Owner of Lansdown Kitchens & Bathrooms David Herbert has relocated, refocused and rebranded his business to maximise sales

Having recently moved to The Site in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, which hosts a collective of construction businesses under one roof, it has brought new business opportunities for Lansdown Bathrooms.

Not only has it seen David Herbert double the size of his showroom, boosting relationships with bathroom suppliers, but also launch into kitchens in a major way.

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It has meant an investment of £150,000 into the new 2,000sqft premises, as well as a rebrand for the business into Lansdown Kitchens & Bathrooms.

But why now? “It was clear to me that there was a gap in the market for a high-end showroom in Cheltenham.

“I think it’s often a good time to build your business up when there is uncertainty in the economy”, says owner David Herbert, who adds business is good but he is planning ahead for when the economy improves.

Relocating business

“There was always a view to relocate here”, says David Herbert who has over 30 years’ of experience in the industry and established his business seven years ago.

Co-located with construction businesses, in The Site, Lansdown Kitchens & Bathrooms has opened a two floor showroom

Having started out on a dining room table, before moving to a showroom at the back of an industrial unit, he sold bathrooms to builders.

And builders are still the majority of his business, however his client base now numbers architects, interior designers, developers and small to medium housebuilders. So it’s easy to see why he chose to relocate to The Site which features a raft of construction companies.

“It’s a one-stop shop for trade professionals or self builders” explains David, adding “In this building is  a planning consultant, architect, quantity surveyor, drainage specialist, a construction company, an interior designer, structural engineer, and our kitchen and bathroom company.

“There is also an in-house accountancy and legal firm and a digital marketing business. We can all recommend each other and collaborate on projects.”

Having taken a year from receiving the keys to opening the showroom doors, with some structural building changes undertaken by the landlord, David says the biggest challenge was the layout of the showroom, making it flow with 15 bathroom and six kitchen displays.

Showroom investment

However, such has been the resulting look of the purpose-built showroom, it has seen the business benefit from retail customers footfall.

The new showroom design has seen the company attain main dealer status for Villeroy & Boch

Offering a space for one of its premium bathroom suppliers, Villeroy & Boch, the new showroom design has also seen the company attain main dealer status.

“We were an Express Dealer but being a main dealer for Villeroy & Boch has been a game changer for the business. It is intrinsically linked to our increased footfall with retail”, explains David.

Alongside Villeroy & Boch, the showroom includes brands such as Keuco with an inclusive design concept by FA Porsche, Ambiance Bain, Water Baths of Ashbourne, BC Designs, Tissino, Saneux and Vado.

And relocating to the new premises has seen the average bathroom order grow around 50%.

The increase is particularly impressive considering the business also deals with more competitively-priced, contract bathrooms, tempering the overall average.

German kitchens

But, arguably the biggest move for the company has been into kitchen design and sales, reflected in its name change.

Creating a flow around the showroom layout, was a challenge with 15 bathroom and six kitchen displays

David admits he started selling British made kitchens from his old showroom two years ago, following request from clients.

But investment into the new two-level showroom has seen the company move into mid-to high-end German kitchens.

Through a family friend, who works in the industry, David was introduced to the Sachsenküchen brand.

Although trepidatious about making major moves into a new product sector, he met Bodie Kelay, UK MD for Euromobel, who represents Sachsenküchen furniture.

Having been shown the quality of the products, taken to the factory in Germany, and presented an “out of the box” kitchen retail solution with Küppersbusch appliances also available through Euromobel, David took the plunge.

The move into kitchens also meant investing in talent, bringing expertise into the business.

“I found a really great kitchen designer working at a local kitchen showroom – actually he approached us when he found out what we were doing – and we have employed a trainee kitchen designer as well. It’s important to bring in the next generation.”

The business is already reaping dividends, as David explains “The market we are pitching at is £20,000 – £50,000 kitchens.

“We are currently working on a kitchen project worth £60,000 and there are enquiries in the pipeline which might be £100,000.

“We have successfully sold a good number of kitchens from this showroom, already.”

Affluent area

Despite the challenging market, business has been good for Lansdown Kitchens & Bathrooms. Serving Gloucestershire – encompassing the Cotswolds – and into Oxfordshire, Swindon, Bristol, Worcestershire and even West Berkshire, David attributes it to an affluent client base.

Euromobel offered an “out of the box” kitchen retail solution with Sachsenküchen furniture and Küppersbusch appliances

But, alongside this, he points out the importance of offering the right products as “without great brands we haven’t got a business”, and his laser focus on service.

“When I went into business, there were three core things that were really important to me.

“Number one was service. Number two was service and I’m going to let you guess number 3 – service!”, exclaims David.

A reluctant salesperson as “I have a loathing for pushy sales people. I don’t think there’s a need for it”, says David, he even claims to be an accidental businessman, “I joke with my team that I’m just the unfortunate one that owns the business.

“But it’s really important to me, on a serious note, that we all do the same job.

“Our job is to design, supply and project manage the installation of kitchens and bathrooms.

“We present beautiful products and then our clients can make their buying decision.”

He says brands and his business’s customer service have helped established client trust.

“Business is good because our clients trust us. Our clients are time poor and so have to trust the product and service. In my experience, sales is about trust and giving clients service.”

Outsourcing business

And to reach his wide customer base, David has employed the service of a digital marketing agency.

“I think lots of people try to do social media, but to draw a comparison to bathrooms and kitchens there are tilers and there are tilers.

“I don’t have time to do social media myself, neither do I have the skillset. I’m a great believer the most powerful thing in marketing is word of mouth recommendations.

“My business grew because of word-of-mouth recommendations.

“Still to this day word-of-mouth recommendations are number one in marketing my business, although followed very, very closely by social media.”

So what are his expectations for the industry and his business going forwards?

“This year won’t be a record-breaking year for us, as we’ve invested into our new showroom and kitchens, but next year will be the payback.

“I actually think 2025 will be a really good year, with construction and retail picking up again.”