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The kbbreview Podcast
BONUS: Rising Star August
Season 12
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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
More episodes
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2. Changemakers - Adam Thomas
41:40||Season 13, Ep. 2Welcome 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....
AWARDS BONUS 1: The awards explained
26:35||Season 13The 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.ukYou 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
2. What's happening with distribution?
32:46||Season 13, Ep. 2Welcome 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?
BONUS: Rising Star September, Georgia Astley
15:40||Season 13Welcome 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.comYou 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...
1. Paul O'Leary - deVOL
55:44||Season 13, Ep. 1Welcome 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….
How to stimulate the market
18:37||Season 12Welcome 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.
8. What's the point of samples?
24:54||Season 12, Ep. 8Welcome 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.
All about the InstallerSHOW 2024
10:33|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.