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PROFESSIONAL
BUILDERS MERCHANT SPONSORED SUPPLEMENT
JUNE 2022
HÄFELE UK Maximising revenue opportunities for merchants
Industry-changing Innovation Since 1923
Meeting Consumer Needs
www.hafele.co.uk
Functional Style & Substance
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SPONSORED SUPPLEMENT
Ease and innovation: Häfele UK Manufacturer and distributor Häfele has been providing innovative furniture, fittings, accessories, hardware and ironmongery to the UK market for over 40 years, with a focus on connecting people, ideas and designs to create more life per square metre.
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sed and respected by a broad customer base spanning furniture makers, manufacturers, architects, designers and tradespeople, Häfele provides an extensive product and service offer centred on innovation and solutions that make the job easier. This approach is echoed in its relationships with merchants, helping them to maximise the revenue opportunities its products and services can bring — and critically, with ease.
A solution for every need With over 25,000 specialist products, many of which are available for next day delivery, Häfele can provide merchants and their customers with components whatever their need or budget. Whether sliding door gear, hinges, handles or waste bins, Häfele offers a variety of price points within each category, helping merchants align with project budgets and get a sale over the line with a greater basket of goods. Industry-changing innovations Innovation is part of Häfele’s international heritage, dating back to 1923. As inventors of systems such as the Minifix connector — a component that features in many flat-pack
furniture designs and produced in half a billion units each year — the company has a relentless focus on improving existing solutions and thinking ahead. To this end, in 2021, Häfele added 2,700 new lines to its range including Aspekt, its UK-made kitchen cabinet door range that comes complete with a 48-hour delivery promise and no minimum order quantity. Beyond its own manufactured solutions, Häfele is a distributor of some of the most well-known brands in the furniture and kitchens market, from AluSplash, hassle-free alternative to glass, acrylic and tiled splashbacks, to world-leading fittings manufacturers Vauth-Sagel and Grass. Häfele has also recently been appointed as the exclusive distribution partner for Smeg major domestic appliances (MDA) in the UK trade market. Stand out services While products are central to Häfele’s offer, to support merchants and their trade customers, Häfele provides a wide range of end-to-end services too. With lighting an often overlooked element of spatial design — but potentially a lucrative one for both merchant and installer
“Häfele provides an extensive product and service offer centred on innovation and solutions that make the job easier. This approach is echoed in its relationships with merchants, helping them to maximise the revenue opportunities its products and services can bring.” 32 PBM JUNE 2022
— Häfele has created the Lighting Design Service where customers upload their plans, and a personalised scheme and product list are created for free. Merchants can also enable customers and branch teams to get up close with the company’s Loox LED lighting and explore the power of lighting via its all-new Loox van experience. Available to pitch up at branches, it is the ideal way to elevate a team’s knowledge and potential to sell lighting effectively. The Lighting Design Service can also be paired with Häfele to Order, the manufacturer’s bespoke service. Customers — or their merchant — just tell Häfele what they need, including the size, quantity and finish, and it will be cut, assembled (and tested if it’s lighting) packaged, labelled and delivered to the brief. With a package of sales support, services and products, Häfele is on hand to help merchants achieve more value from spaces.
■ To find out more, visit hafele.co.uk
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Häfele Aspekt York Matt Midnight Blue kitchen cabinet doors.
How we use our homes, and especially our kitchens, is continuing to evolve. To explore what today’s consumers want — and how merchants can deliver — Gareth Bevan, Chief Sales Officer at Häfele UK, shares the findings of its Functional Spaces: Kitchens for Living research.
What consumers want T he kitchen market is a blossoming one, with analysts predicting further market growth in the years ahead. To maximise the opportunity kitchen sales can bring and give themselves the competitive edge, it’s important that merchants understand what homeowners want from their kitchen now and in the future. To help our merchant and retail partners understand what homeowners want from their kitchen in a post-lockdown world and how the design, layout and usability of a kitchen can affect quality of life, we recently completed a research project with 2,009 homeowners to find out more. As you might expect, nearly all homeowners (91%) use their kitchens for cooking, but millions of homeowners are using the space for other purposes too.
