Ek114 p19 23 Retailer Profile Creamery Kitchens

Leicht Battersea MD Liam Hopper reveals how he plans to build a contracts arm to rival the big German companies – page 33

SPECIAL REPORT

Pura Bathrooms Group MD Graham Wickens explains the benefits of having partnerships with Chinese manufacturers – page 48

Inclusive bathroom products page 55

July 2015 Issue 114

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‘Turning point’ in oven stock crisis, claims BSH BSH Home Appliances says it has reached a “turning point” in resolving the stock shortages that have left retailers waiting months for the latest Bosch, Neff and Siemens ovens.

The company says it has hired 200 extra staff in its factories and increased production of cookers that were launched in April to meet what it has called “unprecedented further demand”. BSH is also offering affected consumers a £100 “goodwill gesture” which will be made via a pre-paid Visa card through retailers.

As a result of the increased production, retailers were told to expect the majority of orders for 60cm single ovens and single ovens with steam to be fulfilled in June, with 45cm compact ovens with microwave and steam functions arriving Andreas Meier, BSH UK & Ireland CEO this month or in August.

“I am confident that we have now reached a turning point and that the coming weeks and months will see the situation improve,” said BSH UK & Ireland CEO Andreas Meier.

However, customers attempting to order the new models now may still face a long wait.

A confidential Delivery Lead Time Update issued by BSH to retailers shows orders made in June for the 45cm compact and 60cm microwave models may not be fulfilled for up to 12 weeks.

Retailers were also told to avoid ordering the 60cm single full-steam models until February 2016 and urged to contact the BSH sales office to discuss alternative options. »» The Electrolux Group launched a ‘Simple Switch’ campaign last month, aimed at making it simple for independent retailers to move to its Electrolux, AEG and Zanussi brands. The scheme offers retailers moving to its Premier Partner Programme the appliances their studios need at no cost, the assurance that it will match existing credit limits, and the chance to walk away at the end of a year if not convinced they’ve made the right choice.

Family circumstances force KBSA CEO to retire Moving on: Lorna Fellowes, who’s been MD of shower manufacturer Triton since 1999, steps down from the role this month. Her replacement is business development director David Tutton, who joined Triton in 2014 after working for brands such as Astracast and Jacuzzi. Since she joined as marketing director in 1992, Fellowes has seen Triton grow to supply one in every three showers fitted in a UK home. “My career has been about delivering excellence at every level and I have invested a great deal of time and energy into achieving that,” she said

Unforeseen family circumstances have led to the resignation of KBSA CEO Graham Ball, pictured, after seven years managing the retailer organisation.

A KBSA statement said the retirement “was unexpected because his family circumstances changed dramatically in a short space of time, making it necessary for him to free himself of all responsibilities immediately.”

Discussions on how best to replace Ball – who was a commercial director at Hotpoint and a sales director at De Dietrich before joining the KBSA – will take place at this month’s board meeting.

KBSA national chair Tina Riley thanked Ball for his hard work and tenacity in steering the

association “through what has been a difficult time within the industry”. She added: “I and the rest of the board will continue to work with the KBSA team, Ruth Ward and Dawn Harlow, to move the KBSA forward.”

The corporate chairman for suppliers, Malcolm Scott, echoed Riley’s sentiments.

“Graham has made an invaluable contribution to the association, leaving it in a much stronger position than when he joined,” he said.

“Our thoughts are with him.”

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essential retailer profile The Old Creamery

ekbbusiness july 2015

CREAM OF THE CROP

We visit Barry Stout of established Somerset kitchen furniture retailer The Old Creamery who tells us what lies behind the enduring appeal – and the sales potential – of the traditional painted kitchen Words Annabelle Grundy Photos Colin Poole

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I

nstalled in the early 1990’s, Barry Stout’s own hand-built, painted wooden kitchen is still going strong, as is the kitchen furniture business it inspired.

“I’ve enjoyed my own kitchen so much that it’s easy to recommend the same to others now, but back then, I wasn’t selling kitchen furniture at all,” explains Stout. “We’d made our name with locally crafted farmhouse-style tables, chairs and dressers, but our joiners were struggling to compete against imported products. My wife and I asked one of them to make us some bespoke kitchen units, which we’d drawn up ourselves, and that’s how it all started.”

The concept of manufacturing classic, freestanding units locally and to

The quirks and structure of this old warehouse have been blended into the layout and give the space a unique feel

essential retailer profile The Old Creamery

ekbbusiness july 2015

Customers entering the showroom are treated to a display featuring the ‘Victorian’ furniture, finished in Farrow & Ball’s Elephant’s Breath

order has been at the heart of The Old Creamery’s signature farmhousestyle kitchen furniture ever since. Until 2012, the kitchen pieces were sold within the main furniture offer, but more recently Stout, along with his son and fellow director Luke, took the decision to push sales further by converting 3,500sq ft of existing sofa studio space into an impressive showroom with dedicated ‘Creamery Kitchens’ branding.

The kitchen cabinetry, constructed from pine with tulipwood fronts, falls into six individual groups, each with its own strong identity and distinct character. The best-selling Victorian design is a traditional combination of in-frame, beaded base and wall units, open shelves and substantial dresser

units. Harvest and Provençal are chunky and rustic, while Maison, Classic and Living address a more pared-down aesthetic with clean lines and understated detailing. Each design has evolved from a meticulous back-story, built around its imaginary owners, and fleshed out in an elegant brochure. Care has been invested in choosing colours and floorings, and staging the displays to create authentic ‘real’ kitchens that demonstrate the character and versatility of the product.

