Granite Transformations retail network sales rose by a record
24.8% in the franchise’s latest monthly figures, with a raft of
recent showroom openings yet to impact on revenue, suggesting
further growth to come. This chimes in with official third-quarter
returns that reveal the strongest growth in Britain’s retail sales
sector, since the pre-recession first quarter of 2008. Targeting
affordable, hassle-free kitchen makeovers, with its innovative ‘top
that fits on top’ work surface concept, Granite Transformations’
business model has remained remarkably recession-proof, with
several of its top franchise owners set to exceed £1 million in
annual sales and the UK network as a whole recording positive
growth.
The upsurge in customer orders will create a healthy pipeline
of installation jobs over the next quarter and Granite
Transformations anticipates a requirement for trained fabricators
and fitters to carry out the extra work. Although the franchisor
provides a head office-based ‘Flying Fitters’ team to help
franchisees to cope with seasonal peaks in demand, it foresees a
need for more full-time installers across the country and invites
those with kitchen fitting experience to get in touch.
Now diversifying into bathroom makeovers alongside its
established kitchen business and adding parent company Trend’s
expansive glass mosaic tile collection to its retail offering,
Granite Transformations has focused its marketing and sales effort
on the over 55’s age group, a target audience often ignored by
other retail brands. This demographic has huge spending power and a
keen interest in home improvements and gardening, opting to
‘improve not move’ in the property market, and Granite
Transformations has capitalised on this by siting franchised
showrooms and merchandising displays in garden centres up and down
the country. This so-called ‘concession franchise’ enabled Granite
Transformations to reduce the initial investment, at a time when
banks were reluctant to lend, and recruit high calibre franchise
owners, who might otherwise have been deterred.
Founded eighteen years ago, the global Granite Transformations
franchise passed the million worktop installations milestone
earlier this year, operating through 250 showrooms across four
continents, and the UK Chief Operating Officer, Danny Hanlon,
outlined the brand’s international expansion strategy to the
Franchise Council of Australia last month (pictured). This
represented something of a homecoming for Australian-born Danny,
who was Granite Transformations’ first franchise owner, in Perth,
and was closely involved in the franchise’s expansion across
Australia, into the United States and the UK, and now other
overseas territories. He noted that Britain’s smaller housing stock
and distinctive high street retail scene demanded modifications to
the organisation’s business model, not least the need for covered
workshops and dust-free conditions, as opposed to fabricating
on-site under the Australian or Californian sun.
The latest UK network sales returns also confirm that black is
still the most popular worktop colour amongst British homeowners,
compared with a preference for brown and earthen tones in the
States and light-reflecting white and grey finishes in Australia.
Black Star, Nero Stella, Black Diamond and mottled black Sachi all
regularly feature in Granite Transformations’ top ten selling
colours, although the trend toward all-white kitchens has seen
White Star and Hydra White surge in popularity. Sometimes
overlooked, beige is another favourite worktop colour, with Royal
Ivory, Perla di Sabbia and King Ivory among the neutral finishes
chosen to set off today’s minimalist kitchens.