Around 4.55 million homeowners (26%) use their kitchens for socialising and entertaining and 1.75 million homeowners (10%) use the kitchen as a makeshift office when working from home. These results show a clear need for versatility of space that’s now translating into buying behaviour. Around 15% of respondents said they want to be able to change the function of the room and a further 13% want to be able to change the mood of their kitchen to create different atmospheres when cooking, working, entertaining or relaxing.
Kitchen nightmares As part of the research, we uncovered that one in five people don’t like their current kitchen. More than 85% said their kitchen impacts their emotional and mental health, while two-thirds said Häfele Aspekt Stirling Gloss Slate Grey kitchen cabinet doors. if their biggest issue was fixed in the kitchen, it would improve their quality of life. In terms of these issues, badly designed storage, limited space and poor layout are the top three kitchen bugbears in the UK. When it comes to storage, 32% of
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homeowners said they didn’t have enough; 17% said their storage is located too high for them to reach and a further 17% said that they find it difficult to access items in corner cupboards. When it comes to layout, one in seven say their kitchen is poorly designed, with one in 20 citing worktops that are too high and badly positioned cupboards as their main gripes. Some respondents also admitted to having downgraded their storage solutions when having their most recent kitchen designed with one in ten downgrading the internal wirework storage installed into their cupboards. But having realised the subsequent impact on the use of the kitchen, 21% said that the next time they are purchasing a kitchen, they will shop around to get the best functionality for their budget. Through our Functional Spaces: Kitchens for Living research, the overwhelming message is clear: today homeowners want a functional kitchen that maximises the usability, flexibility and value of the space, while balancing personal style and design trends to improve their day-to-day lives. To help our merchant partners bring functional kitchens to life for homeowners, in the coming pages, you’ll find details of products and solutions that help create spaces consumers are now demanding. ■ For more details of Häfele’s Functional Spaces: Kitchens for Living research visit hafele.co.uk
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SPONSORED SUPPLEMENT
For over 40 years, Häfele has supplied innovative solutions for the UK market, including its industry-transforming Minifix connector and Loox LED furniture lighting collection. It also boasts the largest collection of sliding door gear in the UK. From its head office in Rugby, Häfele offers over 25,000 stocked products, many with next day delivery. It also provides extensive added value services including Häfele to Order, a tailored service for solutions including bespoke timber drawers, and free Lighting and Sliding Door Gear specification services.
PBM speaks with Calvin Lewis, Sales Manager for Resellers at Häfele UK.
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How did you get into the industry and to your current position? My journey into the industry and Häfele is an unusual and fortuitous one. After leaving school I began an electrical apprenticeship and one of my early jobs was working on the new Häfele office in Rugby. Damp, cold and envious of those inside enjoying a cuppa, I got chatting to one of the employees who turned out to be Susan Smith, the wife of the Managing Director at the time. After our conversation, I decided that being on the tools wasn’t for me and took a job in the Häfele Sales Support team. That was in 1996 and I’ve been with the company ever since. During my time, I’ve worked across numerous roles, including ten years as a buyer and then as a supply chain manager. In this latter role, I was responsible for supporting the major sheds, which gave me a taste for merchanting so when I decided to move back to a sales role, joining the reseller sales team was a natural progression.
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How do you feel the industry has changed in recent years? Technology, and logistics especially, have transformed our industry in recent years and led to a change in customer expectation. Ten years ago, a two or three day lead time was normal, but with next or even same day delivery now part of our daily lives, merchants and those supplying them have had to evolve.
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For example, Häfele now offers next day delivery as standard across many product lines and it’s a move we’ve made by working closely with our logistics partners in response to market and customer expectations. In more recent times, I’ve also seen builders’ merchants develop to offer a more retail style experience. While merchants were traditionally seen as exclusively for the trade, they are increasingly tapping into the consumer retail market. As such, we’re seeing appetite for showrooms increase significantly.
“Ten years ago, a two or three day lead time was normal, but with next or even same day delivery now part of our daily lives, merchants and those supplying them have had to evolve.”
