Position in 2008: 4
Just who speaks for the industry and on represents its interests to the outside world is as much a mystery now as it was two years ago...
Travel agents have ABTA, farmers have the NFU, teachers have the NUT, even lowly journalists have the NUJ. What is it that all these acronyms have in common? They're well-known public bodies that most people in the street would've heard of, that's what.
Representation is the only non-mover in our 2010 countdown, the question of who stands up for whom in this industry is as much an issue today as it was the last time we compiled this list. And why? Because in some ways 2009 played out like a carbon copy of 2008, with all the same arguments and all the same frustrations.
So, given that every single house or flat in the country has a kitchen and at least one bathroom, what is the equivalent of ABTA for this industry?
The KBSA represents 277 retailer members and yet in 2008 only 24 turned up for its annual general meeting when, according to its own rules, it needed 25 to vote on resolutions. This caused an outpouring of criticism, with some saying it demonstrated just how little it did for its members and the industry as a whole, while advocates said it wasn't trying to represent everyone, just the members and they were very happy.
So, when the 2009 annual general meeting swung around, there was no way they were going to let that debacle happen again, were they? No, it was even worse, this time only 23 turned up.
It's easy to poke fun at this and it does genuinely illustrate problems of member support within the KBSA, but its supporters are right to say that it has never claimed to represent the entire industry. The ironic problem is that non-members often accuse the KBSA of inaction when serious issues arise simply because there's no one else to point the finger at.
The Bathroom Manufacturers Association is a significant body and does many things very successfully - principally having the backing of most of the UK bathroom industry and the technical knowledge to lobby the Government on legislative changes - but it is not there to speak for bathroom retailers, let alone all retailers.
And, of course, there is no equivalent for kitchen manufacturers.
The underlying issue in the kitchen and bathroom retail industry is one of apathy and it's not just the KBSA. This is the real problem any organisation will have in the independent retail sector - the vast majority of retailers are, by their nature, disinterested in being part of a wider industry.
This is more than understandable, their interest lies in running their own businesses as successfully and profitably as they can - and at the moment that's a lot of hard work. Because there has never been an organisation open to all, the momentum and motivation to start one has never been forthcoming, so why should it be any different today? Would one person be willing to step up and try?
This industry needs to be seen as just that - one sector moving in one direction with common goals and purposes. It has the potential for a single powerful voice rather than thousands speaking at once, but it has singularly and collectively failed to do it for decades.
Some may say it's now too late.
