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USED KITCHEN EXCHANGE TO CREATE 180 JOBS WITH GOVERNMENT FUNDING

The company has been awarded £120,000 government grant.

The Used Kitchen Exchange has been awarded a £120,000 government grant, in order to support its expansion and further develop sustainable business practices.

The company – which sells premium pre-owned used and ex-display kitchens – is looking to boost annual sales from £4million to £50 million by 2025, and will use the funding to create 180 jobs over the next 5 years.

The funding was awarded to the Widnes based kitchen brand in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University, and they will work in partnership to drive business growth and support the low carbon transition.

As part of the collaboration, the Used Kitchen Exchange will work with Claire Hannibal, Professor of Operations Management at Liverpool Business School, to develop a strategy for the business to capitalise on the boom in new home furnishing markets while also creating best practice for sustainable business growth.

Helen Lord, founder of Used Kitchen Exchange, said: ‘We’re thrilled to have been selected for the mKTP grant and equally delighted at the prospect of partnering with one of our local universities to reach our ambitious expansion goals.

‘Through growth in awareness and business expansion, we are going to normalise the sale and purchase of preowned kitchens. It’s a major opportunity because only 3% of kitchens are currently re-purposed. The benefits are enormous – it will bring cost effective kitchens to the marketplace, while driving massive environmental savings. It’s a win-win for everyone. Let’s change the way we think about kitchens.’ David Bryde, director of Research and Knowledge at LJMU Business School, said: ‘In Liverpool Business School we very much see the Management KTP (mKTP) as an important vehicle for us to deliver on our mission to drive economic growth in partnership with business and industry. Through this particular mKTP we are delighted to be working in partnership with Used Kitchen Exchange(UKE), a highly successful and innovative SME in the City Region. The two way nature of the mKTP enables our team of academics to not only help UKE in the next stage of their transformational journey, as they seek to grow their business and diversify into new markets, but also to gain invaluable practical insights that will inform their teaching and research.’

SIEMENS TO OPEN FIRST UK HOME APPLIANCE SHOWROOM IN LONDON

The showroom is 350 sq m and located in the heart of London’s ‘kitchen alley'.

Siemens, the premium household appliance brand, has announced that it is opening its first UK home appliance showroom in autumn 2020.

The showroom, which is 350 sq m and located in the heart of London’s ‘kitchen alley,’ will highlight the latest technological innovations as well as showcasing a full range of Siemens appliances.

In a recent statement, Siemens announced that the showroom has been designed with both consumers and trade partners in mind. Each visitor will have an experience tailored to their needs, and will have the opportunity to see the appliances in action. A Virtual Reality Lounge will also allow consumers to visualise their Siemens appliances in a kitchen setting, prior to finalising their design, in a fully immersive experience.

Commenting on the showroom, Gaelle Thibaud, Siemens Marketing Manager, said: ‘We’re excited to announce our first showroom in the UK. We have enjoyed great success with our customer showroom in Dublin by offering live demonstrations and expert product advice, and we’re looking forward to replicating that in an environment dedicated to the Siemens brand.

‘This investment gives Siemens a physical presence in our capital and demonstrates our commitment to the UK kitchen industry. Offering customers an opportunity to see and use the appliances before purchasing will be more important than ever in the coming years and so we believe our new showroom will be a valuable resource for consumers and trade partners.’

ONE IN THREE BRITS PLANNING BATHROOM REMODEL, SURVEY FINDS

BMA welcomes poll suggesting homeowners and renters alike keen to undertake bathroom improvements this year.

Nearly a third of UK adults are likely to undertake a partial or full bathroom refurbishment in the next 12 months, a poll has revealed.

Opinium surveyed a nationally representative group of over 2000 people between 14th17th July for the poll, which was commissioned by the Bathroom Manufacturers Association.

The poll also indicated that, for all those indicating a propensity to undertake bathroom improvements, the average time to undertake the work is envisaged to be 19 months. In a surprising result, there are insignificant differences between UK homeowners and wider population in the length of time taken to complete work, suggesting an appetite among renters for home improvement.

Tom Reynolds, Chief Executive of the BMA said: ‘As lockdown restrictions have eased, one of the challenges for bathroom manufacturers has been understanding demand. There have been some early causes for optimism in the market.

‘This evidence reinforces our hunch that people stuck indoors for months might be thinking about upgrading their bathroom. There are still many unknown factors that mean we need to be cautious about the recovery, but this poll gives us a clear reason to be upbeat.’

HANSGROHE GROUP CLOSES FINANCIAL YEAR WITH NEW SALES HIGH

The bathroom design specialist from Schiltach, Germany, generated total sales of €1.088 billion.

The Hansgrohe Group, comprising of brands AXOR and hansgrohe, has closed its 2019 financial year with a new sales high.

The bathroom design specialist from Schiltach, Germany, generated total sales of €1.088 billion, and compared to the previous year, this organic growth represents an increase of around one percent.

Jessica Visser Hansgrohe Group Speaking of the success and why the business chose to release the results, Hans Juergen Kalmbach, Chairman of the Board of Management of Hansgrohe, said: ‘For the tenth time in a row, Hansgrohe has achieved a new record in sales. With extensive investments in our future, we can look back on the second-best economic result in the history of our company. At Hansgrohe, we have together set the course to emerge stronger from this crisis. We are therefore deliberately publishing the positive figures for the 2019 financial year, so that the economic and financial solidity and reliability of Hansgrohe is substantiated.’

Turning to Covid-19 and how the business intends to face its effects on the industry, Kalmbach added: ‘In view of the Corona pandemic, reliable and serious forecasts are virtually impossible at the moment. Our focus is on the health and safety of our employees, as well as on our customers and partners and their families around the world. Only thereafter comes our task, as a commercial enterprise, to maintain normal operations wherever possible. We are making every effort to overcome the existing challenges, together with our employees and market partners, and remain confident that we will succeed in this task in the mid-term. We can and will continue to invest in our future; for example, in the development of new products for the ISH trade fair in Frankfurt 2021.’