Exhibitor interview: Richard McGrail, marketing director, Armac Martin
Q: Why are trade shows such as this one important for your business?
A: Shows like kbb provide us with an opportunity to have real, in-person discussions with both new and existing customers, which helps to build relationships – especially as a predominantly online business. It also provides us with an excellent opportunity to showcase new products and finishes and get face to face feedback.
Q: Why should retailers come to shows like this? What are the benefits to them?
A: For retailers, it’s an excellent opportunity to discover established brands and see new products, designs and trends in person. Again, the opportunity to have a face-to-face conversation and ask any questions is extremely beneficial.
Q: What are you looking forward to most at this year’s kbb show?
A: We’ll be looking forward to seeing our existing customers along with potential new ones. We also can’t wait to showcase our new products and continue to build our brand presence in the industry.
Q: How do you think the relationship between supplier and customer is changing?
A: Manufacturers almost need to offer the service of a retailer these days and so the need to continuously improve is ever-present, but acts as a great driver for improvement within our business.
Q: What are the main challenges you will face as a business this year and how will you overcome these?
A: There is still a lot of uncertainty around Brexit. However, we now know we are leaving, so things will start to happen. Increasing production to keep up with demand as sales grow will be a continued challenge – but one we look forward to and as always, ensuring we have exciting new designs.