Franchisees at kitchens and interiors company Schmidt are celebrating an extraordinary start to 2022 with turnover almost doubling and orders proving even more lucrative.

The average value of orders has grown by 13% while turnover, year-on-year, is up by 85%.

The strong start to the year looks set to continue, with interiors enquiries up more than 120% as the boom in home improvement sees no sign of slowing down.

The sales figures come as Schmidt opened its 30^th UK showroom this month, in Mere Green near Birmingham – marking the brand’s first launch in the Midlands, part of its expansion further north in 2022. Three more showrooms are set to open in the next two months.

“The figures are incredible and testament to all the hard work our franchisees, their designers and our support staff have put in throughout the pandemic,” says Jean-Michel Peragine, Schmidt’s Head of Expansion in the UK.

“I’m very pleased to see the growth in enquiries about interiors, showing that our business is not just about kitchens. Our made-to-measure offering has really hit home with customers. That delivers diverse income streams for our franchise partners, and has helped our network start the year with impressive numbers.”

The teams supporting franchise partners have also grown, with internal promotions and extra people added in marketing, retail and training.

“Partners are already seeing the benefit,” added Jean-Michel. “Our designers are even more productive and franchisees are able to offer customers even more in their showrooms. The pipeline of new customer enquiries across the network has never been higher – it’s doubled from this time last year.

“With new products that customers love, more profit per order, and turnover growing fast, it’s set to be an exciting year for Schmidt and our franchise partners.”