Franke has announced its decision to remove its Frames by Franke line of appliances from the UK market to “prioritise attention” on its core categories.
From the end of March the appliances will no longer be available within the UK.
However, its sinks, taps, hoods and waste management products will be available as normal.
Neil Clark, managing director of Franke UK, said: “Looking at the UK market, sinks and taps are our traditional heartland where we see big opportunities especially in the instant boiling water sector, as well as in extending our market penetration in waste management and hoods. We have many new products coming through from our innovation pipeline in 2018 in sinks, taps and luxury hoods, as well as a brand new line from premium brand KWC. There are lots of positives for our customers and I believe the UK market, with its continuing challenges, is best served by us prioritising our attention in these areas and not in appliances where the market is heavily represented already.”
Customers who have bought Frames by Franke appliances have been assured that warranties, service and after-sales care would still be honoured.
Frames by Franke appliances that have been ordered by customers will be delivered as normal during the transition period.
The company will continue to sell the appliances in other countries within the Franke Group, and Franke UK will continue to offer on-going customer service.
Kbbreview columnist, Trevor Scott, MD of Rugby Fitted Kitchens, commented: “I was sad to hear the news that Frames by Franke was to be discontinued in the UK but to be honest probably not surprised.
“We first saw this limited range of products when we visited the Kitchen Mile three years ago in Germany and were keen to look closer at it when it was announced Franke were to bring it to the UK. But once we drilled down into the offer we found it to be a little too expensive and a little too limited. I would imagine we were not alone in this and subsequently the brand simply didn’t get the exposure it needed to be successful.