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The kbbreview Podcast
What keeps you awake at night?
Season 18, Ep. 10
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Running an independent KBB business can be hugely rewarding, but it also comes with a level of pressure that customers rarely see. Behind every successful showroom is a business owner juggling cashflow, managing staff, making difficult decisions and carrying the responsibility of keeping the whole operation moving forward.
In this episode we're talking openly about the worries and concerns that come with business ownership. From cash flow, clients and constant niggles to the challenge of planning for the future, we explore the issues that weigh most heavily on retailers' minds, and those new ideas that just won't stop buzzing around until you've written them down at 3am.
We also ask who do business owners actually talk to when the pressure starts to build? Running a business can be surprisingly lonely. As the person everyone else looks to for answers, where do you go when you need advice, reassurance or simply someone who understands? Is it your business partner, your spouse, fellow retailers, a mentor or do you keep it all to yourself?
Beyond the business itself, we discuss the personal side of ownership. How do you cope with the mental load of always being 'on'? Can you ever truly switch off? And how do you stop the pressures of running a business from spilling over into family life?
The regular panel of Trevor Scott, Liz Pantling-Jones, Steph Warner and Nick Warrington share their own experiences of dealing with stress, making tough decisions and finding ways to maintain perspective when the responsibility feels overwhelming. They also reveal the habits, routines and mindset that help them stay resilient, offering practical insights for anyone navigating the highs and lows of running their own business.
Whether you've ever lain awake worrying about payroll, a difficult customer, the state of the market or simply wondering if everyone else feels the same way, this is an honest, relatable and reassuring conversation about the realities of business ownership and why sometimes the most important thing you can do is talk about it.
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3. Should you get a second showroom?
39:24||Season 19, Ep. 3If 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
2. What’s your succession plan?
35:38||Season 19, Ep. 2Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, the show all about the ups and downs and ins and outs of being an independent kitchen and bathroom retailer.This week we’re talking about something that every business owner needs to think about – but probably not enough of them actually do - succession planning.And that doesn’t just mean deciding what happens when you eventually retire or sell the business. What happens if you’re suddenly not there tomorrow? Could the business keep going without you? Who knows what you know, who makes the decisions and who keeps everything moving?And what happens if it’s not you that leaves, but a key member of the team?Trevor, Liz, NIck and Steph are all here and when it comes to succession planning they are at very different stages – from relatively new business owners to those actively trying to make their companies less dependent on them, right through to semi-retirement.So how do you build a business that can survive – and thrive – without you?And don't forget, entries are now OPEN for the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2027. Go to kbbreview.com/awards for everything you need to know.
The Government cowboy crackdown...but who protects the KBB retailer?
32:58||Season 19The Government says it wants to crack down on 'cowboy' traders in the home improvement market– but what does that actually mean for legitimate kitchen and bathroom retailers and installers?In this episode of The kbbreview Podcast, host Andy Davies talks to Trusted Payments founder James Walker about the new government-backed initiative designed to protect consumers and good businesses.He's at the sharp end of how the payment system actually works, whether retailers can keep their existing stage-payment structures, what happens when a customer refuses to pay, the role of the Ombudsman, and why Walker believes the answer to rogue traders isn’t simply more regulation – it’s making it easier for reputable businesses to earn trust and get paid.If you take deposits, manage installations or simply want to know what this new scheme could mean for your business, this is one you need to hear.
1. Is business ACTUALLY improving?
29:29||Season 19, Ep. 1Season 19 of The kbbreview Podcast is here – and the Fab Four are back!Trevor Scott, Liz Pantling-Jones, Nick Warrington and Steph Warner return after the summer break to answer the simplest question with the most complicated answer: how’s business?From footfall, leads and consumer confidence to changing client behaviour and the strategies that are actually working, we take the temperature of the independent KBB market right now.Plus, entries are officially open for the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2027, with categories covering the best retailers, showrooms and designs, as well as Rising Stars and Unsung Heroes. The deadline is Thursday, November 12, with the big night taking place at Magna in Sheffield on April 22, 2027.
