The kbbreview Podcast

This week's episode is all about that staple fixture of showrooms and their relationship with the brands they sell - brochures.

• What do retailers and designers actually use them for?
• What do they say about the brand?
• Do suppliers assume they get given out to every potential customer who comes through the door?
• Are too many simply thrown away and wasted?
• Should they have prices in them or not?

Such simple things touch on ...

Today we're looking at that tricky yet often desirable symbol of growth for an independent kbb retailer and that's …..the second showroom.

The vast majority of kbb independents operate out of one showroom, but many often seriously think about another. It's an obvious way to expand the business but there are plenty of cons to go with the long list of pros.

Finding the right location, spreading yourself too thin, finding people...

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies and this may be the last episode of Season 11 but we've got a couple of very interesting bits for you

First up we're talk about manifestos - we all know there's going to be a General Election this year so if you were running for Prime Minister, what would be in YOURS to help kbb businesses?

While we were at the KBB show we took the opportunity to ask this very simple ...

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host as always is Andy Davies and this week we're looking at the communication between suppliers and their retailers.

Since Covid there has been massive shift in how this is done, the traditional rep-on-the-road model has morphed into a hybrid of some area sales managers and a lot more emails, portals, Zoom, Teams, webinars and the like.

From the suppliers point of view it's not hard to ...

Welcome to another bonus episode of The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies and at the kbb show last week he caught up with Richard Sloan, the CEO of Sonas Bathrooms. 

It was their time exhibiting at the show AND, of course, they were also our Podcast Partner for the 20204 kbbreview Retail & Design Awards.

So that's two greatest reasons to talk to Richard about the health of the market, the relationship betwe...

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, this is another of our special episodes from kbb Birmingham, although to be more precise this one is coming from the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2024. 

Host Andy Davies found a relatively quiet spot to talk to you but we had around 900 people filling the room celebrating the very best of the industry so it was a big noisy crowd and an amazing atmosphere.

Our host was Stephen Mul...

Welcome to the second of your special kbbreview Podcast episodes direct from kbb Birmingham 2024

It's been another really busy show today, with lots of very interesting conversations on and off the record , including some fantastic gossip which we couldn't possible repeat and some genuinely honest assessments about the health of the market. 

Today we've got a couple of very interesting interviews that host Andy Davies di...

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies, and this is Episode 5 of Season 11. 

This is a great episdoe as we've got a topic today that will dazzle all your senses.

That's because it's all about, well, dazzling all the senses.

It's obvious that your showroom needs to look great, but do you ever think about how it smells, how it sounds or how it feels? Does your showroom engage all of your customer's s...

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast and another of our special bonus episodes all about the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2024.

And this is the last one of these we'll be doing before the event itself. This is coming out on Wednesday, February 28 which the means the awards is on Monday. 

All very exciting indeed and what better way to round off this countdown to the ceremony than by talking to two of our finalists.

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast and another very special bonus episode as we're talking to Stephen Ewer, the CEO of Bathroom Brands.

Always great to talk to him and we'll be getting his view on the health of the market, the biggest factors affecting its growth and, more specifically, what plans and strategies Bathrooms Brands to get the most out of 2024.

It's a proper insight into the  mind of one of the UK sector's lea...

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies and we're keeping the pre-KBB Show podcast bonanza coming with this - the100% official Episode Four of Season Eleven.

And we've got a great guest on today talking about a subject that is so important, so relevant and so interesting that we really should discuss it more - and that's how retailers can be more sustainable.

That's both in the way they run their business A...

Welcome to another special episode of The kbbreview Podcast all about the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2024.

We're counting down to the big event itself on Monday, March the 4th with these special shows and after last week's conversation with some of our design category judges, today we're talking to a couple of our business category judges. 

What makes them tick, what are they looking for, why is it so important...

Welcome to another special bonus episode of The kbreview Podcast and today we're getting a bit of a sneak preview of one of the most high-profile exhibitors at kbb Birmingham in a couple of weeks time.

And that's Cyncly.

Now Cyncly may be a new name to the kbb Birmingham exhibition halls but the latest versions of the products it is showing have been essential tools for kitchen and bathroom retailers and designers for a reass...

Welcome to the kbbreview Podcast and this very special bonus episode. It's a great one for anyone interested in the latest trends and products in kitchen, bedroom and bathroom design as we'll be talking to Aimee Fletcher - the  Decor and Product Manager for Egger.

We're going to find out all about her new ranges, how she gets her inspiration and ideas and how that translates into products you designers can specify in your p...

Welcome to The kbbreview podcast, your host is Andy Davies and this is Episode Three of Season 11 and today we're revisiting one of the biggest topics in this industry and that's installation and apprenticeships.

It's a complicated subject and that can often switch people off but, as we'll hear today, the ageing workforce could see half of installers retiring in the next five years AND, in 2023, less than 100 direct kbb installa...

Welcome to another very special episode of The kbbreview Podcast all about The kbbreview Retail & Design Award 2024! 

Your host is Andy Davies and give or take a day or so we are just three weeks away from the big ceremony on Monday, March the 4th in Birmingham. We're as excited as we are absolutely terrified as we'll be welcoming about 900 of the industry's top designers, retailers, suppliers, opinion-formers and influ...

This is a very special episode of The kbbreview Podcast.

As I'm sure you know kbb Birmingham is fast approaching us at the start of March - it's the biggest UK show dedicated to all things kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms so today we're chatting to the exhibition's sales director Jon Johnston - he'll be telling us why the show has never been more relevant and why it's a must-visit experience for anyone in this sector.

kbb Bir...

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, your host is Andy Davies and this is Part Two of our look at the results of The kbbreview Retailer Survey 2024.

It's our biggest ever survey of independent kitchen and bathroom retailers and this week we're be looking at some of the biggest challenges retailers face - like the wider economy, finding good fitters and why consumer are taking so long to make decisions

And we'll also be looking a...