Retailers say they are desperate for information as confusion continues to reign at Crown and Waterline, after conflicting statements about the companies’ status surfaced last week.
Many retailers were told by Waterline staff on Thursday, 4 September, that Crown had closed its factory, employees had entered redundancy talks, and no more orders could be placed as a result. In addition, Michael Marriott, CEO of Waterline, said that the distribution company was “beginning a process of seeking external investment to secure the future of the business”.
However, the following day, Crown Imperial managing director Barry Head released a statement claiming that the company had not ceased trading and its factory is still “fully operational” as it waited for the future of Waterline to be decided.
It gave no indication how, without Waterline, any new kitchens coming out of the factory would be distributed to retailers and consumers or how any incoming orders could be taken.
These two separate statements have been the only official messages from the two companies and retailers say they are now desperate for more information to help them complete existing orders. All of the dealers kbbreview has spoken to report they have had no official communication from Crown or Waterline – other than Waterline reps personally telling them the information they were given internally.
Retailers now say they have a long list of questions that need urgent answers, as the company’s status will directly affect their own business and customers.
One retailer who says they have been a customer for decades – and asked not to be named – said: “We have not heard anything directly from Crown and [Barry Head’s] comments don’t seem to align with the information we have from Waterline. I am disappointed, to say the least, that they cannot communicate with their retailers.”
Another retailer commented: “At this point, I just don’t know what to believe. I don’t want to be on the hook for saying the wrong thing about an order to a customer, because then that’s my reputation on the line. You definitely have to take everything with a pinch of salt, but it’s hard to know what’s going on when we’ve not heard anything directly.”
Similarly, retailer Best For Bathrooms & Kitchens in Orkney, said: “The direct contradictions between these statements are creating chaos among dealers, staff, and, most importantly, our clients.
“How should dealers process existing Crown orders that are not yet in production? How can we order replacement or missing items required to complete kitchens already received and part-fitted in customers’ homes? If the Crown factory is indeed ‘fully operational’, how will finished products reach dealers in the absence of Waterline’s distribution?
“For dealers, the real question is not whether the factory machines are running, but whether kitchens can actually reach customers. Crown must urgently address this practical gap.”
kbbreview has asked Crown Imperial and Waterline for further comment.