Peter Dunlop: Building Bathshack
32:41||Season 19Bathshack started life as an online-only bathroom retailer in 2009. Three years later it opened its first showroom – and discovered something surprising: physical stores actually boosted its online sales.Now, after building a network of 13 showrooms across Ireland and Northern Ireland, founder and CEO Peter Dunlop has brought Bathshack to England for the first time with a new store in Cheadle.So what can independent retailers learn from a business that has successfully combined bricks-and-mortar retail with e-commerce? Why does Dunlop believe showrooms and websites should reinforce rather than compete with each other? And, with the market as tough as it is, why is he choosing now to expand?We talk online versus offline, the importance of being genuinely different, supplier strategies, AI, customer service and why waiting for the perfect market conditions could mean waiting forever.It's a fascinating conversation about growth, differentiation and what today's bathroom customer really wants.
What's going on at Magnet?
27:06||Season 18Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, the show all about the ins and out and ups and down of being an independent kitchen and bathroom retailer.And this is a surprise bonus episode before we officially start our new season in a couple of weeks time as we managed to catch up with Sophie Rose the CEO of Magnet to get an update on what's happening with them.And, as I'm sure you've been following, a lot has happened in the last few months.The business returned to quarterly profit in late 2025 for the first time since 2019. Then Nobia exited the UK, selling Magnet to private equity firm Alteri Partners - just a few months after Sophie Rose took the helm.But the turnaround story has remained challenging – this summer Magnet proposed a CVA to tackle historic property costs, including immediate plans to close 15 underperforming stores. So, after a year of new ownership, new leadership and some very significant financial restructuring, where does one of the UK kitchen market’s biggest names go from here?Here is kbbreview's very own George Dean in conversation with Sophie Rose…
Resilience 2026: Matt Fowler from Hettich
15:17||Season 18What really makes a business set to last?Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, the show all about the ins and outs and ups and downs of being an independent kitchen and bathroom retailer.This is the final episode in a very special bonus series of interviews marking our milestone 500th issue.We published our first issue in 1984 and since then we've brought retailers the latest news, big interviews, unwavering opinions, valuable advice, deep analysis and product insightsThis longevity is not by accident, we are as buffeted by the uncertain and unpredictable market as much as anyone, and our heritage is built as much on resilience as it is by quality.And this is what we want to explore in this series - we're talking to some of the industry's leading suppliers about THEIR resilience, history, continuity and investments in the future.In this final episode we're meeting Matt Fowler from one of the biggest European names in furniture components - HettichThis episode is commercial content
Resilience 2026: Julie McLean from Hansgrohe
17:54||Season 18Resilience 2026: Julie McLean from HansgroheWhat really makes a business set to last?Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, the show all about the ins and outs and ups and downs of being an independent kitchen and bathroom retailer.This is another in our very special bonus series of interviews marking our milestone 500th issue.We published our first issue in 1984 and since then we've brought retailers the latest news, big interviews, unwavering opinions, valuable advice, deep analysis and product insightsThis longevity is not by accident, we are as buffeted by the uncertain and unpredictable market as much as anyone, and our heritage is built as much on resilience as it is by quality.And this is what we want to explore in this series - we're talking to some of the industry's leading suppliers about THEIR resilience, history, continuity and investments in the future.In this episode, we're meeting Julie McLean from one of the biggest names in bathrooms - Hansgrohe....This episode is commercial content
Resilience 2026: Dominic Worsley from Aga Rangemaster
19:01||Season 18What really makes a business set to last?Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, the show all about the ins and outs and ups and downs of being an independent kitchen and bathroom retailer.This is the latest in a very special bonus series of interviews marking our milestone 500th issue.We published our first issue in 1984 and since then we've brought retailers the latest news, big interviews, unwavering opinions, valuable advice, deep analysis and product insightsThis longevity is not by accident, we are as buffeted by the uncertain and unpredictable market as much as anyone, and our heritage is built as much on resilience as it is by quality.And this is what we want to explore in this series - we're talking to some of the industry's leading suppliers about THEIR resilience, history, continuity and investments in the future.When it comes to heritage it doesn't much longer than Aga Rangemaster and in this episode we're talking to Group Managing Director Dominic Worsley...This episode is commercial content