Exhibitor interview: Sean Drumm, chief executive, Falmec UK
As the UK’s premier kitchen trade show, it is crucial to our business to get clients to visit our stand, as it acts as a showcase for the products on a grand scale.
It’s very important for retailers to come to shows like kbb 2020, as it’s a meeting place for fellow retailers and designers and a unique opportunity to preview new ideas and trends.
My experience recently in Ireland [Drumm is also MD of distributor Showtime in Dublin] has shown that Brexit had a negative impact on sales last year. However, it’s a new year and there’s a new government in place, so we should be more optimistic for the future. In addition, for Falmec UK, being a new start-up for an established brand, we have it all to plExhibitor interview: Sean Drumm, chief executive, Falmec UKay for and are looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.
Thanks to the internet, I think that customers are far more informed than they ever have been. Before they visit a showroom, they will have done a lot of research for their new kitchen with the touch of the screen. As a result, we all need to ‘up our game’ when it comes to product knowledge and what’s available now, so that we are always one step ahead of our customers.
The UK market is in rude health in my opinion. Fortunately, it always bounces back, as you just can’t stop the consumer’s desire to improve the centrepiece of their home – namely their kitchen.
My advice is to invest in people – especially ones who genuinely care and enjoy their job – as this will ensure quality and respect and most of all make it better. That’s what we are doing at Falmec UK with our new team.
Brexit has – and still will – cause uncertainty, but in the kitchen industry, we have had many challenges over the years and most of us find a way through them. You need to have a plan in place to give you a guide and a target for where you want to be.
Be optimistic and stop worrying, is my advice. That gets you nowhere and just pulls you down. People have been through worse. Health and happiness above all else!