Sofia Charalambous

You've judged KBB Retail and Design Awards. What must a showroom get right today to be taken seriously?

Sofia: As a judge — specifically for new bathroom retailers — the first thing I look at is their plan. They would have been in business at least six months to a year, so I want to know the reason why they opened: what's their unique selling point. Because there's a lot of competition out there.

I also test the resilience of their business model. How many brands per category do they have? Which brands did they select, and why? It's not about good or bad — it's about whether the brands make sense for the market they're aiming at.

Then there's marketing. Many say they do marketing, but when you look at it, they're not doing anything different to anyone else. Some socials, some local ads but no point of view.

You could have the best showroom in the world, but how are you going to get people through the door? Who is your target customer and how do you plan to take them through the journey?

Some businesses open on a wing and a prayer. You need resources for at least two years before you can stand on your own two feet — unless you have significant investment behind you.

The ones that have won — the ones I've chosen — they did their homework. And many of the retailers that opened at the beginning and have gone on in leaps and bounds.

I can see, from the very beginning, which ones are going to do well. It's a sixth sense you develop over the years.

Surely brand selection isn't simply about volume. What's the nuance behind it?

Sofia: Exactly. It's not necessarily about the number of brands — it's whether they've thought carefully about them.

Good, better, best. I always suggest that for any category, you cover it with at least three brands.

They need to know who their target market is. And they need to do their due diligence on each brand — the product mix, the pricing, the margin, the customer service.

A retailer might choose a brand because it offers the best margin, but has terrible customer service. You've got to balance retail price, margin, and service.

"Oh, we get 60% off X, Y and Z." What about all the hidden costs? I've heard it so many times it's actually boring.

What marketing efforts stand out when you're assessing a showroom — whether for the awards or simply from day one?

Sofia: Are they marketing to their direct neighbourhood? Are they on social media — local Facebook, Instagram, local magazines? Do they have a website that clearly communicates their unique selling point?

These are not nice-to-have. They're essential, and they need to be up and running before you open.

I would go through a proper analysis — website, social presence, local visibility. Everything together tells you whether they understand their audience.

When a showroom approaches you to partner as a supplier, what are the credibility signals you look for?

Sofia: We’re very selective about who we work with — partners who share our vision and mission.

We do our due diligence. Financial accounts, check how close they are to existing accounts. We ask which other brands they work with.

We don’t want to be one of many; we’re comfortable being one of a few, where there’s clear intent behind the brands chosen. If a showroom is trying to do everything, it often lacks that focus.

We also look at their Google reviews — it gives a good sense of how they operate day to day.

We look at the quality of the showroom and we look at how they conduct themselves — how they approach us, how the conversation goes.

I've been doing this for 30 years. We need a good enough reason for why we should partner with them, because we have our credibility too. We've closed accounts. We won't put up with bad behaviour.

When it comes to display, what three things should a showroom owner prioritise to convert, not just impress?

Sofia: First: think about the end user, not the discount. It's not about who gives you the biggest margin or free displays — that comes up often, and we've lost accounts to it. The question is: will this display actually work for your customer?

Second: ask your brand partners what sells. Use that intelligence.

Third: visualise the space. Think about your market, the price point, who you're targeting. Putting a display together and hoping for the best is not a strategy.

You're a strong advocate for storytelling. Most independents struggle with it. What's the simplest way to start?

Sofia: Storytelling is a lot easier than you think. Just take a day in your life and think about how you solved someone's problem.

A customer walked in with an awkward space — what did you use? Low ceiling — what was the fix?

There are stories every day. The difficulty is that most business owners aren't marketers, so it doesn't feel natural. But if they just commit to capturing a day in their life, they'll never be short of content. 

At what point does “doing your own marketing” stop being acceptable and start holding the business back?

Sofia: It depends where they are in the business. If they’ve just opened, that’s understandable. But two or three years in, it usually makes sense to bring in professional support.

If marketing isn’t being given enough attention, growth becomes difficult. That’s often the difference between businesses that move forward and those that plateau. 

Data tracking remains a tricky thing to do. How should showroom owners go about it?

Sofia: Most businesses should be data tracking.

It’s about going a level deeper. Looking at conversion — visits to sales — your quote-to-sale ratio, and how long it takes customers to make a decision. Understanding average order value and how well you’re selling across categories, not just single items.

Then looking at each display more closely. A display might be made up of ten elements — the vanity, taps, mirror, tiles. What’s actually driving the sale? Is there something you could refine?

It’s also useful to look at performance across the business — by salesperson and by supplier — not just in terms of margin, but what’s consistently selling and where challenges arise.

Give it time and review it — at three months, then again at six. Track what’s working, what isn’t, your best sellers, your price points, and where your projects typically sit.

And importantly, understanding why you lose sales, alongside repeat business and referrals, gives you a much clearer picture of how the business is really performing. 

What's one piece of advice most new showroom owners don't want to hear — but should act on from day one?

Sofia: You have to be disciplined and resilient.

You can’t work without a detailed plan — and you have to keep coming back to it, checking what’s working and what isn’t, and adjusting as you go.

Map out your first year properly and allow for the unexpected. Opening a business takes more than people think.

It’s been a pleasure to see how some showrooms have grown from when they first opened. The ones still standing three or four years later are the ones that started with a plan and kept refining it. They went in with their eyes open.