Closing The Showroom for the Coronavirus Outbreak? North London Kitchen Design Company Multiliving Shows How to Keep Business Booming Anyway
The global outbreak of COVID-19 has forced many businesses to slow down operations. Some have even had to halt their activities altogether. Due to social distancing and isolation rules, remote working has become more than just a workplace trend. Telework is now a necessity. Many businesses have realised that to stay afloat, they must implement virtual access to their services.
One such company that has adapted to the outbreak is the North London kitchen showroom Multiliving. The company specialises in Italian kitchens and runs a showroom in West Hampstead to display their latest kitchen furniture and design concepts. A dedicated showroom is a great way to sell kitchens – interested clients can speak one-on-one with specialists and gather design inspiration in person.
In the times of coronavirus, however, when lockdown measures prevent people from venturing outside for non-essential trips, a showroom-based business model doesn’t perform so well. That’s why this kitchen design business opted to take their operations online.
Who Are Multiliving?
The kitchen design company works with Italian kitchen brand Scavolini. Their Scavolini showroom normally features the latest in the brand’s kitchen furniture and appliances. Although they have a showroom, Multiliving stresses that this is purely for helping their clients generate ideas for their kitchens and baths. The company emphasises a bespoke consultation and design process, working extensively with customers on their new kitchen or bathroom.
The company partnered with Scavolini in 2008, and now their showroom is the brand’s flagship store in the UK. When it comes to designing kitchens, Multiliving has a streamlined process for both clients and designers. Typically, that process involves in-person showroom viewings and in-person meetings between clients and designers. Like many companies, though, Multiliving’s usual functioning has been upended and they’ve had to adapt during the coronavirus outbreak.
The Toll Coronavirus Has Taken on This Small Business
Indeed, Multiliving’s personalised approach to kitchen design works well when there’s not a global pandemic happening. When people are forced to stay home, individualised consultation and design prep can be challenging. The company has had to close their North London showroom for the time being and all employees are now working from home.
The lack of a showroom has slowed down business for Multiliving, but it hasn’t stopped it completely. For some, redesigning a kitchen might not be considered an “essential” purchase during the coronavirus pandemic. But many people are stuck at home, spending more time than ever in their kitchens. Multiliving’s team reckons that people having more time on their hands at home is inspiring them to explore kitchen renovation options. And the company is prepared to deliver their services to these people.
Shifting Operations Online Ahead of the Pandemic
Even before the coronavirus outbreak, Multiliving had been investing in online operations and digital marketing efforts. For the past year, the kitchen design company has built up their online presence by optimising their website for SEO and launching email marketing campaigns. On the operations side of things, the company instituted an online booking system, so clients could make appointments with their personal kitchen design specialists online.
These new digital efforts brought in more business for the North London kitchen showroom and made the company’s services more accessible to customers. They’ve also laid the foundation for Multiliving’s quick response to the coronavirus outbreak. Multiliving owner Peter Hadzhi is certain that if it hadn’t been for their ongoing initiative to move marketing and operations online, their shift to virtual consultation services wouldn’t have been so quick.
Showroom-Based Businesses Can Continue Thanks to Virtual Consultations
To accommodate their clients and avoid shutting down completely, Mutliliving started virtual consultations. Their kitchen design specialists, who usually liaise with clients and potential clients at the showroom, are now taking appointments via videoconferencing. With this shift to online communication, Multiliving provides consistent service to their clients as well as allows their kitchen representatives to keep working, from home.
The kitchen and bath renovation company encourage all businesses with a showroom-based sales model to take advantage of digital tools available today. Being accustomed to conducting business in person shouldn’t hold you back, according to Hadzhi. The Multiliving team have kept their business going thanks to a range of digital tools. They can keep up communication with their clients and with each other. With virtual consultations, an online booking platform, and internal messaging applications, this North London kitchen design firm is one company that intends to make it through the coronavirus outbreak.
Media Contact
Company Name: Multiliving
Contact Person: Peter Hadzhi
Email: Send Email
Phone: 020 8090 0909
Address:39 Fortune Green Rd
City: West Hampstead
State: London
Country: United Kingdom
Website: http://www.multiliving.co.uk/