Analysis Archives

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Analysis: The lap of luxury?

Putting the luxury sector under the microscope, Jayne Barber uses the company’s latest research to explore what could be in store for the most premium end of the kitchen market.

Analysis

Employment laws have changed – are retailers ready?

As if they didn’t already have enough to think about, retailers are now having to adapt to new employment laws that quietly came into effect in April.

Analysis

Analysis: What do retailers REALLY think of their installers?

Although they couldn’t get their projects fitted without them, retailers can often be vocal about their complaints over installers. But are their issues as justified as they first appear?

Analysis

Analysis: Will new guidelines solve the UK’s silicosis crisis?

The HSE has revealed new guidelines that ban the dry-cutting of engineered stone while strongly recommending low-silica alternatives. But does this go far enough in the fight against deadly silicosis?

Analysis

Charging for design: Which model works?

Although every retailer has an opinion on it, one thing most designers can agree is that whether they do – or don’t – charge for design, they’d certainly like to. But with so many models around, what’s the best way to turn your designs into goldmines?

Analysis

Analysis: How has the KBB market performed so far in 2026?

The state of the market was still the topic on most people’s lips at kbb Birmingham last month, so has the first quarter of 2026 given the KBB sector any signs of recovery?

Analysis

Are relationships between suppliers and retailers improving?

Where are things actually breaking down between suppliers and retailers, and what can they do to get along like happy families again?

Analysis

Analysis: Incentive or bribe?

It’s common for suppliers to reward showroom staff for specifying their products – but when does a legitimate incentive become an illegal bribe? And who would be liable if it turned out to be the latter? It is, as legal experts Stephen Sidkin and David Williams explain, a bit of a minefield…

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Analysis: Are supplier price increases getting worse?

Most retailers agree that supplier price increases are understandable, if frustrating, but many worry they’re becoming even steeper. But how much is too much?

Analysis

Stats: Appliances and independents

Specialists still sell more integrated appliances than any other channel, and the proportion of the overall budget allocated to them is increasing all the time, says Jayne Barber, of JKMR…

Analysis

What’s the point of selling appliances?

It’s a common refrain among kitchen retailers that they don’t make any money from selling appliances – is this really true? And if it is, why do they still do it and do suppliers really understand these motivations properly?

Analysis

Franchises: The sum of its parts

Why does the kitchen and bathroom retail sector suddenly seem to be in a frenzy of franchising? And where does it end?

Analysis

Bricks and mortar showrooms: adding value to the High Street

Despite the ongoing popularity of online shopping, KBB retailers are fighting back with something the internet can never offer – product knowledge, customer service, and dedicated after-sales service.

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How retailers can exploit the rise of the home office

Francesca Seden reports on the increasing number of people working from home, and the rise in homeowners asking KBB retailers for home offices

Analysis

What’s the point of brochures?

Brochures are a fixture of showrooms but they cost suppliers a fortune to produce. So what do retailers and designers actually use them for? And should they have prices in them or not?

Analysis

“If you were running for Prime Minister…”

With a General Election firmly on the cards, we asked some leading industry figures what they would put in their manifesto to help KBB businesses if they were running for prime minister

Analysis

What does your business need from the next UK government?

As the UK waits for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to name the date for the General Election, Andrew Vaux outlines the KBB retail industry’s hopes and fears for a new incoming government

Analysis

Analysis: Sustainability – a costly dilemma?

Despite being one of the most discussed topics of the past several years, the industry still has a long way to go before it can claim to be truly sustainable. Do suppliers and retailers understand enough about the issue and its challenges? And are they communicating enough about sustainability to the consumer?

Analysis

Analysis

Analysis: The lap of luxury?

Employment laws have changed – are retailers ready?

Analysis: What do retailers REALLY think of their installers?

Analysis: Will new guidelines solve the UK’s silicosis crisis?

Charging for design: Which model works?

Analysis: How has the KBB market performed so far in 2026?

Are relationships between suppliers and retailers improving?

Analysis: Incentive or bribe?

Analysis: Are supplier price increases getting worse?

Stats: Appliances and independents

What’s the point of selling appliances?

Franchises: The sum of its parts

Bricks and mortar showrooms: adding value to the High Street

How retailers can exploit the rise of the home office

What’s the point of brochures?

“If you were running for Prime Minister…”

What does your business need from the next UK government?

Analysis: Sustainability – a costly dilemma?

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