If one successful showroom is good, surely two must be better? More customers, more displays, more sales and a bigger business. Simple, right?
Well, perhaps not.
In this episode of The kbbreview Podcast, our regular panel of independent KBB retailers gets into the realities of opening that all-important second showroom.
How do you know when the time is right to expand? How do you choose the right location? Should showroom number two be a carbon copy of the original, or is it an opportunity to try something completely different? And does it need to be a fully-fledged showroom at all, or could a smaller, sales-led satellite operation make more sense?
Then there are the practicalities. How do you manage staff, logistics and communication across multiple locations without spreading yourself too thinly? And, most importantly, does a second showroom actually make you more profitable – or is there some truth in the old warning that you can “double your outlets and halve your profit”?
Trevor Scott from RFK, Liz Pantling-Jones from Lima Kitchens, Nick Warrington from Stuart J Warrington and Steph Warner from Pier One Bathrooms share their experiences, opinions and lessons learned.
Plus, entries are now open for the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2027. We’re looking for the very best retailers, showrooms and designers in the country, alongside our next Rising Stars and Unsung Heroes. Entries close on Thursday, November 12, with the winners revealed at the spectacular Magna in Sheffield on Thursday, April 22, 2027.
For all the info go to kbbreview.com/awards