marketing manager Dan Hughes recently and, in fact, their conversation is as much about independent retail in general as it is about Alku because it's brand designed purely with them in mind. So we really do recommend this one to anyone interested in the market as Dan really knows his stuff.
Everything you need to know about them, including how to become a dealer, is at alku.co.uk.
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies and this is Episode 9 of Season 14.
And we've been really looking forward to this episode, as we're catching up with our Adopted Retailers. In the magazine every month, we've been following the fortunes of three kbb retailers with three very different backgrounds, experiences and plans for the future.
We last spoke to them here on the podcast back at the start of November - you can listen to that here - and six months later we're here to see how they're getting on.
So we have Amanda Raine from The Leamington Kitchen Company in Leamington Spa. She and her husband Tom opened their dream showroom a year or so ago after leaving corporate jobs in construction and marketing.
Then we have Joe Kardani from Point 5 Kitchens in London. They're a well-established retailer in Muswell Hill but they're opening a second showroom in nearby Belsize Park.
And last but by no means least is Olivia Weaver from Harrison James in Shropshire. Only in their mid-20s she and husband Harry, are just about to open their first showroom after expanding their installation business into retail.
So, kbbreview's George Dean caught up with them last week to see how they're all getting on.
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 actually find out more about them in a bonus episode coming out tomorrow where Andy talking to marketing director Dan Hughes.
In the meantime, everything you need to know about them, including how to become a dealer, is at alku.co.uk.
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies and this is Episode Eight of Season 14.
We're heading into the long Easter weekend of course, which will be a nice break before the madness of next begins as we jet off to Blackpool for the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards next Thursday.
And by 'jet off' I mean the train. You don't usually have to change at Preston if you're in a jet.
This episode is one of those where we pose one simple question to some retailers - how's business?
These are always some of our most listened to episodes, and it's not hard to see why, the kbb market is flat at best, no one knows when that will change and, oh yes, the rest of the world seems to have genuinely gone mad.
So, Andy's kbbreview colleague George Dean went off to the annual MHK Conference in Berlin a couple of weeks ago and managed to catch a few UK retailers.
What's fascinating about this one, as you'll hear, is that our retailers are answering that question really by talking about how they're changing, adapting, trying new things and being pretty proactive, rather than complaining about the state of the market.
It's actually great to hear and, to us anyway, that's a real sign that the independent market can do a lot to grab hold of the market and shake it, rather than waiting to be shook.
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies as always.
Today we're looking at life as an independent retailer - are rises in the costs of running your business such as national insurance and business rates simply pricing you out of the real market? What is the future of the High Street? How are consumers changing? What is the role of local and central government and - always one for the big questions - how come there are so many barbers?
We're talking to Andrew Goodacre, the CEO of the British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA)about all these things and more and, trust me, he doesn't pull any punches.
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, this is Episode Six of Season 14 and your host is managing editor Andy Davies.
Today we're looking at an area that gets to the heart of what good design is all about.
Understanding and interpreting the needs of those that are going to use the kitchen or bathroom every day is a vital part of any brief - and that includes not just factoring in extended family and friends but also future-proofing for the potential needs to come.
We've talked a lot about multi-generational design in the context of physicality before on the show, but today we're going to look at how usable kitchens and bathroom are vital for those with cognitive impairments too - in particular dementia.
Jo Jeyes is our guest today and she's a designer specialising in, amongst other things, dementia-friendly design so we're going to find out what that means, the role of good kbb design in maintaining independence and dignity, how to broach and discuss this with clients and, of course, lots of actual practical tips.
This is so interesting and really underpins the power of good design in making people's lives better.
A quick reminder that the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards are in the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom on Thursday, April 24 and we are officially 100% sold out. However, when you have that many people there is always a chance some cancellations do happen, so, we are running a waiting list. As soon as a ticket becomes available, it will be offered to whoever is next in line on that list. It's first come, first serve so go to kbbreview.com/awards and you'll find out how to get in the queue. It's always worth the call!
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Welcome to another very special episode of The kbbreview Podcast all about the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2025.
The event is now less than a month away!
On Thursday, April 24th hundreds of the industry's leading retailers, designers, suppliers, influencers and opinion-formers will arrive in Blackpool for the biggest evening of the year.
As the excitement builds, in this episode we're taking a look at the venue itself. The Blackpool Tower is one of the most iconic buildings in the UK and the Ballroom simply a spectacular example of ornate Victorian splendour.
So we're finding out more about this Grade One listed extravagant masterpiece from its Head of Operations Aaron Edgar.
And trust us, it's absolutely fascinating.
As always, huge thanks to our 2025 Awards Podcast Partner, Sonas Bathrooms, You can find out more about them at sonasbathrooms.co.uk.
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies and this is Episode 5 of Season 14 - which means we're officially halfway through the series.
This week we're delving into a subject that, slowly but surely, is becoming more common - freelance KBB designers.
They're not retailers in the classic definition of the word, they don't have showrooms, but they will design kitchens or bathrooms for their clients - and those clients could be consumers, developers, interior design, architects or, indeed, time-poor KBB retailers.
So why go freelance? How does it work? Who are the customers and where do they find them? How do relationships with suppliers work? And with so many KBB retailers wishing they could charge for designs, how do they sell the service?
