RE: Andrew Davies' blog on discounting 

The majority of kitchens we sell are Chippendale although we do sell Sheraton, K Colonial and Lakes. All these suppliers offer discounts on top of the trade cost so, in reality, the price is inflated to be able to offer discounts of up to 50% off. 

However, they are not dramatically inflated like some of the sheds, for example an 800 wall unit was £600 but now has 60% off. 

I have sold kitchens at full retail prices because what the customer wanted was not on a promotion from the supplier. If I had known it was about to come on promotion I would advise the customer to wait as we still only get the trade discount of the bottom line retail price. 

Unfortunately people in this country expect to see big discount headlines of up to 50% off - it is as if their minds are trained to think they are getting something for nothing. I genuinely pass on whatever discount my supplier is offering, I show the customer the price list and the promotional info I receive from the supplier so they can see we are being honest and open with them. 

If suppliers had low pricing every day then it would be difficult for retailers to advertise and catch the eye of the customer, as we don't seem to live in a time when good, honest design, advice and value for money count. 

I had a customer recently who, after I had given him the price, said to me: "Great, now we can negotiate the price down". I told him that that was the price of the kitchen and had shown him our discount on the units. I said that if I had inflated the price knowing he would ask for a discount then I would be ripping him off. 

He went away and came back the same day and placed an order.

Russell Buckley, Stuart Henry Kitchens