Ok we made the Odessa kitchens part up as its actually the third largest city in Ukraine, but it has to be the worst kept secret in the kitchen industry that German made kitchens mega brand Nobilia, lets some of its customers (such as Homebase) rebrand its kitchens, as Homebase has done with its Odina kitchens label.
So as a consumer, which one do you choose, Noblessa, Odina or Nobilia?
At Kitchens Kitchens we have reported in the past, industry views on Homebase and other “big sheds” as one of Kitchens Kitchens favoured industry commentators (Derek Miller of Scope Bathrooms) says, and the general consensus amongst many of the smaller independents and indeed consumers; is that they [the consumer] would generally prefer to go to a smaller independent than the likes of Homebase, and B&Q etc. This favour of David over Goliath is more so when, as in the case of Nobilia / Noblessa / Odina kitchens, the consumer can get access to superior designs, better customer service, a passion for kitchens and in many cases, prices being the same or indeed lower in the independents, than at Homebase.
To emphasise this David versus Goliath preference Kitchens Kitchens Editor Jeff Russell spoke to i-Home Interiors, of Little Marlow, and their Jamie Davies had this to say:
"We like to think that we give a more personalised service as a smaller company, meaning we can spend more valuable time overlooking every detail from planning to installation and although I cant speak for the big chain outlets, our customers don’t need to go through switchboards to reach us.”
On the question as to whether a Nobilia Independent dealer over the likes of Homebase and its Odina label are more or less expensive Jamie had this to add:
“Our prices are far more competitive than the likes of Homebase as you put it, which is largely due to our overheads being considerably lower. Quite simply you are getting a luxury German Kitchen for less"
As we found with the experiences of i-Home Interiors, (which mirror other Nobilia dealers we spoke to); whilst the kitchen furniture at Homebase and i-Home Interiors etc etc is made in, and shipped from the same factory in Germany, pretty much all similarity ends there and everything from the original kitchen designs, customer experience, customer satisfaction, through to the fitting of the kitchen and after-service are obviously down to the supplying business and whilst Homebase may outsource its fitting and employ sales people, or as Homebase calls them, ‘kitchen consultants, by and large, small independents are made up of people who have spent their working lives in the industry, and created a business from their experience.
Experience that is many many years or even a decade or three longer than the few weeks training Homebase, (or it has to be said, staff at Ikea, B&Q etc) would get but crucially, when consumers are spending £15k, 25k, 35k on a kitchen, it stands to reason you would choose the firm that you felt would deliver more and whilst the Nobilia furniture is branded, the designs, fitting and customer service are not, and this is likely the reason why consumers love David over Goliath, or an Nobilia Independent over the likes of Homebase and Odina?
