Marketing director Amy Smith and commercial director Susie Townsend on Harvey Jones “transformational” journey, with the launch of its biggest and first out-of-town showroom

Bespoke kitchen manufacturer and retailer Harvey Jones had a transformational year in 2024.

Having fallen into administration, it was rescued by a pre-pack arrangement, before refocusing and strengthening its retail showroom network.

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With a new board of experienced retail and kitchen experts, the journey, so far, has seen a rebrand, a redesign of its Hove showroom with two new displays, refurbishment of its Chester studio to create a North of England flagship store and opening of two new showrooms.

This has included a space within the prestigious department store Heal’s in London and its largest and first out-of-town showroom in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

Marketing director Amy Smith comments: “We’re all really passionate about where we can take the brand; it’s about the evolution and the showrooms are a key element of our brand representation. We’ve made a flying start, and we are on the cusp of something really exciting.”

High street to out-of-town

The latest Harvey Jones showroom is located at Bicester Avenue Home & Garden, next to the designer Bicester Village shopping destination.

Harvey Jones counts premium brands such as Heal’s, Pagazzi Lighting and Lakeland as its neighbours.

Spanning traditional high street to dedicated department store space and now a retail park, Amy Smith explains the strategy: “What we’re trying to do is create a showroom footprint where we are accessible to different clients, at different times, and it suits their needs for a luxury kitchen.

“We can be flexible with our product offering, with our experience, and with our showroom placements, to make sure everyone has an experience that is premium to them.”

Harvey Jones expects its Bicester showroom will allow consumers to spend more time browsing, with the advantage of free parking at the retail park.

Commercial director of Harvey Jones Susie Townsend adds: “Bicester is a prime luxury retail location surrounded by like-minded visitors and home and garden businesses.

“We know that the demand for home and gifts is increasing nationally across garden centres, so being situated next to Blue Diamond is absolutely right for us. It’s a very busy site.”

Regional showroom design

The largest of its showrooms Bicester measures 1,200sqft and features individual elements specific to the store.

It boasts the first high level illuminated sign for Harvey Jones, Fisher and Paykel appliance stack, feature wall and largest entertaining island in one of its stores, and all has been constructed in a shell – another first for the company.

Susie Townsend explains: “All the floors had to be levelled and the walls had to be straightened, which adds a complexity as well as a “lily pad” suspended above a kitchen island, with lighting, hung from beams while making sure it was level.”

Surprisingly, then, the build took just two and half weeks. “Together, with our suppliers and installers, it was a collaborative team effort, which is what allows us to work at pace.”

Susie says each store’s designers are engaged in creating its showrooms, as they understand the local clientele, and it enables the national retailer to create a regional feel.

She explains: “The clients here like traditional designs, so we have included the Original as a feature kitchen display.

“As the name suggests, it was the first kitchen sold by Harvey Jones, and 45 years later it is the lead in our newest showroom.”

The Bicester showroom also reflects the company’s expansion across the home, as four large kitchen displays, Original, Arbor, Hampton and the brand new Slim Shaker, are complemented by a glass walled pantry area, bar, utility and pet parlour.

Susie comments: “Harvey Jones has extended beyond kitchens – and when you see the clientele at spaces like these, you can see how much more Harvey Jones can be to a client.”

Trialing retail concepts

Located in a high footfall area, will also see Harvey Jones trial new ideas in its Bicester showroom, such as selling small domestic appliances and selected freestanding furniture pieces.

It is a learning the company has taken from its launch at Heal’s in London whose clients are ready to buy and take away. “So if a customer just wants a Butler’s Pantry, we’ll make it as a freestanding unit”, says Susie.

This direction is part of Harvey Jones’s refurbishment service that provides repainting, new worktop fittings, and also kitchen additions that complement the existing design like freestanding furniture or extended islands.

This allows clients to upgrade their kitchens as they move through life without complete refits.

Capabilities and collaborations

As part of its fast-paced transformation, one of the company’s biggest changes has been greater collaboration with its lead suppliers of Fisher & Paykel, Miele, Bora and Natural Stone Surfaces.

“We’ve been working really hard to reestablish existing partnerships while also exploring new opportunities that align with the refreshed direction of Harvey Jones.

“It is a very challenging market with so much choice so this afforded us the opportunity to look at what’s coming in their ranges, how we can innovate together and what we can do for clients’ homes.”

It has seen Harvey Jones create different price entry points across appliances, stone surfaces and handles, allowing designers to create a Harvey Jones kitchen to suit a variety of client’s budgets.

Susie adds: “When we sat down with our suppliers and talked through our strategy, I don’t think they quite believed the pace we were going to go, but it has been fantastic to have them on this journey with us as we continue to grow our offering.”

Going into 2025 in a far stronger place, Amy Smith says the biggest learning has been realising the capabilities and opportunities for Harvey Jones.

“We will be looking at the last three showrooms and how we can share those experiences across the group.

“Sometimes you have to slow down to speed up and our investment in Heal’s, Chester and Bicester is a really good example of this”, hinting “I think our home expansion offering will probably be one of the biggest surprises for 2025.

“We’re not afraid to innovate to deliver what the client needs and to grow with them.”