KBSA appoints first MD to focus on day-to-day challenges faced by retailers

The Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association (KBSA) has announced the appointment of Luke Wedgbury, currently the interim chair of the KBSA Board, as managing director – a newly created role.

The KBSA says its aim is to create an entity that is much more focused on the day-to-day challenges faced by independent retailers and finding ways to help them overcome them. It believes the way to do that is to have an MD at the heart of the association who understands what it means be an independent retailer. Wedgbury has been in the KBB sector for 29 years and founded family-run business Coalville Kitchens in 2011.

“I’m a retailer too, out there every day just as all our members are,” he said. “I have a first-hand view of the realities of running an independent retail business and know what all the pressures, opportunities and frustrations feel like. In taking on the role of MD, I want to bring that perspective into the workings of the KBSA and make it central to everything we do.”

This announcement is said to be part of a wider programme of change for the KBSA, which will see it unveil both a new structure and direction in the coming months. Building on the work done by former chair Richard Hibbert, the association says it is moving forward with a long-term plan that has member support at its core. Its main priority is to make the KBSA more relevant and useful to independent kitchen, bedroom and bathroom retailers. This means not only offering practical solutions and advice, but also creating a strong collective voice that represents the interests of all sectors of the KBB industry. The team also wants to make the KBSA more of a go-to for the end consumer and will be working on strategies to achieve this.

“If I could tell independent retailers one thing, it would be that they don't have to face the challenges of running their businesses alone,” said Wedgbury. “The KBSA should be there to support them, protect their interests, give them a voice and provide practical help when they need it. My appointment as MD therefore isn’t just about a change of personnel. It represents the beginning of a new phase for the KBSA, with the Board committed to a long-term strategy centred around our members. I’m really excited to share these plans with both the association and the wider industry over the coming months.”