Brothers prove things can be different in the kitchen industry

Intrusive image blemishes our fine work

As brothers from a Frisian entrepreneurial family with a background of freedom, independence and hard work, Roel and Jaap Oostra started Keukenspectrum Group 20 years ago; the holding company of now two kitchen labels: I-KOOK in the affordable segment and KeukenCoach in the mid to upper segment. With 32 stores (franchise and own stores) across the country, their ambition towards 2030 is to grow by some 200% and open 70 more stores. Roel Oostra comments, "Our success lies in the attention our professionals pay to the entire process, from the online orientation for a kitchen to its installation in people's homes. We don't believe in pushy salespeople and therefore see the compelling image of the kitchen industry as a stain on our fine work.' 

A kitchen, alongside buying a house and a car, is one of the biggest purchases in a person's life. It should be a fun time, but many people look forward to it. Afraid of having a kitchen forced upon them and having to make a quick decision about buying it. Obviously, Kitchen Spectrum Group wants to sell kitchens, but the company does not do push sales. Jaap says, "We see it as our mission to fight for the image of our industry. We make a difference by approaching kitchen retail as a service instead of selling and delivering a number of products. That's why our people take all the time they need for a customer, because every person is different, so every kitchen is different too. By really thinking along with customers and making full use of our craftsmanship, we manage to achieve this enormous growth.' 

In addition to the distinctive approach in customer approach, the success of Kitchen Spectrum Group is founded on online marketing. 'For both formulas, we arouse the interest of customers with inspiring content, offers and sincere reviews. This is essential, because about 80 percent of the customer journey for a kitchen takes place online. As a result, we manage to engage with customers at an early stage. Many of these contacts we convert into appointments in one of our stores. There we can deploy our maximum service," says Roel. His brother Jaap adds, 'By separating the service office from the stores, we give our people all the space they need to focus on that personal attention for customers. Many supporting matters such as administration, order processing, purchasing and personnel recruitment are taken out of the hands of their colleagues in the service office. Unburdening professionals, that's what it's all about.'

Ultimately, Keukenspectrum Group's main strength lies in the company's culture; Dutch down-to-earthness combined with the great importance the brothers place on personal interaction with the customer throughout the process. '20 years ago we saw opportunities in the kitchen market for a more accessible customer approach and a smaller scale approach than the large chains. With our efficient organization and independent professionals, we still manage to be very successful in this. If we still want to exist in ten years' time, we will have to provide more and more customization and think along with our customers. Of course we also have to deal with the turbulent market conditions, but we are looking at the long term. The kitchen is becoming more and more the heart of the home and therefore increasingly important. Moreover, around 1 million homes still need to be built by 2030. That will lead to many relocations. We are prepared for this with our growth plans and enterprising people. After all, if you are afraid, you cannot grow," say Jaap and Roel Oostra.