This is a really insightful conversation with three top designers already doing it - Darren Morgan, Alina Tacutanu and Anna Rock and if you run a showroom, you really need to hear their views.
A quick reminder that the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards are in the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom on Thursday, April 24 and we are officially 100% sold out. However, there is always a chance that with that many people some cancellations do happen, so, we are running a waiting list. As soon as a ticket becomes available, it will be offered to whoever is next in line on that list. It's first come, first serve so go to kbbreview.com/awards and you'll find out who to get in the queue. It's always worth the call!
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Welcome to another special Rising Star episode of The kbbreview Podcast.
We’ve teamed up with Blum to find the upcoming stars of kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom retail and this is our eighth and final Rising Star for 2025 - Aidan Parish, a fitter at Lima Kitchens in Milton Keynes.
When Aidan joined the Lima Kitchens team around 18 months ago, it wasn’t just his technical skills that impressed design and marketing director Elizabeth Pantling–Jones. “When Aidan arrived, we could see his potential that extended beyond technical skills,” she says. “While his installation abilities needed refining, his natural aptitude for client relationships and business growth was evident from the start.”
Since then, Parish has continued to impress his colleagues with not only his technical skills and eagerness to improve, but his aptitude and understanding of how craftsmanship and business growth intertwine.
Find out more about each of our Rising Star finalists at kbbreview.com/risingstar. The winner will be crowned at the glittering awards ceremony at Blackpool’s iconic Tower Ballroom on April 24.
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies and this is Episode Four of Season 14.
At kbbreview, we talk to a lot of retailers and if there's one lament that comes up again and again it's that they donʼt make a decent margin on appliances.
So if the margins are so tight for what is a big part of the customer's budget, is it really worth selling them at all?
This is a really, really interesting topic as it goes to the heart of the relationship between retailers and suppliers, the importance of service and project management and the ability of small businesses to make money in a difficult market.
What is role of rebates and incentives? Are the criteria for achieving them reasonable?Should you itemise appliance prices in quotes?Is the blended margin across the whole project more important?What don't suppliers understand about the way retailers sell or specify appliances?Are there any scenarios where kitchen retailers wouldn't sell them at all?It's all in this fascinating discussion with Trevor Scott from RFK; Belinda Dangerfield from =Qudaus Living and Matt Turton from Bold Kitchens
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies and this is Episode Three of Season 14.
Today we're looking at something which asks a very difficult existential question of independent KBB retailers - do you ever think what might happen if you got into financial difficulty and couldn't finish your clients project?
In particular, we're looking at whether or not retailers should have some kind of deposit protection insurance. In other words, something that means they will get back any money they've already given you if the worst happens.
What is deposit protection insurance and who does it work?What are pros and cons? Why is it not more prevalent?How do you talk about it with customers without sounding like you're about to go bust?Given the sums of money involved, should it be mandatory?We're talking it through with Richard Hibbert from KSL in Sudbury - he's also chairman of the KBSA of course - and Nick Warrington from Stuart J Warrington in Macclesfield.
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your 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 all under the age of 30.
Between August 2024 and March 2025 we’re 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…….and you can see all the Rising Stars so far at kbbreview.com/risingstar
So here's our February Rising Star - Sonny Upton, lead maker at Shape London who is not only valued for his cabinet making skills but also as a passionate, versatile and reliable member of the team.
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Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies as always and this is the second episode of Season 14.
This week we've got a great, and very candid, interview with Sharon Wallis, the UK head of one of most iconic and longest-established kitchen furniture brands you can find - Poggenpohl.
It has a long pedigree, of course, established as it was in 1892 in Germany by Friedemir Poggenpohl but its recent history has been a little more tumultuous.
In 2020 at the height of the pandemic it filed for insolvency in Germany and, after a scrappy and uncertain sales process, it was eventually bought by Chinese firm, Jomoo.
So, kicking off with both a lockdown AND the insolvency of the German parent, finance director Sharon Wallis took over as the new MD. A baptism of fire for anyone.
But Poggenpohl in the UK has always been a steady ship and, in fact, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. It is, of course, both a retailer in its own right, and a supplier to other independents.
So, what was it like taking over at that time, how is current performance, how do you balance both retail and supply and what is it like being a female senior business leader in an industry still dominated by men?
Our kbbreview editor-at-large Rebecca Nottingham went to meet her at their Hampstead showroom….
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Welcome to The Kbbreview Podcast and another special episode all about the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2025.
Your host as always is Matt Baker and today we’re going to shine a spotlight on the design categories and take another look into the minds of our design judges to see what they thought of this year’s entries, what themes they spotted, and how much they get out of the process themselves.
We caught up with them at the end of the finalists presentation days. This is when they get to quiz all the designers on their shortlisted projects and find out all the details so what are the trends that came through, and just what difference does it make to talk directly to them?
Before that, a huge thank you needs to go out to our 2025 Awards Podcast Partner, Sonas Bathrooms - it’s great to have their continued support. an you can find out all about them at sonasbathrooms.co.uk .
The awards event is at the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom on April 24th and it is SOLD OUT. So if you still want to come, you’ll have to join our waiting list. Go to kbbreview.com/awards for full details.
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