Advice please re buying a kitchen from Benchmarx

Sammy101

Hi all,

So after trawling through this brilliant forum I have decided to buy my new kitchen from Benchmarx. Got the brochure and now have my heart set on the Borrowdale (green).

First question: Does wickes actually sell the equivalent kitchen as I couldn't find it on their website - I just want to have an idea of what it is going to cost (as benchmarx has no prices in calalogue).

Second question: I understand that Benchmarx only sells to trade - we had assumed that we would be able to order it somehow through our builder who will be fitting it but pay directly ourselves. Now I am worrying that this may not be possible if they are really strict about selling to the public. Basically our builder just charges for labour only as he has a small company and manages to keep under the VAT threshold. Has anyone had a similar experience and been able to pay directly to Benchmarx themselves?

Many thanks in advance!

socrates

Sammy101 wrote: »

Hi all,

So after trawling through this brilliant forum I have decided to buy my new kitchen from Benchmarx. Got the brochure and now have my heart set on the Borrowdale (green).

First question: Does wickes actually sell the equivalent kitchen as I couldn't find it on their website - I just want to have an idea of what it is going to cost (as benchmarx has no prices in calalogue).

Second question: I understand that Benchmarx only sells to trade - we had assumed that we would be able to order it somehow through our builder who will be fitting it but pay directly ourselves. Now I am worrying that this may not be possible if they are really strict about selling to the public. Basically our builder just charges for labour only as he has a small company and manages to keep under the VAT threshold. Has anyone had a similar experience and been able to pay directly to Benchmarx themselves?

Many thanks in advance!

Wickes will take 4-6 weeks to deliver - Benchmarx can deliver within days.

What part of the country do you live in?

Get your builder to get a quote from them as he is a trader - go along with him so he does not add on 'his bit'

Then come back on here and post the answers ....

phill99

Why would Wickes sell the same Kitchens? Benchmarx are owned by Travis Perkins, not Wickes.

jayship

Travis Perkins are the parent company of Wickes i believe.

Sammy101

Thanks for your reply's.

Benchmarx supply Wickes.

I have now managed to find the kitchen on the Wickes website, it is called heritage grey. The reason I had trouble before is that there are only 6 available to order online, the others are there if you search.

CKdesigner

Hi

No Benchmarx don't supply Wickes with kitchens. They both buy from Gower, except Benchmarx buy the units ready made where as Wickes purchase kitchens as flat packs.

Alan_M_2

Benchmarx are a trade only supplier, but then Screwfix is also meant to be the same from it's warehouses.

This is simply down to premises cost - if you have a large warehouse unit for B8 distribution use the business rates are based on that use - you're not allowed to have "Retail points of sale" but you can have a "Trade counter".

The difference in business rates between B8 use and retail use in a building of this size can easily be over £120,000 a year.

So technically they should only sell to trade, but most will simply open an "account" for you to buy.

Some local authorities are more draconian at enforcing this than others so sometimes it can be a little different from area to area.

socrates

phill99 wrote: »

Why would Wickes sell the same Kitchens? Benchmarx are owned by Travis Perkins, not Wickes.

They are one in the same.

Lead time for Wickes 4-6 weeks

Lead time for Benchmarx - almost immediate - 1 week