Hampshire-based merchant acquires local kitchen and bathroom showroom

Hampshire Independent builders merchant Elliots has acquired Hardleys kitchen and bathroom showroom in a bid to become Hampshire’s ‘leading’ independent kbb retailer.

Established for 172 years, Elliots has nine merchant branches in the South and two tool centres and says the purchase will add £2.5million turnover to its business.

Over the last 40 years, it has added kitchen and bathroom sales to its offer and the purchase of Hardleys brings its number of kitchen and bathroom showrooms, to four.

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All 15 staff at Hardleys will be retained and its former owner, Tony Jenvey, will remain involved in the store for a period in a consultancy role.

Tony Jenvey said: “I am very happy to be selling Hardleys to Elliotts. I have known them for over 25 years and they are a very strong and well-respected regional supplier to the building trade. It was very important to me to pass Hardleys on to an upstanding company to ensure our customers and staff will be well looked after and the business will grow and prosper under their ownership. I’m very excited for the future of the business.”

Tom Elliott, managing director of Elliotts, said: “We have always had such respect for Hardleys as a fellow family business that looks after its staff and puts customers first. There are so many synergies between the two companies and we are delighted to bring it under our umbrella. Its expert staff and unrivalled product range, including many items not available elsewhere, will give our customers in the New Forest even more choice.”

The Hardleys showroom is one of a select number of stockists in the South to sell Villeroy & Boch and Laura Ashley Bathrooms.

Tom Elliott, who is the sixth generation of Elliotts to take the helm of the business, concluded: “For existing Hardleys customers it’ll be business as usual, with the added strength of the Elliotts brand powering the showroom. For existing Elliotts customers in the south of the New Forest it’ll mean even more choice and expertise, even closer by.”

Go further and find out how merchants are expanding into kitchen and bathroom showrooms, with Howarth at Home launching on the high street.