Where to Buy Your Kitchen:
High Street Chains vs.
Small Individual Retailer……
Panelven Kitchens is a family run business. We pride ourselves on giving you the best customer service, we are able to do that precisely because we are a small company. We understand that when customers are faced with buying a new kitchen they are bombarded by options of where to look and who to buy from and this can lead to a never ending list of questions and confusion! We thought we would take some time to explain why we believe that the option of designing your new kitchen using a smaller individual firm such as Panelven has distinct advantages over some of the more flashy larger high street/chain stores.
1. Value for Money!
Smaller firms such as Panelven have the advantage that our overhead costs are low in comparison to large chains who run huge superstores, or have high budget TV ads. We are able to pass these savings directly on to our customers.
2. Check the Figures……
Watch out for fake promotions or sales in high street chains which appear to offer huge discounts. Before offering 50% off, chain stores often double their original selling price, so that bargain you think you are being sold is nothing of the sort. Sales also add pressure, at Panelven Kitchens we recognise that buying a kitchen takes time and will never use deadlines to force a sale. Any sales we promote are a direct result of a promotion from one of our suppliers – meaning we are passing discounts directly on to our customers.
3. Quality:
- Door Material:
Modern gloss doors are all the rage at the moment, our gloss door ranges are high quality painted & lacquered or acrylic. These have a smooth, reflective finish. In contrast, larger chains mainly sell the low quality foil, PVC, PET or vinyl wrapped types. These have a bobbly, unreflective finish – beware of these finishes- due to the low quality they often peel.
Gloss Door Comparison
- Cabinet backs:
Cabinet Back Comparison
We ensure that every aspect of our kitchens is high quality – including the bits you don’t see! The back of our cabinets are solid 18mm- giving strength and durability to every Panelven Kitchen. High street brands, such as Howdens and Wicks tend to use much thinner 3mm or 6mm backs. These warp and you end up with ill fitting cabinets which cannot withstand daily use.
- Cabinet edging:
Our attention to detail and quality extends to our choice of edging as well, we use impact resistant PVC or ABS edging to protect the delicate front edges from chips & damage. In contrast high street chains often offer melamine edging which offers little or no protection.
Cabinet Edging Comparison
- Cabinet density:
We use high density materials for all our cabinets – meaning our kitchens are durable and stand the test of time. Lower density materials such as low grade chipboard are used in high street chains- meaning that even if the kitchen doors look the same as a kitchen from a smaller firm, the kitchen structure itself will not be as robust, resilient or durable.