Homebase ups its kitchen offer

Further evidence that the so-called middle market stomping ground of the independent kitchen retailer is the focus of increased activity from larger retailers comes in the shape of a decision by Home Retail Group to offer a rigid kitchen range manufactured by Nobilia through a number of its Homebase showrooms.

Currently the Odina kitchen range (as it is being branded) is being sold at Homebase stores in Milton Keynes, Harlow. Finchley Road (London), Orpington, Aylesford and Norwich. Stores at Chichester and Cheltenham are scheduled to come on stream at the end of the month with more to follow next year after a successful trial.

However Odina will not be available in every Homebase store as in this case at least, size does matter. But where Odina is sold, Homebase will offer a full design and installation service with each kitchen sale being project managed by the company.

Nobilia, the world's largest single brand of kitchen furniture production, is no stranger to superstore trading in the UK, having famously supplied MFI with a range shortly before the retailer closed down.

While the recent results from the Home Retail Group are not too exciting, the Group has a good track record and crucially, its Homebase outlets have a much better reputation with consumers than MFI enjoyed.

Nobilia already sells though kutchenhaus who at present have five showrooms in the UK, each of which has over 35 kitchens on display, but in these showrooms the furniture is branded as kutchenhaus.

Source : KBB.co.uk
www.kbb.co.uk/news-content/full/homebase-ups-its-kitchen-offer