Mobalpa’s UK franchises and showrooms will, for the first time from 2019, have full access to the French firm’s collection of interior design solutions, as the firm expands its brand beyond kitchens in the UK.
The firm said 2019 would be a “big year” for Mobalpa in the week it showcased its new product collection to its UK retailers in London.
The new ranges, which include bedrooms, bathrooms and living room furniture, enable the brand’s UK stores to fully design and project-manage almost every room of the house.
Mobalpa UK country manager Kyle Whittle said that the firm had “high expectations” of what the stores could achieve with the expanded offer, particularly with Mobalpa’s living and bedroom collections, potentially increasing turnover by 25%.
All nine of the firm’s UK franchises have embraced Mobalpa’s expanded offer and the company will rebrand next year, with a new brochure, marketing material and in-store tools to reflect and promote the changes.
Mobalpa, which launched to the UK market in 1980 through a distribution model, recently announced bold plans to grow its footprint in the UK, driven by the new owners of the firm’s original UK store in Warrington.
The new franchisees of the Warrington store have agreed to open at least another five Mobalpa stores over the next five years.
For next year, Mobalpa said it had introduced “a plethora of new styles, colours and finishes to compete with the ever-changing market trends and meet the demands of the consumer”.
Its new collection includes new kitchen designs, with “soft-to-the-touch” slab doors available with matching worktop finishes and a variety of shaker-style kitchen furniture.
Mobalpa’s UK development manager Liam Wall said: “We have seen an increased demand in the UK for a stylish, well-priced shaker-style offering. This particular addition to our range makes us even more competitive and increases our ability to create our customer’s dream home.
“The brand has really pulled out the stops with this latest product launch and we hope that our stores and future clients will enjoy everything it has to offer.’’
Mobalpa’s product manager Jean-Noel Chevrier said: “The new ranges for 2019 have been built around the brand’s distinct advantages and inspired by the three pillars of aesthetics, ergonomics and made-to-measure.
“We have produced this range with our strong visual identity, offering up-to-the-minute trends that are understated and have a clean-line aesthetic.
“Furthermore, the styling behind the new trends is both minimalist and graphic, highlighting decorative objects meticulously and sparingly arranged to reflect our premium product quality’’.
The firm said it had hired Vincent Jung as its new general director for the brand. Jung previously held roles as sales director for French kitchen brand Cuisinella. He also worked on the launch and development of Arthur Bonnet.
Jung said: “Mobalpa has an outstanding reputation in the industry. A remarkable brand that has been able to innovate, renew itself, seek out new markets and hold a firm course in the increasingly choppy waters of the kitchen market.
“I am delighted to join a company with such great assets and I wish all of our stores the very best with the new range, which has been in development by our product team over the past two years.’’
Mobalpa, which began in 1907 as a family cabinetmaking workshop in Thônes in the French Alps, has four French production sites specialising in kitchens, worktops, living and bathrooms and employs more than 1,600 people worldwide.
- Pictured above: New Mobalpa bathroom for 2019