Nolte Küchen UK, the UK distributor of the German kitchen maker, is adding franchise showrooms to its mix of independent dealers and company-owned sites, joining the construction and renovation franchises in the UK. Managing director Chris Rushby says nine franchise partners have signed, and the business wants 50 to 100 franchise showrooms, opening 10 to 15 a year, even though like-for-like sales are flat.
- Signed partners: nine franchise partners have signed, according to Nolte Küchen UK’s managing director, Chris Rushby.
- Target: 50 to 100 franchise showrooms, opening 10 to 15 a year.
- Open so far: KBB Review counted five showrooms opened in 2025, with Hawkhurst and Wakefield due in the second half of 2026.
- Company estate: 12 wholly owned showrooms, down from 15, plus about 120 independent dealers.
- Trading: like-for-like sales are “pretty flat”, with double-digit growth driven by new sites.
- Franchisor’s claim: £1 million turnover in year one and £3 million or more in three years, according to Nolte’s own franchise page.
Nolte has sold through independent kitchen retailers in the UK for more than 40 years, Rushby told KBBFocus. In 2021 it bought In-toto and The Kitchen Group to gain showrooms of its own, and in 2024 it acquired the contracts installer BKNC, which became Nolte Contracts. KBB Review reported that the company announced its franchise model in 2024 and opened its first franchise showrooms in 2025. Alongside them, it still works with about 120 independent dealers.
Nine partners signed, up to 100 showrooms planned
Rushby said nine franchise partners are signed and that Nolte is developing the route “quite aggressively” alongside its independents. He put the ambition at 50 to 100 franchise showrooms, with 10 to 15 opening each year.
The company is aiming at parts of the country where it has no presence, and Rushby said it does not intend to place franchise showrooms next to existing independents, which keeps “a level of exclusivity” around their patches. He described the franchise showrooms as profitable for partners and for Nolte, a claim the interview does not back with figures.
Signed is not the same as open
Rushby’s figure of nine refers to partners who have signed. KBB Review reported in June 2026 that five franchise showrooms opened in 2025 and that two more, in Hawkhurst and Wakefield, were due in the second half of 2026, a total of seven. Neither report says where the remaining signed partners will trade.
Fewer company showrooms, flat like-for-like sales
Nolte now operates 12 wholly owned showrooms, down from 15. Rushby said the company bought its own sites to improve coverage and brand presence where it was struggling, and that its spending to draw customers to those showrooms also helps independents.
On trading, he said like-for-like sales are “pretty flat”, the first quarter of 2026 was difficult, and sales have since risen by double digits on the back of new sites in the independent and franchise channels. Contracts also improved on last year, although slower sales of new homes have pushed some project starts from April or May to August or September.
What Nolte’s own franchise page says
Nolte’s franchise recruitment page names showrooms in Bath, Richmond, Henley-on-Thames and Beaconsfield. It states that partners can look forward to £1 million of turnover within the first year and a realistic three-year turnover of £3 million or more. Those are the franchisor’s own claims, and the page gives no initial fee, pointing readers to a downloadable prospectus instead, unlike the brands publishing their figures in the UK franchise directory.
It asks partners to commit to a development plan of three showrooms over five years, and it describes the ideal applicant as an existing single-unit or multi-unit franchise owner, or an entrepreneur with a growth mindset.
What to watch next
Rushby said new doors will be available to franchise and independent partners in the coming months, following the Hausmesse trade event that began on 19 September, where Nolte also launched its own built-in appliances, quartz composite sinks and taps for the first time. KBBFocus captions Wakefield as the latest showroom to open.
The next markers are the Hawkhurst opening, the pace of openings against a target of 10 to 15 a year, and whether the franchise page lists more than its current four showrooms.