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What are the current challenges facing the merchant sector? Price and product availability are huge challenges for the sector currently and something that we as a distributor, as well as a manufacturer, wholly understand. What’s been key in this period is working with partners across the supply chain to minimise and maintain
price where possible, and where a rise is an inevitable last resort, making sure it’s not dramatic and communicated effectively.
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Which individual has influenced you most in your career? I should probably say Susan Smith for introducing me to Häfele! If I had to choose one person, it would be my current boss, Steve Davies. As Häfele’s longest serving employee, he has a lot of invaluable advice and experience and we’ve also shared a similar career journey working in the same departments over the past 25 years. Without being clichéd, Häfele is very much a family, with many people choosing to work for the business for most of their career — it’s a pleasure to work with so many knowledgeable people.
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What has been the highlight of your career to date? I’ve been part of some key ‘firsts’ in Häfele. Setting up our Far East supply chain was a major project and likewise, being part of the new reseller team. In my current role, it’s rewarding to see the fruits of our labour, expanding our presence in merchants and increasing our turnover.
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Finally, where do you see yourself in five years’ time? Well if my boss chooses to retire, I’d love to be heading up a team and helping to move our merchant strategy further forward!
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To support merchants in making the most of the buoyant kitchen market, Häfele offers a range of support from training and customer research, to point of sale and planning tools.
Supporting sales B
eing able to communicate the features and benefits of a product is key to selling it effectively, or encouraging customers to upgrade. Likewise, training for trade customers gives that extra piece of added value, drives footfall and helps them also promote a solution to the end-user. With this in mind, Häfele recently overhauled a Renault Relay van, installing it with the latest innovations from its new Loox furniture lighting range to offer customers and colleagues the chance to get up close with the products and explore the power of lighting. The Loox van experience is available for merchants to book on request, and it can pitch up and be ready to go within 15 minutes. Appointments can be made at hafele.co.uk/loox-van Häfele is also putting the finishing touches on a brand new training academy at its central headquarters in Rugby, which will offer a range of courses to help staff and customers get a deeper understanding of its products. For updates on events, register at hafele.co.uk
Invaluable insights To keep its finger on the pulse of innovation and customer need, Häfele UK regularly conducts customer research to understand emerging trends, covering topics from the demand for home offices during the COVID-19 lockdowns, to what makes a functional kitchen. As well as using these insights to develop its offer, Häfele also shares its findings to support its partners in shaping their range, sales and marketing. Equipping merchants
with this knowledge — and the products to boot — Häfele helps partners achieve stand out and competitive edge. Its recent Functional Spaces: Kitchens for Living research, details of which can be found on page 33, is an example of this. The company has also explored what consumers want from home offices and how merchants can maximise this growing market. Showroom support Setting up and maintaining a showroom is no mean feat, that’s why Häfele has a team of 40 sales reps on the ground that can support merchant and retail partners. As well as tonnes of expertise and advice, the team can help merchants access heavily discounted displays and materials such as Aspekt doors point of sale, AluSplash samples and decorative handle look boards to help drive conversion. Earlier this year Häfele formed an exclusive distribution partner for major domestic
“Setting up and maintaining a showroom is no mean feat, that’s why Häfele has a team of 40 sales reps on the ground who can support merchant and retail partners.”
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appliances with Smeg, providing a vital link between trade partners and one of the most desired and stylish brands in kitchen appliances. To help Häfele customers maximise the Smeg partnership, the manufacturer has appointed Kully Rajit who will provide expert product knowledge of Smeg products, along with showroom support and advice. Adding value services While products are central to Häfele’s offer, it also understands that a sale doesn’t start with a product order and end with its delivery. That’s why the company has created a holistic range of services to support. Whether design services and technical advice to choose the right products, bespoke cutting and packaging to improve efficiencies on site, or peace of mind with guarantees, next day deliveries and easy returns, Häfele’s full range of services are designed to make the merchant and installers lives easier so they can focus on their customer.
