Kitchen & Bath Design News is the industry's leading business, design and product resource for the kitchen and bath trade.
Issue link: http://kitchenbathdesign.epubxp.com/i/305124
28 | Kitchen & Bath Design News May 2014 Industry Profle By Kim Berndtson I t was little more than three years ago when Paul McAlary opened the doors to Main Line Kitchen Design in Philadelphia, PA. The president of the compa- ny admits to some hesitation, given the economic environ- ment of the kitchen and bath industry at the time. But thanks to some encourage - ment from his wife, who is a marketing executive, and a friend who works in Internet advertising and e-commerce Website management, he pushed forward. Concentrating on a busi- ness model that emphasizes the Internet rather than a physical showroom, McAlary has grown the design frm at a rate of about 35 percent each year since. The decision to eliminate a showroom was based on what he saw happening in the industry in his nearly 20 years as a designer. "Go- ing back about 10 years ago, when we measured a kitchen, we sold a kitchen more than two-thirds of the time," says the designer, who graduated with a degree in computer engineering and also has a background in general con- tracting. "As the economy slowed, and as more people turned to the Internet, that percentage declined. When I left the company and look- ing to start my own business, it was down to less than 30 percent of the time. "Most frms around here didn't charge a deposit," he continues. "People looking to renovate their kitchens would shop until they dropped. They'd go to every differ- ent showroom and price out their kitchen a hundred dif- ferent ways. But kitchens are complicated, and most people didn't understand they weren't comparing apples to apples. Wherever they ended up when they ran out of gas was where they bought their kitchen." Saturdays at the show- room were less than fruitful. "We'd wait on someone for half a day who wasn't going to buy a kitchen for 10 years," he says. "They were just look- ing for something to do on a Saturday. And even if they intended to remodel, they didn't want to invest enough time to understand the pro- cess. They'd take any advice they could, then run to IKEA to buy cabinets. "When I created this company, we got rid of the showroom because I saw it as a way for people to not get good advice. I decided to put our money into Internet sales to get the customers we want." While he admits that the lack of a showroom can make some clients a bit uncomfort- able, McAlary says people are getting used to the idea, as evidenced by the increased number of referrals. "It was a hard sell in the beginning," he says. "But it's actually more convenient for our customers. We go to their homes, design- ing spaces on laptops right in front of them…in the very rooms they're renovating. They don't have to go any- where. We come to them…at night, on weekends, when- ever they are free." GOING VIRAL McAlary works with two designers, which gives him the ability to split his time between designing kitchens and maintaining the compa- ny's Website and social media sites. He immerses himself in nearly all mainstream social media sites, including Houzz, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and YouTube. By far, he believes Houzz brings him the most business, but he sees all of them playing an important role. "People are very shopper oriented," he says. "Houzz is the frst place they look when they want to Catering to Online Customers When this Philadelphia designer started his frm three years ago, he eliminated a showroom location to focus on the Internet. He's been growing the business at a rate of about 35 percent each year since. This award-winning kitchen, designed by Ray Gardner at Main Line Kitchen Design, gets a lot of hits on the company's homepage slide show. The marble countertops and reverse raised-panel cabinetry in this historic home are popular with online visitors. Photos: Bob Graham, Jr.; Bob Graham Jr. Photography KBD_28-31_IndustryProfile.indd 28 4/15/14 1:33 PM