Words: Fiona-Jane Crook

I feel compelled to write this because I have spent the past six years building Rejig Interiors from the ground up, relying almost entirely on reputation, product knowledge and attention to detail. 

I also recently read an article in kbbreview about challenging the way independent businesses operate. It raised an important question: why does so much of the KBB industry still treat a physical showroom as the ultimate measure of credibility?

When I established Rejig Interiors, securing direct supplier accounts was extremely difficult. Instead, I often had to purchase products through a third party, allowing another company to take a share of the margin while adding very little value to the process. The message from many suppliers was simple: “Display our products and you will receive an account and better terms”.

This approach is deeply rooted in the traditional showroom model. However, it does not really reflect how many designers, clients and successful businesses operate today. Before establishing Rejig Interiors, I worked in the industry and negotiated terms with showrooms myself. Even then, I recognised that the showroom was not always responsible for generating demand. 

Much of my time was spent speaking to interior designers and architects, educating them about the product and giving them the confidence to specify it. An independent retailer, merchant or showroom would then process the order. The showroom received the sale, the rebate, the display incentives and the supplier support. However, the designer, architect or sales representative had often created the demand, without the specification, there was no sale.

I now find myself on the other side of that relationship. As an interior designer, I am rarely approached by suppliers. Instead, I make the effort to attend trade shows, examine products closely and understand exactly how they work. I am the person who looks inside the cabinet and almost tries to break it! I read installation manuals. I study technical drawings. I want to understand the mechanics, limitations and practical benefits of every product I specify. 

This level of knowledge allows me to recommend products confidently, even when there is no physical display in front of me.

What continues to surprise me is how little accessible information some major brands provide. The responsibility for explaining the product is often placed almost entirely on the showroom. Why are more brands not producing detailed videos, installation guides, technical demonstrations and honest explanations of their products?

A showroom can contain hundreds of competing products. Every brand is fighting for limited floor space and visibility. I know this because securing displays was once one of my own performance targets. However, some of my strongest accounts sold significant volumes without displaying the product at all. Their teams understood it, trusted it and knew how to communicate its value. They did not need a physical display to make the sale.

Level playing field?

Showrooms also face another challenge. A customer may visit a showroom, ask the staff for advice and then purchase a product online at a lower price. The showroom has paid for the premises, the display, the lighting, the utilities and the staff. It has provided the knowledge and customer experience, yet an online retailer receives the order. The showroom becomes an unpaid demonstration space for someone else.

From a business perspective, why would a new independent take on the financial risk of opening a showroom to support such an inconsistent model? The economics are even more difficult for new businesses. Many established showrooms have operated for decades and may own the buildings from which they trade. Their overheads can be significantly lower than those of a new independent business taking on commercial rent, business rates, staffing costs and display requirements. The risk is not equal. The selling environment has changed, but parts of the industry have not changed with it.

Rejig Interiors is fortunate to work with several major brands that trust us to specify and deliver their products in our clients’ homes. These brands recognise that influence does not always come from a shop floor. It can come from technical expertise, trusted relationships, strong design work and direct access to the right clients.

The brands performing well in the design sector are often those taking a broader approach to visibility and education. They make their products easy to understand and they make technical information accessible. They give designers the tools required to specify with confidence.

When I attended the KBB Show earlier this year, I had the opportunity to see new products, speak to business owners and learn about the passion behind their brands. However, one question came up repeatedly: “Do you have a showroom?”.

My answer was no. Rejig Interiors operates as an appointment-only studio. We don’t need a traditional showroom to prove our value. I would also argue that we may sell more product than some of the lowest-performing showrooms on a supplier’s account list. That’s not a criticism of showrooms. It is evidence that the showroom should not be the only model recognised by the industry.

Our clients are often high-net-worth individuals with limited time. They do not necessarily want to spend their weekends travelling between showrooms and being sold to. They want a trusted professional to understand their needs and manage the process for them.

Some of the country’s largest online retailers sell enormous quantities of KBB products without operating a nationwide network of traditional showrooms. How is this possible?

Easy access

Showrooms and independent design studios often work in very different ways. Many showrooms use industry-specific software containing supplier catalogues that allow products to be placed directly into a design. Independent interior design studios are more likely to use platforms such as SketchUp to create kitchens, bathrooms and interiors from scratch. These designers need accurate digital models, dimensions, installation requirements and technical specifications.

Artificial Intelligence and modern modelling tools are making it easier to recreate products digitally, but brands should not leave this work to the designer. Why would a manufacturer choose not to make its products as visible and easy to specify as possible? The easier a product is to access, understand and incorporate into a design, the more likely it is to be specified.

I recently specified several appliances for a project and realised that I did not yet have an account with the supplier. After locating the relevant representative, I was met with the familiar questions: Do you have a showroom? How many products can you display? Can the display be fully functional?

The supplier was measuring my potential value by the amount of floor space I could provide, rather than by the clients I work with, the projects I deliver or the volume I could specify. That is the problem. New designers entering the KBB industry will continue to face the same barrier:

At industry events, I have overheard conversations that reinforce this attitude. Designers without showrooms are sometimes treated as though they are not worth a supplier’s time. In my opinion this is a missed opportunity. Designers are speaking to clients at the earliest stages of a project. We are shaping the brief, selecting the materials and specifying the products, we are not simply placing orders we are influencing them.

Brands that educate and support designers increase their visibility at the exact point where product decisions are being made.

Parts of the KBB industry remain unnecessarily archaic; the traditional showroom will continue to have a place. Clients still value seeing, touching and experiencing products in person. However, it cannot remain the only model that suppliers recognise and reward. 

Suppliers that want to increase sales should provide independent designers with better technical specifications, digital assets, training, video demonstrations and fair access to trade accounts. The industry must stop asking only: “Do you have a showroom?”.

It should start asking: “Can you understand, specify and sell our product effectively?”.

That is the question that reflects the future of the KBB industry.

Finally, thank you to the brands that already support Rejig Interiors and recognise the value of independent design studios. Your trust enables us to deliver exceptional designs with best-in-class products and carefully considered interiors to our clients.