Keith Myers, founder of award-winning retailer The Myers Touch, in Winchester, talks about broadening its supplier base, what he considers when taking on new brands and what can easily be overlooked in a manufacturer/retailer relationship

Founders Keith and Helena Myers and staff outside Winchester-based showroom

Q: You have recently formed partnerships with two Italian brands – Caccaro and Copatlife – in addition to existing German supplier Eggersmann. What does Italian design offer you as a kitchen specialist and what does it offer your consumers?

A: The reason why we love Italian designers is that they tend to have a slightly different design style compared to German-engineered products – their systems, materials, and designs stretch the limits of what we can offer customers from other European suppliers.

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Copatlife also offered us an exclusive partnership here in the UK, so we are proud to be the only UK showroom with a Copatlife display.

Caccaro in Italy is renowned for its high-quality furniture that combines functionality and aesthetics – what’s more, each modular furniture solution can be customised to create a unique look for our customers’ homes.

Q: Are these replacing suppliers or are you augmenting your offer? If so, what do they offer that your existing suppliers were unable to provide, and how do they fit into your portfolio?

A: Previously, we only had one main kitchen supplier, and increasingly, their product wasn’t as flexible or innovative as the designs or systems we wanted to provide our customers.

In the past two years, we have transitioned from our long-term single supplier to carefully sourcing three new kitchen brand partners, allowing us to offer various design styles and budgets to all potential customers while still providing flexibility and personalised options.

For example, for customers who want a high-quality yet entry-level contemporary kitchen collection, we show them our own-brand display, Möbelife, as it provides clients with a variety of high-quality cabinetry styles, finishes, and materials.

Our Copatlife display, installed last year, features its 2.1 system with Dark Elm Arabica and metallic-effect lacquered cabinetry.

We paired this with sophisticated 12mm Dekton Keyla suede worktops and Silestone’s Calacatta Gold wall cladding to provide a luxurious marble effect.

To complete the portfolio, we wanted to find a premium, luxury tailor-made kitchen partner that could offer superior finishes and innovative design features, so we were delighted to partner with the German brand Eggersmann.

In 2023, we designed a display from their ranges which includes a contemporary central island with a cantilevered-style concrete finish worktop.

To complement the concrete finish, we added Twill veneered mitre-edge door fronts to the cabinetry, which are adjacent to a bank of light oak Eggersmann cabinetry with Gaggenau appliances.

Caccaro furniture extends beyond the open-plan kitchen space into bedrooms and home offices.

The Myers Touch is an exclusive UK supplier of Italian CopatLife furniture

Q: Why is it important for you to branch beyond the ‘traditional’ boundaries of the kitchen space?

A: We have been designing spaces outside the traditional kitchen space for a long time, but using kitchen furniture options was limiting.

As part of the new kitchen supplier partnerships, we explored design-led suppliers that could offer superior designs, quality, and craftsmanship.

This allows us to offer customers a range of interior solutions for open-plan kitchen spaces and beyond into other areas of the home such as bedrooms, studies, hallways, and living spaces which Caccaro offers.

ADL Design Doors is another brand partner we have been working with for the past few years – they are a leading Italian brand that specialises in the design and manufacturing of contemporary glass, wood, and aluminium-framed doors and room dividers.

This is a valued partnership as it enables our design team to offer a variety of modern door systems and privacy solutions in a range of styles and finishes in an open-plan interior, creating a dynamic, flowing manner while optimising natural light within the home.

Q: Is this your first time becoming more of a whole-house supplier? Why did you make the decision to expand your offer and why now?

A: We have always offered partnerships with interior brands so we can provide our customers with more personalised options for their kitchen design and overall kitchen space.

For example, we have worked with Spekva for some time as they offer Danish-handcrafted countertops in a range of beautiful woods that we can add to islands.

Leolux furniture is another long-term partnership where we have added some of their beautiful furniture pieces to kitchen design schemes.

Caccaro furniture extends beyond the open-plan kitchen space into bedrooms and home offices

Q: What do you consider when taking on new suppliers for your showroom and how frequently do you consider new suppliers?

A: We are always exploring new suppliers within our interior brand partnership portfolio who align with our values and offer superior quality and customer service.

Q: What are the most important factors in a supplier/retailer relationship?

Communication, trust, product quality, and delivery to a client are key so we can both support the customer journey from sale to delivery. This is paramount.

Q: How do you work with suppliers to choose displays – do you have complete autonomy, or do they decide on what you feature in-store?

A: We always want to be different from other showrooms – we like to create a display using the kitchen supplier’s cabinetry but with our design style applied.

Our design team will then create an interior scheme using different lighting systems, worktop options, handcrafted furniture pieces, and accessories to create a look that customers won’t tend to see in other showrooms.

ADL Design Doors is another brand partner which is an Italian brand of glass, wood, and aluminium-framed doors and room dividers

Q: Do you think retailers should pay for displays? If not, why not?

A: It depends on the supplier contract, and our terms will depend on how much they give us independence to create our look for the kitchen display using their product range – we don’t want to be just a showroom that showcases an identical display as another showroom, which is where the mass market is at.

Q: Should suppliers have the responsibility of installing displays or should the retailer showcase installation skills in their displays?

A: We like to have control over the look of our showroom, so our fitters will install the products so they can become familiar with the installation process.

We have a wide range of appliances that are fully working from appliance brands such as Siemens, Sub Zero & Wolf, Bora, Gaggenau and Miele in our showroom, and because of that, our designers can demonstrate operating features to our customers before they recommend options to them.

Q: What do you think can be easily overlooked/forgotten in the supplier/retailer relationship?

A: We only like to work with suppliers who care about our end client satisfaction rather than just profits, so we nurture relationships with suppliers who work with us to provide solutions and ensure the order, delivery, and installation journey is a collaborative one where we can overcome any challenges together.