Despite the backdrop of a challenging market, Nolte UK has forged ahead with ambitious growth plans. MD Chris Rushby outlines his goals and explains how independent dealers are still at the core of the brand.
Though it has a successful 40-year history in the UK, it’s fair to say that the last four years have been instrumental in shaping the Nolte UK business into a platform for future growth.
Since Chris Rushby (pictured) joined the German kitchen business as its UK MD in August 2019, the brand has undergone a rapid transformation.
In 2021, following the acquisition of seven In-toto showrooms and The Kitchen Group’s six studios, it expanded into the direct-to-consumer retail in the UK. Including its Westminster showroom that was set up in 2016, and its showroom in Amersham, Nolte now operates 15 of its own studios across the UK.
Showroom success
In April 2024 it revealed that it had acquired BKNC, a contract kitchen installation business, in a bid to grow its direct-to-trade division and to enhance its offering to the construction sector. Prior to the acquisition, Nolte had been a shareholder in the BKNC business.
The brand revealed further expansion plans in May last year, when it announced the launch of its own franchise model.
Our core business is still through our loyal network of independent retailers and we will never encroach on their territory
Chris Rushby, UK MD, Nolte“I brought our retail and franchise director, Liz Hall, into the business two years ago with a view to bringing together our own-brand showrooms,” he explains. “With her extensive franchising experience, it was almost a natural progression to look at developing and launching a Nolte franchise showroom concept.
“We’ve got 15 of our own successful showrooms so we can demonstrate to potential investors exactly what can be achieved. We’re a kitchen manufacturer but one with a clear idea of how our showrooms should operate – we know what our furniture should look like in showrooms and how to mix that with the appliances and worktops to create a design journey.
“And, sitting behind that retail concept we have developed systems, like CRM, marketing and head office support. So, we’ve got all these things in place ready for someone to open a showroom. We can give investors the whole package.”
This is undoutedly a huge success story for the German brand in terms of UK growth, but what does it all mean for its 120-strong network of independent retailers?
“Our core business in the UK is still through our loyal network of independent retailers,” explains Rushby. “What I want to be absolutely clear on is we will never encroach on the territory of our independent retailers.”
“Having our own retail showrooms and launching a franchise model is all about filling gaps in the map where we don’t have an existing dealer, securing the supply of products into our factories and helping to increase visibility of the brand in the UK. This can only help the independent retailers by increasing footfall and demand into their showrooms.”
Forward thinking
With ambitions to turn Nolte into the UK’s biggest and most respected name in the premium kitchen market, the expansion story clearly doesn’t end here.
“We’re working on a plan to grow the business through all of our key channels,” Rushby says. “What we’ve been doing for the past three years, through acquisition, is further strengthening the existing brand reputation in the UK and building a platform for growth.
“The UK model is totally different to the way Nolte operates anywhere else in the world. But, like us, the global team sees tremendous potential and a real opportunity to drive the brand forward.
“We have a clear direction, and we will continue to grow our independent channel, our franchise concept and our own showroom network, over the next three to five years.”