The kbbreview Podcast

What does it really take to become Retailer of the Year at the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards? In this special bonus episode of The kbbreview Podcast, Andy Davies sits down with the 2026 Kitchen and Bathroom Retailers of the Year to uncover the strategies, decisions and mindset behind their award-winning businesses. Darren Walker of Laings and Ben Setterfield of Bathroom + Kitchen Eleven share the lessons they've learned, the numbers they watch, how they’re adapting to a changing market and where they see the biggest opportunities for independent retailers in the years ahead.

Recruiting good people is only half the battle and what happens after they've signed on the dotted line is where the real work begins. In this unofficial part two to last week’s recruitment episode, Andy Davies and the panel tackle the challenge of training and upskilling new showroom staff.From structured inductions and supplier support to learning CAD, building confidence and surviving the dreaded “too much too soon” meltdown, the team shares honest advice, hard-earned lessons and practical tips for getting new recruits up to speed.Featuring Trevor Scott (RFK), Nick Warrington (Stuart J Warrington), Steph Warner (Pier One Bathrooms) and Liz Pantling-Jones (Lima Kitchens), this episode explores the way structured support is vital even in small businesses.

Recruitment has become one of the biggest challenges facing kitchen and bathroom retailers.From finding skilled, reliable people to managing rising wage bills, National Insurance increases and tougher employment legislation, employing staff has never carried more pressure - or more risk.In this episode, our regular retailers of Trevor Scott, LIz Pantling-Jones, Nick Warrington and Steph Warner explore why attracting and retaining great people has become so difficult, the hidden cost of hiring the wrong person, and how independent retailers can build strong teams while still protecting profitability.Packed with honest discussion, practical advice and real-world experience, this is an essential listen for any KBB business owner trying to navigate today’s recruitment minefield.

Working with builders, developers and contractors can open the door to bigger projects, repeat business and long-term growth — but it also brings tighter margins, tougher timelines and a whole new way of operating.In this episode of The kbbreview Podcast, our panel shares practical advice on how independent kitchen and bathroom retailers can successfully break into contracts work, build strong trade relationships and avoid the mistakes that can quickly turn opportunity into headache.What are the pros and cons, what processes or systems do you need, how do you plan it around retail work and what are the common pitfalls that catch retailers out?If you’ve ever wondered whether contractor business is worth it - and how to do it properly - you don't want to miss this one.

Margins matter. But how well do you really understand yours?Our regular panel of retailers - Nick Warrington, Liz Pantling-Jones, Steph Warner and Trevor Scott - gets into the nuts and bolts of profitability and margin. What does a 'healthy' margin actually look like?Is it better to track margin as one overall number or break it down by product?Which is the best way to improve margin - sell for more, buy for less, or reduce costs?When you’re faced with a customer budget that doesn’t quite work, what’s the smartest way to adjust a project without damaging your margin?Where do margins most commonly slip on a job without retailers realising?Where does installation fit into margin management?When should you take a lower-margin job to boost cash flow?Turnover is vanity, but profit is sanity so this is real insight into the most fundamental part of running a business.

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, the show where we dive into the realities of independent kitchen and bathroom retail.This week, host Andy Davies is joined by our panel of industry retailers to tackle...rebates. Are they a welcome bonus at the end of the year, or a core part of your commercial strategy? Do they genuinely influence what you sell - and even what your customers buy - or are they a flawed system that benefits suppliers more than you?Are they an actual incentive?Do some suppliers set unachievable targets which actually act as a disincentive?From negotiating terms and hitting targets to the risks of chasing rebates at the expense of customer serive, the panel shares honest insights, real experiences and a few hard truths. Featuring Nick Warrington, Liz Pantling-Jones, Steph Warner and Trevor Scott (dialling in from his motorhome somewhere in Scotland) this is a candid, practical look at how rebates really work on the shop floor, and whether they’re fit for purpose in today’s market.

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, the show totally dedicated to the world of independent kitchen and bathroom retail.Your host as always is kbbreview editor Andrew Davies and we're back with a brand new season.In this episode we're catching up on business so far in 2026 with our regular team of retailers - we're over halfway through April so how has the year been so far, where have the pinch points been, what are the positives, how are consumers behaving, is it all Donaldl Trump's fault, how are retailers adapting and how confident do they actually feel about the rest of the year?Waiting in the wings is our retailers Nick Warrington, Liz Pantling-Jones and Trevor Scott. BUT we also have a new recruit, very sadly Justine has had to leave the band as a regular member *although we will get her back for occasional guest appearances), so we have a new bathroom retailer - Steph Warner from Pier 1 Bathrooms in Hove.So if you want a snapshot of where independent kitchen and bathroom retail is right now, this is the episode for you.

In the final episode of Season 17 of The kbbreview Podcast, we've got an exclusive interview with one of the biggest names in kitchen retail - Magnet.Founded in 1918 in Bingley, Yorkshire, by Tom Duxbury, and famously named after his horse, Magnet has become one of the most recognisable brands in the UK kitchen market. But recent years have been anything but straightforward.Following a prolonged period of declining performance and an unwieldy estate of underperforming stores, the business has been deep in turnaround mode.However, it does have that enviable brand equity and the turnaround does seem to have been working under former head George Dymond.When Dymond stepped down last October, former commercial & customer director Sophie Rose took the reins of Magnet just as parent company Nobia agreed a sale to Alteri Partners.The deal returned Magnet to British ownership and, as Rose explains in this episode, puts the business firmly back in control of its own destiny.So kbbreview's George Dean met up with Sophie Rose and it's a really interesting insight into plans, outlook, the old chestnut of the never-ending sale and what role Magnet could and should be playing in the wider kitchen retail industry.It’s a fascinating, timely discussion and a fitting finale to the season.