The kbbreview Podcast

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.

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast and this penultimate special bonus episode all about the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2026.And it's all come down to this. Host Matt Baker is at the event itself in the Hilton Birmingham Metropole and it's all happening!As always, these special awards podcasts are all courtesy of our 2026 Awards Partner Sonas Bathrooms and, of course, you can find out all about them at sonasbathrooms.com.We join Matt huddled at the back of the room while everyone is eating their dinner after an amazing welcome reception, he's got a quick chat with one of the kbbreview team - Commercial Director Tara McTIgue - and then we go straight into the actual ceremony with our brilliant host Jayde Adams.We'll be hearing from all winners over two episodes - in this Part One we'll hear from our design winners as well as our Special Achievement awards recipient. And then in Part Two we'll meet the winners of the Retail and Showroom categories, as well as the Rising Star, Unsung Hero, Installation Company and Supplier Team of the Year.So it's a lot to get through so let's crack on with the show!

We are live at kbb Birmingham 2026!And this is the perfect environment to talk about…. suppliers. In particular, what retailers look for in new suppliers, what questions are they asking, what are the deal breakers, is it all about product or all about terms?Also when you see existing suppliers in environments like this, how important is that face-to-face and is it a chance to renegotiate or simply complain?Live and in person, we have regulars Liz Pantling Jones from Lima Kitchen in Milton Keynes and Nick Warrington from Stuart J Warrington in Macclesfield. We're also joined by Darren Taylor from Searle & Taylor in Winchester....

In this special episode of The kbbreview Podcast, host Matt Baker is joined by Managing Editor Andy Davies as they celebrate a huge milestone – Andy’s 20th kbbreview Retail & Design Awards ceremony...From the early days to the present, Andy shares insights into how the awards have evolved, the philosophy behind them, the challenges and frustrations along the way, and the lessons learned from two decades of recognising excellence in the UK kitchen and bathroom industry. He also reflects on his favourite venues, the biggest changes he’s witnessed in the sector, and what he’s looking forward to at this year’s awards.A big thank you to Sonas Bathrooms, our 2026 Awards Podcast Partner, for supporting this special episode and helping us champion the very best in KBB.If you’re heading to kbb Birmingham, don’t forget to pick up our special show issue of kbbreview, packed with floorplans and essential show content. And for awards attendees, the Welcome Reception kicks off at 6:30pm with a complimentary drink!

As Kutchenhaus hits the 100-showroom milestone, we sit down with UK general manager Jim Barnard to unpack one of the most remarkable growth stories in mid-market kitchen retail.From just 10 showrooms in 2015 to a 100 High Street locations a decade later, Kutchenhaus has become a dominant force in UK kitchen retail backed by German manufacturing giant Nobilia and powered by a loyal network of owner-operators - nearly 40% now run more than one showroom.Recorded at the opening of the brand’s 100th showroom in Beckenham, Barnard reflects on growth, culture and the realities of scaling a franchise business in a tough market. In this episode, we cover:Why reaching 100 showrooms is “huge” for a business that only began franchising in 2015How Kutchenhaus balances freedom and framework to maintain brand consistencyThe secret behind multi-site franchise successWhy Barnard believes “we’re not right for everyone – and not everyone is right for us”The resurgence of franchising across kitchens – and what it means competitivelyInstallation, market headwinds and why the final two weeks of a project define everythingWhat’s next, including expansion into untapped UK territories“Our playbooks aren’t theoretical,” says Barnard. “They’re based on what we know works in the real world.”If you want to understand why franchising is back in fashion – and how one brand has made it work at scale – this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, I'm Andy Davies and this is a very special bonus episode of the show.Today we're meeting appliance brand Midea and if you're unfamiliar with them you won't be for long. They are, simply, one of the biggest appliance companies in the world. Based in China they are an enormous global player and their UK operation, established just four years ago, is now ramping up at a massive pace.In particular for kitchen specialists they're building not just the Midea brand itself but also Teka - a brand with loads of heritage that they bought last year and many of you will already know.Lots of you will get your first chance to see what they're all about at kbb Birmingham in March where they are going all in with a big stand so we're really looking forward to seeing what they come up and I'm sure you will too. So, today we're meeting head of marketing Julia Livett and kitchen retail national account manager, Ben Day to get a bit more background on plans, strategies and ambitions and what Midea is all about.You can also find more about Midea at midea.com/uk and you can meet them on stand G80 at kbb Birmingham.This episode is sponsored content