kbbreview’s Adopted Retailer feature is sponsored by Alku.

These aren’t just businesses; they’re personal stories of ambition, resilience, and strategic vision. Our Adopted Retailers have taught us that success isn’t just about selling products, but about creating experiences, building relationships, and staying one step ahead in a world that never stands still…

The Leamington Kitchen Company

The roots of the Leamington Kitchen Company have grown deeper over the last year as it has grown in confidence and experience. While the market is difficult, their outlook for the future couldn’t be rosier…

Amanda Raine, co-founder of The Leamington Kitchen Company, is not short on marketing nous, and she’s putting it to good use as the business grows through what she calls “a really unpredictable time” for kitchen retail. 

As the company has grown in confidence, her optimism for the future has grown too. Their kbbreview Retail & Design Award for New Kitchen Retailer of the Year is, as Amanda sees it, validation for sticking to their core values. “We’ve managed to create, from our vision, the business that we wanted.  We’ve got suppliers who want to work with us approaching us directly and that’s a really nice position to be in.”

Like many independents, however, she acknowledges the inconsistent pace of the current environment. “I think we’re all trying to manage the unpredictability of the market, she says. “Hopefully 2026 is going to be the year that everyone starts spending again.”

Rather than wait for recovery though, Amanda and husband Tom have taken a proactive approach, with a marketing strategy rooted firmly in the local community, from candle-making workshops and food award sponsorships to partnerships with other local retailers. 

“We don’t make any money directly out of the events we’ve been doing, but it makes it a fun space to be around,” she says. “It’s a bit different for people and if they’re all standing around a big kitchen island enjoying the conversation, it’s a nice night out and they’ll remember us for it.”

Amanda is also clear on the importance of authenticity, especially in an increasingly AI-driven world. “We’re doing photoshoots for every project because people want to see the real thing,” she explains. “Authenticity is going to become such a highly valued commodity.”

Inside the showroom, they’re evolving their displays to better reflect their own ethos and brand – taking out the contemporary display they originally installed ‘just in case’. “It’s still quite a bold move, but it’s what people are coming in for,” she says of their move towards pure shaker and in-frame kitchens. 

Looking ahead, growth is definitely on the horizon. “In another year’s time, we’d be looking for another location,” Amanda says. “But I think just to be fully up and running, with more staff, and working on more beautiful projects. The short-term goal is just to steady out the order book and a slight increase in pace would be good!”

Point 5 Kitchens

It may have taken a bit longer than expected, but the Point 5 team say they finally have the second showroom they’ve always dreamed of. Looking back, what have they learnt along the way?

If you’ve learnt anything about Point 5 Kitchens over the last year, it’s that, if nothing else, they’re a team of absolute perfectionists.

Although originally planned to open in the spring of this year, the team made the decision to delay the opening more than a few times. However, that’s all paying off now. Through taking a bit of extra time, it sounds like they’ve finally got the showroom they’ve always wanted, instead of zooming to open the doors on a rushed space they’d have to live with forever.

 “Don’t get me wrong – we’ve had our low moments when we’ve thought, ‘God, let’s just get this place open!’”, laughs Point 5 co-owner, Joe Kardani. “But every decision we’ve made has been for the right reason.”

With a revised opening date set (in theory) for later this month, Kardani says the finishing touches are finally beginning to take shape. “We haven’t been afraid to change things that haven’t looked quite right, but we’ve wanted to fix them to look perfect. This showroom is something that’s got to last.”

Similarly, the Point 5 team have taken careful steps to get their staff expansion right as well, training up two new employees over the last 12 months so they’d be ready to step in once the new showroom is up and running.

“We’ve been really lucky with how good they are,” he says, “there’s six of us now in the current studio, which we’ll split in half when we move. They’ve been getting on really well, and been learning as they’re going. 

“It’s nice that they want to inject a bit of themselves into the work, and we’re giving them the freedom to work more independently on the designs. They want to do their own thing, and they’ve got their own ideas, so it’s been really great for us as a business.”

After following the opening so closely since last autumn, it’s interesting to hear the single biggest lesson Kardani wishes he could go back and tell himself – or other retailers about to embark on their own expansion.

Unsurprisingly, his pearl of wisdom is: “Don’t underestimate how long its going to take!”. He continues: “Even with our knowledge from completing projects all the time, you just need to be really realistic and honest with yourself about the timescales. You have to manage it as well as managing your normal everyday work.”

Still, despite the delay, Kardani is thankful the delay is essentially down to the fact that the business has had too much work, instead of external factors. 

“We’re a bit frustrated, obviously, because we’re behind where we wanted to be,” he says,  “but that’s only because we’ve had plenty of work on. We can’t all be here working on the space because we’ve got to keep customers happy first and keep revenue coming in – so it’s all been for the right reasons.”

And so, with a whole new showroom just weeks away from opening, and a bigger team than when we first started following them last year, Point 5 is on the cusp of a whole new era, and we can’t wait to see what they do next…

Harrison James

Harrison James founders, Olivia and Harry Weaver, have demonstrated that success comes from more than just selling kitchens and bathrooms – it’s about understanding the deeper challenges of the industry.

Their journey into the world of kitchen and bathroom retail has been anything but straightforward. With a newly opened showroom and ambitious growth plans on the cards, the couple has learnt some hard lessons about supplier relationships and business scalability.

“Don’t go into this with blinkers on,” Olivia warns potential new retailers. “Be prepared to make significant personal sacrifices and be ready to adapt at a moment’s notice.” This pragmatic approach has been central to their business strategy, with Harry adding that having substantial capital is crucial for survival.

Arguably, the couple’s biggest challenge has been navigating the complex world of supplier relationships. Harry notes a significant disconnect between modern business practices and traditional customer service values. “Nobody gives a damn anymore,” he explains. “It’s all about turnover and profits, not customer satisfaction.”

Their experience has led them to prioritise smaller, more personal supplier relationships. “We now prefer working with companies where we know the senior team,” Harry explains. “Bigger isn’t always better – we can actually communicate directly with decision-makers.”

Looking ahead, Harrison James has ambitious plans. Within 12 months, they hope to be in a position to start considering opening a second showroom, potentially through a franchise model. They’ve already identified potential partners and are strategically planning what a Harrison James expansion would look like.

Throughout the ‘Adopted Retailer’ journey, the couple’s unique selling point has been obvious. Both Olivia and Harry have an impressive commitment to exceptional customer service. “If you walk away from a job feeling completely satisfied, you haven’t done a good enough job,” Olivia explains. “There’s always room for improvement.”

Their advice to suppliers is refreshingly direct: “Understand that it’s our business, and that business means I put a roof over my head,” says Olivia. “I’ve had people turn round to me and say that ‘it’s just a job’ and it’s ‘just business’, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Harry adds: “And don’t lie. The two things I always say to anyone that does any work for us is don’t ever steal from me and don’t ever lie because you will get found out. And that’s exactly what’s happened with some of the problem suppliers we’ve had to deal with so far.”

As Harrison James continues to grow, Olivia and Harry Weaver represent a whole new breed of independent retailers: passionate, pragmatic, and uncompromising in their pursuit of excellence.

This article is sponsored content.