Whilst the headlines read, "Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association has offered support to Alno and In-tot retailers..", the reality is that current In-toto and Alno retailers will now need to reapply for Kbsa membership owing to the fact that their parent group has filed for insolvency in a blow that hardly suggests "business as usual" as stated by the Alno directors.
The Kbsa press release stated that the Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association, (Kbsa) has offered support to In-toto and Alno retailers following the news that Alno AG has filed for insolvency in self-administration. The insolvency process includes Gustav Wellmann and Alno Logistik and Services GmbH but the company says that all foreign subsidiaries and Pino GmbH are not affected and that business continues as usual for them.
National Kbsa chair Richard Hibbert said, “We reacted quickly to contact all our members to offer any support and advice they may need. Whilst Alno has been in a similar situation before with little repercussions in the UK market, it pays to be prepared. Indeed the Kbsa and the management of In-toto UK have already agreed on an amicable separation with their group membership being terminated the end of July 2017."
Hibbert added “All individual In-toto members have been invited to re-apply for Kbsa membership in their own right and a significant number have indicated that they wish to take up our offer. We are committed to ensuring a speedy and efficient sign up so that retailers can offer their customers much needed reassurance during what may be an uncertain time.”
Whilst the Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association has continued its association on a retailer level and not the brand it just creates another time of uncertainty and more headaches for retailers and franchisees whom have invested a lot in their businesses with an expected level of support from Alno whom have now been left in a situation they have no control over.