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SPONSORED SUPPLEMENT
Style and substance Understanding the changing needs of the consumer and installer, Häfele offers a wide range of solutions to create the function that homeowners now demand, with ease.
EASIER WITH ALUSPLASH
Traditionally, splashbacks are an area of the kitchen where fitters might call in a specialist subcontractor, whether that’s a tiler or a glazer. But thanks to innovative products, that needn’t be the case, giving tradespeople an extra revenue stream and another string to their bow. Distributed exclusively through Häfele in the UK, AluSplash is a practical, hassle-free alternative to glass, acrylic and tiled splashbacks. Simple and straightforward to fit — in fact, it’s three times quicker to install than tiles — AluSplash can be installed with readily available tools and minimal training. This makes it a great, value-added offer to the customer and an easy extra profit stream for all trades. AluSplash is available in three precut sizes, including up to 3050mm lengths, and 12 colourways, including new on-trend matt finishes. Innovatively designed, it allows fitters to v-groove and fold around corners without joints
and cut holes for sockets with ease. As well as being easy to fit, the product is constructed from a flame-resistant aluminium surface with a fire-resistant mineral core that means AluSplash can be used behind all hobs and cooktops, including gas, for a seamless run of colour that’s also easy to clean.
To accompany AluSplash, Häfele offers an installation kit that includes everything needed alongside a standard fitter's toolkit and a series of YouTube videos give step-by-step instructions from preparation to finish. Häfele also has plans for an AluSplash installer accreditation in the future.
for different times of the day and lighting conditions, changing the atmosphere as the customer likes at the click of a button. To help with lighting design, Häfele offers a free of charge Lighting Design Service that gives users a bespoke lighting plan and product list in just three
simple steps. Simply complete the form at hafele.co.uk/lightingdesignservice and within a short turnaround, its team of lighting consultants will return a tailored specification.
LESS HASSLE LIGHTING
Lighting often seems complex and a nice-to-have, and as a result, it’s often overlooked when planning a kitchen design. However, Häfele’s consumer survey highlighted it as an important aspect of a functional space which can make or break a kitchen. Thanks to innovations in furniture lighting, it’s never been easier to achieve a practical yet stylish finish in the heart of the home. Loox by Häfele is a simple, modular plug and play system that can be easily incorporated it into kitchen designs to create that all-important wow factor. App-controlled, it can also be adjusted
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SELLING A UNIQUE PACKAGE
Some kitchen designers have favoured go-to options, but to give customers a kitchen that complements their taste and lifestyle, it’s important to offer variety and options that are bespoke to their needs. To help this process, as part of its Aspekt range of UK-manufactured cabinet doors that include standard slab, pressed shaker, integrated J-pull and premium slab options, Häfele has developed resources that pair each door with a selection of perfectly suited handles. The smooth classic Skye door, for example, can be matched with a rail handle in a brushed black finish for an industrial look, or customers can mix a matt door finish with a metallic handle for a contemporary design. The shaker styling of the York door can also be dialled up or down by pairing different handle combinations. Use a cup handle in polished nickel or a create a more
MAXIMISE SPACE AND USABILITY
Our homes have been on a downward trend size-wise since the 1980s with the average living room and kitchen now 15% smaller than 40 years ago. Making best use of the floor space and layout is the first natural step when dimensions are tight, but designers should also consider the role individual kitchen components have in creating those important extra centimetres.
angular look with a geometric bar design. Resources such as this give kitchen designers the confidence to break the
mould in their designs and enable customers to find what they want more easily.
Matrix Box A range from Häfele is one such product that gives more usable space within the drawer thanks to its slim design. Similarly, its award-winning Free space flap fitting is designed to create more storage room within cabinetry by eliminating the need for large cover caps. Drawers are also a great option and designers should consider systems that can form larder-style units for maximum
space and performance. The M-Stax larder unit, for example, combines larder height with a huge 35kg load per drawer for a mass of storage within a single cabinet. Designing a compact kitchen needn’t be a challenge. By working closely with manufacturers and calling on their technical advice and wide product ranges, it’s possible to create highly functional and good-looking kitchens no matter what the footprint.
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