‘Customers are blown away’ – Birkdale Kitchen Co. talk Zuma

There’s not many kitchen showrooms out there like Birkdale Kitchen Co.

A kitchen company that looks to create a genuine wow-factor from its showroom space and designs, Birkdale Kitchen Co. has established a peerless reputation for excellence – specifying a host of stunning home installations since opening in 2020. 

And within this extraordinary showroom in North West England, you’ll find Zuma speaker-lights – helping to elevate the sound and lighting offering of their beautiful domestic designs. Zuma might not have been in place for long, but it’s already made a big impression on both the team at Birkdale Kitchen Co., and their client base. Both co-owners boast formidable Zuma systems in their own homes, and Zuma has already been introduced into a number of their class-leading designs – including an impressive new commercial office installation for the popular online fashion brand Luxe Collective. 

We sat down with Neil, one of the minds behind Birkdale Kitchen Co, to find out more about their business, and the details behind Luxe Collective’s Zuma install.

‘We’re trying to show people the art of what is possible’

Birkdale Kitchen Co. is relatively new to the market, started by Neil and his business partner Stephen Dunne in the summer of 2020, with their showroom opening in April 2021. Neil and Stephen wanted to take customers to the limits of what was possible from their kitchen space. “We wanted to showcase a range of products that people simply wouldn’t expect when they walked through the door”, Neil tells us. 

Birkdale Kitchen Co. specialise in the extraordinary. There are wireless work surface phone charging stations, voice activated oven control, domestic items like vacuums hidden inside plinths and walls, fingerprint activated safe drawers, in-built dog baths for utility rooms, and much more besides. It’s an absolute treasure-trove of breathtaking design, underpinned by beautiful, contemporary aesthetics at every turn. 

‘The idea is to really surprise people compared to your average showroom down the road’, Neil tells us. ‘Our target market is the kind of customer that can absolutely see the value in these types of premium level products’. 

This attention to detail and commitment to excellence has justifiably led to national recognition – with their Southport-based showroom winning ‘Kitchen Showroom of the Year 2022’ from the renowned KBB Review Retail & Design Awards. It also serves to make Birkdale Kitchen Co. and Zuma’s in-ceiling, wireless speaker lights a near-perfect fit.

Birkdale Kitchen Co. & Zuma

‘It’s the kind of product that helps set us apart’.

Neil and his team hadn’t specified sound before coming across Zuma. That changed when a Zuma representative stopped by one day to demonstrate Zuma first-hand. “He arrived in the office with the Zuma unit in this wooden demonstration plinth…our reaction was simply “…wow!”. 

Immediately, it was clear that the stunning quality and unmistakable wow-factor of Zuma matched what Neil and his team were trying to achieve. “We try to offer products that aren’t just kitchen fundamentals, but products that really enrich the kitchen space…Zuma definitely falls into that category. It helps add a whole other level to the showroom experience.”

“It’s the kind of product that acts as a real differentiator between us and the showroom down the street”.

Now, with Zuma, sound requirements have become a regular selling point for the Birkdale Kitchen Co. team. “It was because of Zuma that we started asking, “What are you doing about music in your kitchen?”. Often this approach is met with surprise from their clients, “They can occasionally look at us a little funny when we ask that question. Until we play it for them. Then they’re blown away”.

Luxe Collective – A perfect upsell opportunity

Luxe Collective is one of the most exciting new online fashion marketplaces in the industry. It’s a company that’s turning heads in all the right places – so much so that, on a recent episode of BBC’s Dragons Den, Luxe Collective secured £100,000 of capital from celebrity investor Steven Bartlett. 

When Luxe Collective moved into an exciting new office in Ormskirk, the team wanted an interior decor that was equally as head-turning as their brand. And so they turned to Birkdale Kitchen Co. to help kit out their stunning new commercial space. 

“They weren’t looking for a product like Zuma until we showed it to them…and then they immediately saw what it would add to their new office”. For their L-Shaped office space, Birkdale Kitchen Co. supplied six Zuma Lumisonic speaker-lights to cover all their light and audio needs. The ease of the specification process was bettered only by the ease of the sale – an almost perfect upsell for Neil and his team.

Birkdale Kitchen Co. had already completed Luxe Collective’s order when Zuma was demonstrated. “The sale for the kitchen was already done…it was when they came back to the showroom that they heard the Zuma units and just said ‘yeah, we’ll take six of these’.”

For Neil, the sale couldn’t have been easier. “We issued a second invoice. They collected it themselves, their own electrician installed it onsite. It was perfect for us”. This level of straightforward, no-stress sale demonstrates how Zuma can act as a tantalising resell to previous customers looking to level up their home or office space. “It’s a great sales process for us. Show the client the app screen, play some lovely music, agree the sale, send the invoice, and give them the product. Done!”.

Taking Zuma home

Neil and his business partner Stephen were so impressed with the value-add Zuma represents, that they went on to install immersive speaker-light systems in their own homes. “I thought, why not have these in the house? They’re excellent”. 

Neil’s system is particularly jaw-dropping. Eight Lumisonic speaker-lights are supported by ten Luminaire light-only units, for stunning, ambient sound and light throughout the kitchen. “The sound experience with them is, honestly, absolutely incredible”.

There’s a deeper business benefit to regularly using Zuma at home. “Having the product ourselves means it’s easy to work out the best system to quote”. This knowledge of the system, how it works, and the extent of its coverage makes specifying Zuma an absolute breeze. But that’s not all. “Having it in our own homes is a real marker of trust for potential customers. It shows we really believe in what we’re selling, which always carries a lot of weight”.

Why stock Zuma?

It’s clear that Neil is a passionate advocate for Zuma. But would he recommend it to other showrooms?

“Put it this way. If you’re a high end, premium showroom, I don’t see why you wouldn’t have it [Zuma] in there. It’s a natural fit for you and your target market”.

For home renovators, architects and music lovers alike, Zuma offers something unique.

Birkdale Kitchen Co. know they can provide a wireless, virtually invisible product that supports their premium ‘wow-factor’ appeal. Neil experienced Zuma first-hand and it’s now in the plans for more projects moving forward.

We’re ready to help transform your next project and deliver even more value to your clients. To book a sales demo, or to discuss becoming a partner, please contact our team.