Sponsored by Alku.

Meet Amanda and Tom Raine, two of the independent kitchen retail sector’s newest recruits. 

Last year, they took a huge leap of faith when they decided to bring their professional skillsets together and start their own independent kitchen retail business. 

The Leamington Kitchen Company, located appropriately in the couple’s hometown of Leamington Spa, combines Tom’s practical skills, developed from a career in construction management with Amanda’s experience as a senior marketeer in several major KBB suppliers.

“Five years ago, we were redesigning our own kitchen and struggled to find exactly what we were looking for in terms of price, design and service,” explains Amanda. “It became clear there was a real gap in the market for people like us looking for handmade wooden kitchens but at a more affordable price range than some of the well-known brands.

“The idea of running our own kitchen business has been at the back of our minds ever since. Then, last year, the opportunity presented itself and we just decided to go for it. We want our target audience to walk by, see the kitchens in our showroom and say, ‘I could really see that in my own home’. We want them to see themselves in us too and for their entire experience with us to be as enjoyable as we can make it.”

Tom describes their target audience as those looking for £30-40k kitchens, pitching it “above Wren and Howdens and below some of the well-known handmade kitchen brands”. 

“We want to be known for good quality, stylish kitchens but without the designer price tag,” he says.

The difficulties of juggling demanding 9-5 roles while raising a young family also played a huge part in the decision to open a showroom. 

“In our corporate roles our offices were miles away from home, so we had less flexibility,” Tom says. “The logistics of family life will just be so much easier with our own business. We know we’ll face other challenges with running our own business but we’re ready.”

When it comes to opening a kitchen or bathroom showroom, everyone knows that choosing the right location can make or break the business. The location should align with your target market and be convenient for customers. But for the business to offer the Raines the better work/life balance they were striving for, the location also had to be convenient to them.

Which is why, when premises became free in the heart of the town centre and a short journey from home and their children’s school, they knew it was the right time to launch.   

“These properties are very sought after and don’t come up very often,” Amanda says. “They’re not huge so you don’t have hefty rates to pay and we’re in this Grade II listed building which fits perfectly with our style of kitchens.

“Not only that, but we’re also surrounded by estate agents and solicitors which taps into the house buyer market, and the surrounding streets are full of lots of independent stores, many of which are high-end interiors.” 

Tom adds: “We have the added bonus of Amanda’s understanding of social media and website management aspects of marketing. Although the showroom is in a good location for footfall, we know that having a strong digital presence to help drive people through the door will be crucial to the success of the business.”

Interior

Attention to detail is something you’d expect from a marketing specialist, especially one with a keen eye for design and a passion for fashion and interiors. The showroom is dressed to perfection, and they’ve even enlisted the help of a local artist to paint a kitchen theme on the windows which just adds to its charm. 

“We’ve deliberately kept our offering quite small because too much choice can overwhelm consumers,” Amanda explains. “We know that because it happened to us when we were kitchen shopping. 

“We offer five different kitchen collections, all named after roads or places in Leamington Spa, and all of which are on display in the showroom in some way. They’re available in 35 house colours, but we can match to any colour if that’s what the client wants.

“We wanted to cover as many bases as possible on colour in the showroom too. So, we’ve gone down the real traditional route with the cream Beauchamp display, then we have the matt white too, but then we have included Regent in green and Clarendon in a deep blue. We’ve also included the Portland kitchen in pink, it’s a bit more daring but still in keeping with that traditional palette.”

Amanda and Tom have worked hard to source everything as locally as possible. On the appliance side they work with Rangemaster – another local business – and are an AEG premier partner. They also offer Quooker taps and Hendel & Hendel hardware. 

They may be new to retail and running their own business, but an hour in their company and it’s clear they’re comfortable in the space and have a plan for everything. They’re taking everything in their stride but are refreshingly honest about the issues they’ve faced along the way. 

“Finding the right suppliers was a big challenge,” explains Amanda. “We were quite particular about what we wanted our signature style to be so, it took us a while to find the right supplier for the units. It’s a handmade product so we understand there will be longer lead times, but we still need a reliable supplier that deliver when they say.

“That’s why finding a cabinetmaker locally was important because we can pop there regularly and even take clients along to see their kitchens being made. Making the kitchens attainable cost-wise was also a key driver. 

“Relationships with suppliers have to be nurtured as we understand how fundamental it is to delivering the right service to our customers.”

But relationships work both ways, so how easy was it to set up trade accounts as a brand-new business in a tricky market?

“The suppliers we are dealing with have all been great, we couldn’t fault them really,” says Tom. “When we set out on the journey, we obviously had certain suppliers in mind but, to be honest, it was difficult to get heard by some of the big brands. That’s been a real learning curve but we’re so happy with the offer we have now. All of the products fit really well together.” 

The doors to The Leamington Kitchen Company showroom officially opened at the end of August and, they must be doing something right. 

“Business is good, it was a relief we had our first order,” Amanda says. “We also have several open projects, so we’re really chuffed with how things are going. We had a really successful launch event and word is spreading.”

As one of our adopted retailers, over the next 12 months we’ll be checking in regularly with Amanda and Tom to find out how their journey is going, but how will they measure success?

“We want to build up a reputation as a trusted, kitchen retail business in the area,” Amanda says. “In 12 months’ time the aim is to have grown enough to take on a full-time designer and, ideally, take on at least one fitting team full-time.

“We’re planning on hosting regular events that we hope will also help spread the word but also keep us front of mind when local people are in the market for a new kitchen. No one knows what the future holds but we’re just really excited about where we can go
with this business.”