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!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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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