“There’s a core of standard designs and sizes, but we can make any bespoke extras that a customer might want, too,” explains Stout. “We get a lot of returning customers, who have maybe extended their 

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essential retailer profile The Old Creamery

ekbbusiness july 2015  space and want to add to their existing Creamery units,” he continues.

Championed by Stout across the whole business, value and simplicity are key aspects of the Creamery Kitchens philosophy. The displays are clearly costed, prices are consistently keen and transparent, and periodic discounting and promotions are avoided. “We always give the best value we can, so customers can shop whenever they want and feel confident they’re getting the lowest prices,” he says.

Value for money goes hand-in-hand with a streamlined, straightforward service. Customers are encouraged to bring their own pictures and requirements as a starting point, from which a 3D layout can be developed in the showroom and then costed. The solid wood kitchen furniture is then finished using Farrow & Ball’s attractive and versatile palette. Popular choices include subtle shades like Elephant’s Breath and Borrowed Light, which particularly suit the look. Clients can select from a range of wooden work surfaces and Villeroy & Boch ceramic sinks, and staff are happy to suggest sources for other options, such as granite, as well as taps and kitchen equipment. “We work with clients to turn their ideas into practical designs that we can supply at fair prices, but we don’t offer appliances, site visits or installation,” says Stout. “Supporting that level of service profitably is tricky, but our pared-down approach allows us to offer the best possible value all year round.”

Painted kitchens are an established market staple, but Stout is confident that demand remains strong, particularly in the local area, where about two-thirds of enquiries originate. “Ours is a great-value, timeless look,” he says. “We’ll keep on updating as buying patterns evolve, but we don’t try to run ahead of the market.” ■

What makes our showroom special?

Barry Stout explains »» We want customers to feel involved and enthusiastic about the product, hence the idea of characters and scenarios around which we’ve designed and styled each kitchen display »» Customers can walk easily through our six kitchen ‘stories’ and see how the different elements function together »» Colour is a big feature – we’ve chosen complementary wall colours to offset each group of painted units and demonstrate some of the possibilities »» Different floorings in each area add to the sense of being in a ‘real’ kitchen – rustic stone, slate or smooth ceramic tiles »» Creative, realistic styling is essential to bring each individual kitchen to life in an intriguing and eye-catching way »» Clients appreciate straightforward information and no hidden surprises, so prices are clearly displayed on key pieces of furniture

The best-selling ‘Victorian’ kitchen features substantial pieces like the ‘Apothecary’s Cupboard’ inspired by the fixtures in an old-fashioned chemist’s shop

“WE ALWAYS GIVE THE BEST VALUE WE CAN, SO CUSTOMERS CAN SHOP WHENEVER THEY WANT AND FEEL CONFIDENT THEY’RE GETTING THE LOWEST PRICES”

Barry Stout, owner and director, The Old Creamery

What is your career highlight?

“It was probably in 2004, when my son Luke joined the business. I worked with my father and it’s nice to feel the continuity of three generations,” says Stout What is your career nightmare?

“There’s no single incident, but I’ve always worried over taking the big decisions that affect the company.

Equal numbers of ticks and crosses give me sleepless nights and it doesn’t get any easier.

There always has to be a compromise,” he adds

The ‘Living’ kitchen is a traditional cockbeaded design, shown here with an oak work top and large Villeroy & Boch farmhouse sink

Strange but true “There’s a massive old concrete safe behind a side door in the showroom.

It probably dates from when this building was part of a large dairy complex and it would be completely impossible to get it out,” he says

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Clearly displayed pricing emphasises value and helps to build trust with clients

Owner and director Barry Stout outside the Creamery Kitchens showroom

company profile The Old Creamery

“Kitchens sales now comprise approximately 20% of the total group business. We sold in excess of 200 kitchens last year, which was some 15% up on 2013.

A similar improvement is forecast for this year” Barry Stout, owner and director, The Old Creamery

Who are we? Barry Stout, owner and director of family furniture business, The Old Creamery, which includes the Creamery Kitchens brand Where are we? Watercombe Park, Lynx Trading Estate, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 2HL. Tel 01935 434 700. www.creamerykitchens.co.uk; www.oldcreameryfurniture.com What we do Retailer of solidwood furniture and hand-built wooden Creamery Kitchens units Business history Barry Stout joined his father’s crockery wholesale business in his early 20s. Having sourced some traditional wooden dressers for display purposes, he saw an opening and started a second venture selling wood furniture from a small shop in Yeovil in 1973. The offer grew to include locally constructed, farmhousestyle pine dining, bedroom and living-room furniture. The business took its name from The Old Creamery, a disused warehouse complex once operated by the St Ivel dairy company, where it moved in 1987. Imported wooden pieces gradually became the larger proportion, although

the company continued to work with local joiners. In the early 1990s Stout asked one of them to build some kitchen furniture for his own home. The successful result sparked the idea of offering made-to-order painted kitchen units alongside the imported stock. Business thrived and in 2004, Stout’s son Luke joined the company. The kitchen sector grew steadily under the Old Creamery banner, and in 2012 they opened a dedicated and carefully styled, on-site kitchen showroom where they could develop the selection, build the distinctive Creamery Kitchens brand and maximise sales potential. Creamery Kitchens’ standalone website launched last year Sales stats “Kitchens sales now comprise approximately 20% of the total group business.

We sold in excess of 200 kitchens last year, which was some 15% up on 2013. A similar improvement is forecast for this year,” says Barry Stout Staffing levels 38 members of staff overall, with two full-time sales staff in the Creamery Kitchens showroom

essential retailer profile The Old Creamery

ekbbusiness july 2015

The simple and enduring ‘Classic’ design, left, was inspired by the first kitchen units the company produced over 15 years ago

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