Crown Imperial's Barry Head – How we're supporting retailers to offer a complete solution

In the year of leading British manufacturer Crown Imperial's 80th anniversary, MD Barry Head reveals how the company is supporting its valued customers and why a positive start to 2026 is giving him cause for optimism.

Q: Crown Imperial is celebrating its 80^th anniversary – how are you marking the occasion? 
A: Spring saw the official launch of our #Crown80 social media campaign, to celebrate 80 years of manufacturing heritage and champion our network of longstanding Crown specialists. This month, the campaign has expanded further with a series of new informative articles designed to support homeowners throughout their kitchen buying journey and help them to connect with our specialists for expert advice. On a personal level, we are looking forward to marking the special milestone at our Herne Bay office and factory gathering in the summer, a great excuse to enjoy a slice of cake and a glass of fizz!

Q: In your view, what sets Crown Imperial apart from other suppliers?
A: We are one of the few long-established British manufacturers that offer both kitchen and bedroom furniture, helping support retailers to offer a complete home interior solution. In light of the current market conditions, fitted bedrooms adds significant value with minimal complexity. We also recognise that design versatility and onsite efficiency are key priorities for fitters and our special size panel service helps save valuable time with installation ready panels.

Q: What support to you offer your customers? 
A: We work closely with all our specialists to support them with a multi-functional marketing toolkit, helping them kick-start the kitchen conversation and driving footfall to showrooms. The newly launched Crown digital showroom is an immersive experience for homeowners to explore our furniture collection, supporting showroom design consultations and building customer confidence. We have also enhanced our specialist finder to increase retailer visibility and generate new enquiries and showroom visits. 

Q: How's business going at the moment?
A: I am delighted to be at the helm in our 80th year, embracing an important new chapter working alongside our longstanding independent specialists. As a business, we are aware of the evolving market challenges, but there is still plenty of positive momentum as our close-knit Herne Bay team continues to welcome new customers. We are always working hard behind the scenes, and this year sees the development of a range of exciting new marketing initiatives, the ongoing roll-out is designed to strengthen consumer engagement and help our specialists flourish.

Q: How optimistic are you feeling about the market looking ahead?
A: As a third-generation family run business, our ethos has always been built on resilience and a constant drive for innovation over 8 decades. As we look ahead, we recognise the ongoing industry and wider market challenges but remain encouraged by a strong and positive start to the year, especially as we celebrate our 80th anniversary. As a business we have always continually invested in new product development and in the coming months look forward to sharing more updates with our growing specialist network.