Price Kitchens, Imperial Way

Price Kitchens is a manufacturer and the showroom is attached to the factory. Factory showrooms often disappoint as they tend to lean towards the few-dusty-displays-tucked-away-in-a-dark-corner school of presentation, but the Price showroom was pleasingly professional. There was a good selection of kitchens on display and even more door samples neatly hung on the walls. Stickers on the outside of units explained the storage options that could be found inside including Le Mans, shallow spice pull-out, magic corner. There were a few nicely co-ordinated props and a low table where kids could do colouring while their parents browsed.
   A bell next to the staff office invited me to ring for attention, which I did, and Claire appeared immediately with a friendly smile. "We can supply only or supply and fit," she said. "Although we are not fully bespoke, there is a degree of flexibility because the units are all made on site and we have a wide choice of doors which are bought in." Claire put together a bundle of brochures and some information about the company and slid the lot into a fabric carrier bag printed with the Price Kitchens logo. "You can bring in dimensions for us to look at or we can come to see you, sometimes it helps to look at the space with a fresh pair of eyes."

Service: 3. Showroom: 4 Score 7/10
Factory showrooms have gone up in my estimation

Ashley Interiors, North End

Ashley Interiors sells kitchens form the basement of the Allders Department store, it's a fairly featureless space with dull lighting and a view over the serried ranks of washing machines and fridges in the white goods department. The kitchen displays were looking a little tired post the January sale with one or two gaps and a couple of empty boxes but there was a good mix of styles from shaker to stone coloured gloss. Letters and cards of thanks were arranged on one worktop, a couple dating back to 2007 were faded and should have been thrown away. Not the most positive first impression, but then I met Mike who immediately apologised for the disarray. We chatted about my style preferences and he jumped up from his desk to show me various door and worktop options. He pointed out the quality of the cabinets and opened corner and larder units to demonstrate storage. "We have three teams of fitters and I will allocate the team most suited to your job," he said. "We can do everything from building work right through to the gas, electric and tiling. You will be introduced to your project manager before we start and they will handle everything for you."

Service: 4. Showroom: 3 Score 7/10
Friendly, confident service saved the day

High Street Bathrooms, High Street

Situated right on the High Street with plenty of passing trade it was difficult at first to see exactly what this shop was selling as the window was so overcrowded. Inside was equally shambolic with basins, taps, and shower fittings crowding the walls and floor.  The overall impression of clutter was punctuated here and there with brightly coloured or glittering specialities - acrylic novelty toilet seats here, a silver glass basin there, a large gold vanity unit against one wall. Muhammad joined me and I explained I was looking for a shower bath. He didn't have any in the shop but showed me a few shower fittings and gave me a Frontline brochure to look for baths. As I was refurbishing my house Muhammed mentioned that High Street Bathrooms also sells kitchens and, out of curiosity, I said I would like to take a look. We went upstairs where I found one run of black gloss units and, inexplicably a display of disco lights and several multicoloured glass chandeliers. There were also several boxes and a half-finished bathroom display. Muhammad apologised for the mess but I had seen enough and beat a hasty retreat.

Service: 2. Showroom: 2 Score 4/10
Jack of all trades, master of none

Jones Plumbing Supplies, Sydenham Roa

Jones is a typical plumbers merchants with the bathroom showroom a neglected adjunct to the busy trade counter. It's a shame, as there was a good mix of product on display including Laufen and Roca sanitaryware and Grohe showers. But the displays lacked any flair and were not enhanced by the dusty fabric flowers or trial size Lynx aftershave that were dotted around. Prices for the products were hand written in felt pen on pieces of card and some of these were faded so as to be completely illegible. I went upstairs (these were for some reason adorned with blue fairy lights) and things improved with a professional display of Twyford showers complete with moody spotlights.
   Back downstairs I sought out Stephen who, although he was busy with a customer, took time to explain that he would be happy to do a site visit. "We don't install ourselves, but once I've taken a look I will be able to recommend a fitter depending on the work required." He handed me his card and as I left the customer called out "He's very good" which is sadly more than can be said for the showroom.

Service: 3 Showroom: 3 Score 6/10
A tired showroom in need of TLC

Ikea, Valley Park

Here are the advantages of shopping in Ikea - there's ample parking, customer toilets, and you can have meatballs with cranberry sauce for lunch.
   Here are the disadvantages - free range children, a store so big you can be lost for a week, and incomprehensible names, Vika Byske anyone? (it's a chrome plated breakfast bar leg, in case you're interested).
   When it comes to kitchens the displays are appealing with lots of colour co-ordinated props, a variety of door styles from foil to solid oak and they are surprisingly well maintained considering the heavy traffic. But, and it is a big but, how do you translate these attractive displays into your home? I asked a yellow T-shirted assistant for help, he told me in a very off-hand manner that I had to do an on-line plan myself and then make an appointment to discuss it with a different yellow T-shirt. And that was the end of that. So, in conclusion, the main disadvantage of shopping at Ikea is that you have to do it yourself. Fine when it comes to buying mugs or even a bed but not a good idea when shopping for a complicated item like a kitchen.

Service: 1 Showroom: 4 Score 5/10
Not for me

Bathroom & Plumbing Superstore, Therapia Lane

What does the term Bathroom Superstore mean to you? Banks of gleaming chrome taps, row upon row of glossy white sanitaryware, a vast selection of the latest showers temptingly displayed? Whoever named this bathroom outlet, on a trade estate just off the main Purley Way, had a very different idea to the one that was in my head as this particular Superstore consists of a tatty showroom above a trade counter. The displays could have been better, a lot better. Bath panels were half hanging off in one, but this was an improvement on the display next to it where there weren't any panels at all. A £273 HIB Rain mirror was so smeared I struggled to see my reflection. Basins were dusty, acrylic shower trays were scuffed, taps were missing and bits or blue tack clung to the walls where once there had been a poster. A huge sign at the back of the showroom declared in bold red type 'Discounts available on all items, see sales person' but where was this mysterious sales person? There were some decent pieces on display including a Merlyn shower enclosure, VitrA and Pura sanitaryware. But none of it looked remotely appealing.

Service: 0 Showroom: 2 Score 2/10
Disappointing

WINNER'S PROFILE: Ashley Interiors

Ashley Interiors is a small family firm and has been selling fitted kitchens from the Allders department store for 20 years (Allders incidentally was established in 1862). From its basement location Ashley Interiors presents a selection of traditional and contemporary British designs from Second Nature which sit comfortably alongside modern German RWK kitchens. Mike Sparks says, "We are not about hassle, we will spend as long with our customers as they need and once we've given them the plans they can go away and think it over. We don't get on the phone chasing people, this is about having a relationship, not us trying to do the heavy sell." The approach obviously works as the majority of customers now come from recommendation or second time around. As Mike says, "If we weren't any good we wouldn't still be here."