The kbbreview Podcast

Hosted by kbbreview, Andrew Davies

Business Entrepreneurship News

Website RSS feed

Episodes

352

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

About the show

Kbbreview has been the leading B2B title for the independent kitchen and bathroom retail market for nearly 40 years and The kbbreview Podcast is a stand-out weekly show for this sector. We cover national industry issues, shopfloor concerns, personal stories and expert views. This is an industry spread right across the UK and our podcast community hears directly from KBB retailers discussing their biggest issues. Whether the highly-engaged audience agrees, disagrees or empathises - hearing the real voices of peers is so important for knowing they’re not alone and are part of a wider industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 10, 202635 min

What’s your succession plan?

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, the show all about the ups and downs and ins and outs of being an independent kitchen and bathroom retailer. This week we’re talking about something that every business owner needs to think about – but probably not enough of them actually do - succession planning. And that doesn’t just mean deciding what happens when you eventually retire or sell the business. What happens if you’re suddenly not there tomorrow? Could the business keep going without you? Who knows what you know, who makes the decisions and who keeps everything moving? And what happens if it’s not you that leaves, but a key member of the team? Trevor, Liz, NIck and Steph are all here and when it comes to succession planning they are at very different stages – from relatively new business owners to those actively trying to make their companies less dependent on them, right through to semi-retirement. So how do you build a business that can survive – and thrive – without you? And don't forget, entries are now OPEN for the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2027. Go to kbbreview.com/awards for everything you need to know. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 8, 202632 min

The Government cowboy crackdown...but who protects the KBB retailer?

The Government says it wants to crack down on 'cowboy' traders in the home improvement market– but what does that actually mean for legitimate kitchen and bathroom retailers and installers? In this episode of The kbbreview Podcast, host Andy Davies talks to Trusted Payments founder James Walker about the new government-backed initiative designed to protect consumers and good businesses. He's at the sharp end of how the payment system actually works, whether retailers can keep their existing stage-payment structures, what happens when a customer refuses to pay, the role of the Ombudsman, and why Walker believes the answer to rogue traders isn’t simply more regulation – it’s making it easier for reputable businesses to earn trust and get paid. If you take deposits, manage installations or simply want to know what this new scheme could mean for your business, this is one you need to hear. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 3, 202629 min

Is business ACTUALLY improving?

Season 19 of The kbbreview Podcast is here – and the Fab Four are back! Trevor Scott, Liz Pantling-Jones, Nick Warrington and Steph Warner return after the summer break to answer the simplest question with the most complicated answer: how’s business? From footfall, leads and consumer confidence to changing client behaviour and the strategies that are actually working, we take the temperature of the independent KBB market right now. Plus, entries are officially open for the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2027 , with categories covering the best retailers, showrooms and designs, as well as Rising Stars and Unsung Heroes. The deadline is Thursday, November 12 , with the big night taking place at Magna in Sheffield on April 22, 2027. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 27, 202632 min

Peter Dunlop: Building Bathshack

Bathshack started life as an online-only bathroom retailer in 2009. Three years later it opened its first showroom – and discovered something surprising: physical stores actually boosted its online sales. Now, after building a network of 13 showrooms across Ireland and Northern Ireland, founder and CEO Peter Dunlop has brought Bathshack to England for the first time with a new store in Cheadle. So what can independent retailers learn from a business that has successfully combined bricks-and-mortar retail with e-commerce? Why does Dunlop believe showrooms and websites should reinforce rather than compete with each other? And, with the market as tough as it is, why is he choosing now to expand? We talk online versus offline, the importance of being genuinely different, supplier strategies, AI, customer service and why waiting for the perfect market conditions could mean waiting forever. It's a fascinating conversation about growth, differentiation and what today's bathroom customer really wants. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 20, 202627 min

What's going on at Magnet?

