Wren Kitchens
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Wren Kitchens is a privately owned British designer, manufacturer, and retailer of
kitchens A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation in a dwelling or in a commercial establishment. A modern middle-class residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a ...
. It has 106 stores.


History

Wren Kitchens was founded in 2009. The management team behind Wren traded for 10 years in the United States before the business was sold and the team moved back to the United Kingdom. The company employs over 4,000 people and is one of the largest employers in the Humber region, and was in 2019 named Retail Employer of the Year by jobs website Indeed. In 2016, the firm reported record turnover growth as sales surged past £338 million. This also grew in 2017, with reported revenue of £406 million. In 2019, Wren reported a new record turnover of £490.1 million for the financial year ending 31 December 2018, an increase of 20.7%, and a pre-tax profit of £37.1 million, up 124% year-on-year. The company said it believed there was a significant opportunity for further growth in the UK and beyond.


Manufacturing

Until December 2013, the headquarters were in
Howden Howden () is a market and minster town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies in the Vale of York to the north of the M62, on the A614 road about south-east of York and north of Goole, which lies across the ...
, in the
East Riding of Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to t ...
, United Kingdom, where it still operates a factory. Wren manufactures all of its kitchen units in its own production plants in
Scunthorpe Scunthorpe () is an industrial town and unparished area in the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire in Lincolnshire, England of which it is the main administrative centre. Scunthorpe had an estimated total population of 82,334 in 2016. A ...
,
Howden Howden () is a market and minster town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies in the Vale of York to the north of the M62, on the A614 road about south-east of York and north of Goole, which lies across the ...
and Barton-upon-Humber. The 180 acre Barton-upon-Humber site was acquired in August 2013 from Kimberly-Clark. In January 2019, Wren Kitchens signed up for a 150,000 sq ft warehouse at the Humber Enterprise Park, near Hull. Wren has been awarded FIRA International Gold Certification by The Furniture Industry Research Association, the recognised quality mark for products or installation services within the furniture and kitchen industries. It has received the award for its products in 2014 and for its installation standards in 2017. In 2018, Wren introduced the world’s first 3D online kitchen planner for its customers, making it easier for them to choose colours and units. Wren information advisor Ryan Beecham, who raps in his spare time under the name CiVil, became an unwitting YouTube star when his kitchen-based rap ‘The Wren Difference’ was turned into an online advert, which has been viewed more than 1.5m times and attracted national media coverage. In 2019, Wren was awarded the
Made In Britain ''Made in Britain'' is a 1983 British television play written by David Leland and directed by Alan Clarke. It follows a 16-year-old racist skinhead and his constant confrontations with authority figures. It was broadcast on ITV on 10 July 198 ...
marque. Made In Britain brings together the best manufacturers in the UK, through the use of its registered collective mark, guaranteeing that members’ products are made in Britain and comply to the highest standards. In 2019, The British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM), a trade association that represents the interests of the British furniture industry, welcomed Wren Kitchens into the association as an ‘Approved Member’. Wren offered to find jobs for up to 280 staff at Kingstown Furniture in Hull, which closed its doors in March 2019. By June 2019, over 40 former Kingstown Furniture staff had secured positions with Wren. It plans to open up to 18 new showrooms during the year and is currently delivering manufacturing more than 2,000 kitchens a week at its three production sites. In June 2019, Wren announced plans for a £120 million expansion of its manufacturing headquarters in Barton-upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire, almost doubling manufacturing output to keep up with growing consumer demand. Wren is seeking planning permission for a new 910,000 sq. ft. facility, which to be built behind the existing Wren factory on part of its 180-acre site, which has been earmarked for further development. The new factory will create up to 1,200 new manufacturing jobs with additional roles in engineering, IT, customer service and product development. The project, once completed, will be the single largest investment in the company’s history.


Controversy

In 2015, Wren Kitchens was investigated by BBC Watchdog for providing customers with poor customer service. The investigation found that the company had provided partial orders to customers and was extremely slow to rectify issues. The firm responded by stating that they are heavily investing in improving their customer service department. In Spring 2016, the firm was one of 12 kitchen brands researched by the consumer association ''
Which? ''Which?'' is a United Kingdom brand name that promotes informed consumer choice in the purchase of goods and services by testing products, highlighting inferior products or services, raising awareness of consumer rights and offering independe ...
''. WrenLiving came second from last out of the 12 kitchen companies assessed. In March 2016 the firm was fined £12,000 after pleading guilty to breaking the Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, Regulation 9 and the European Communities Act 1972 Section 2(2), by misleading customers on kitchen pricing.


Charity work and community

In March 2014, Wren Kitchens donated £437,080 to charities supporting victims of the 2013-14 United Kingdom winter floods. The firm has also raised money for children's cancer charity
CLIC Sargent Young Lives vs Cancer, the operating name for "CLIC Sargent", is a charity in the United Kingdom formed in 2005. Young Lives vs Cancer is the UK's leading cancer charity for children, young people and their families. Its care teams provide speci ...
and Macmillan Cancer Support. Wren Kitchens said it would "match all B&Q quotes" for customers and had "opened vacancies" to the 400 design consultants whose jobs were at risk at competitor B&Q following a restructure.


Awards and achievements

* Best Kitchen Retailer – Your Home Awards 2018 * 23rd – 2017 Sunday Times Top Track 250 *12th - 2018 Sunday Times Top Track 250 * 3rd – 2016 fastest growing retailers, OC&C Strategy Consultants and
Financo Financo, Inc. is a New York-based boutique investment bank focused on the merchandising and retail sector, with offices also in Los Angeles and London. It was founded in 1971 by Gilbert Harrison. About History Financo was founded in 1971 by W ...
Retail Growth Index *2nd –
Indeed Indeed is an American worldwide employment website for job listings launched in November 2004. It is an independent subsidiary of multinational holding Recruit Co. Ltd. It is co-headquartered in Austin, Texas, and Stamford, Connecticut, with ...
's 25 Top-Rated UK Workplaces: Best in the Private Sector (2018) *1st -
Indeed Indeed is an American worldwide employment website for job listings launched in November 2004. It is an independent subsidiary of multinational holding Recruit Co. Ltd. It is co-headquartered in Austin, Texas, and Stamford, Connecticut, with ...
's 15 Top-Rated UK Workplaces: Best in the Retail Sector (2019)


References

{{Reflist


External links


Wren Kitchens
Companies based in the Borough of North Lincolnshire Furniture retailers of the United Kingdom Kitchen manufacturers Retail companies established in 2009