NKBA honored independent showrooms at KBIS 2020. By Dianne M. Pogoda
What does it take to turn a sale from mundane to memorable? The best showrooms succeed in flipping the switch, making the retail process a lively, engaging customer experience.
NKBA honored five outstanding showrooms at its annual Kitchen + Bath Design & Industry Awards on the eve of KBIS, based on what makes the dealership innovative, whether there’s something unique about the space that contributes to this innovation, and how the showroom encourages customer engagement.
The showroom awards were judged by Danielle Burger, CMKBD, Kitchen Vitality Design, Charlotte, N.C.; Joseph Feinberg, Allied Kitchen & Bath, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Chelsie Butler, Executive Editor, Kitchen & Bath Business Magazine, Atlanta; Peter Salerno, CMKBD, Peter Salerno Inc., Wyckoff, N.J., and a past showroom winner, and Jon Barfell, Liebherr, Miami, and a Thirty Under 30 Alumni.
Winners were categorized in small, medium and large independent retail showrooms, and medium and large multi-location showrooms. From among these winners, the judges chose the best overall showroom.
Winning honors for independent retail showrooms with one to five locations:
• Small Independent Showroom, between 1,000 and 2,500 square feet: Royal Green, New York;
• Medium Independent Showroom, between 2,500 and 5,000 square feet: Nar Design Group, Sacramento, Calif.;
• Large Independent Showroom, 5,000 square feet and larger: Signature Kitchen Suite Experience & Design Center, Napa Valley, Calif.
Winners in the multiple-location categories, with six or more showrooms:
• Medium Multi-Location Showroom, 1,000 to 5,000 square feet: The JennAir Experience;
• Large Multi-Location Showroom, over 5,000 square feet: Kohler Signature Store by Supply New England.
From among these winners, the best overall showroom winner was Nar Design Group.
Nominations for next year’s Independent Showroom Awards will be opening at nkba.org in the fall and presented at KBIS 2021, Feb. 9 to 11, in Orlando.