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, the show all about the ins and out and ups and down of being an independent kitchen and bathroom retailer. And this is a surprise bonus episode before we officially start our new season in a couple of weeks time as we managed to catch up with Sophie Rose the CEO of Magnet to get an update on what's happening with them. And, as I'm sure you've been following, a lot has happened in the last few months. The business returned to quarterly profit in late 2025 for the first time since 2019. Then Nobia exited the UK, selling Magnet to private equity firm Alteri Partners - just a few months after Sophie Rose took the helm. But the turnaround story has remained challenging – this summer Magnet proposed a CVA to tackle historic property costs, including immediate plans to close 15 underperforming stores. So, after a year of new ownership, new leadership and some very significant financial restructuring, where does one of the UK kitchen market’s biggest names go from here? Here is kbbreview's very own George Dean in conversation with Sophie Rose… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 17, 202615 min

Resilience 2026: Matt Fowler from Hettich

What really makes a business set to last? Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, the show all about the ins and outs and ups and downs of being an independent kitchen and bathroom retailer. This is the final episode in a very special bonus series of interviews marking our milestone 500th issue. We published our first issue in 1984 and since then we've brought retailers the latest news, big interviews, unwavering opinions, valuable advice, deep analysis and product insights This longevity is not by accident, we are as buffeted by the uncertain and unpredictable market as much as anyone, and our heritage is built as much on resilience as it is by quality. And this is what we want to explore in this series - we're talking to some of the industry's leading suppliers about THEIR resilience, history, continuity and investments in the future. In this final episode we're meeting Matt Fowler from one of the biggest European names in furniture components - Hettich This episode is commercial content Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 12, 202617 min

Resilience 2026: Julie McLean from Hansgrohe

Resilience 2026: Julie McLean from Hansgrohe What really makes a business set to last? Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, the show all about the ins and outs and ups and downs of being an independent kitchen and bathroom retailer. This is another in our very special bonus series of interviews marking our milestone 500th issue. We published our first issue in 1984 and since then we've brought retailers the latest news, big interviews, unwavering opinions, valuable advice, deep analysis and product insights This longevity is not by accident, we are as buffeted by the uncertain and unpredictable market as much as anyone, and our heritage is built as much on resilience as it is by quality. And this is what we want to explore in this series - we're talking to some of the industry's leading suppliers about THEIR resilience, history, continuity and investments in the future. In this episode, we're meeting Julie McLean from one of the biggest names in bathrooms - Hansgrohe.... This episode is commercial content Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 11, 202619 min

Resilience 2026: Dominic Worsley from Aga Rangemaster

What really makes a business set to last? Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, the show all about the ins and outs and ups and downs of being an independent kitchen and bathroom retailer. This is the latest in a very special bonus series of interviews marking our milestone 500th issue. We published our first issue in 1984 and since then we've brought retailers the latest news, big interviews, unwavering opinions, valuable advice, deep analysis and product insights This longevity is not by accident, we are as buffeted by the uncertain and unpredictable market as much as anyone, and our heritage is built as much on resilience as it is by quality. And this is what we want to explore in this series - we're talking to some of the industry's leading suppliers about THEIR resilience, history, continuity and investments in the future. When it comes to heritage it doesn't much longer than Aga Rangemaster and in this episode we're talking to Group Managing Director Dominic Worsley... This episode is commercial content Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 7, 202628 min

Resilience 2026: Howard Grindrod from Hisense

Resilience 2026: Howard Grindrod from HIsense What really makes a business set to last? Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, the show all about the ins and outs and ups and downs of being an independent kitchen and bathroom retailer. This is another of our very special bonus series of interviews marking our milestone 500th issue. We published our first issue in 1984 and since then we've brought retailers the latest news, big interviews, unwavering opinions, valuable advice, deep analysis and product insights This longevity is not by accident, we are as buffeted by the uncertain and unpredictable market as much as anyone, and our heritage is built as much on resilience as it is by quality. And this is what we want to explore in this series - we're talking to some of the industry's leading suppliers about THEIR resilience, history, continuity and investments in the future. In this episode, we're meeting Howard Grindrod from one of the biggest appliance brands and manufacturers in the world - Hisense. This episode is commercial content Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 5, 202618 min

Resilience 2026: Arthur Leaker from Leaker Direct

What really makes a business set to last? Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, the show all about the ins and outs and ups and downs of being an independent kitchen and bathroom retailer. This is the latest episode in our special series marking our 500th issue all about resilience and longevity in business We published our first issue in 1984 and since then we've brought retailers the latest news, big interviews, unwavering opinions, valuable advice, deep analysis and product insights This longevity is not by accident, we are as buffeted by the uncertain and unpredictable market as much as anyone, and our heritage is built as much on resilience as it is by quality. And this is what we want to explore in this series - we're talking to some of the industry's leading suppliers about THEIR resilience, history, continuity and investments in the future. In this episode we're talking about one of the most interesting sectors in this industry - distribution - with Arthur Leaker from from Leaker Direct... This episode is commercial content Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.