Customer experience expert Peter Cross headlines Ripples annual winter franchise conference

Luxury bathroom franchise Ripples brought together its nationwide network of showroom owners for its annual winter conference, held on 6th–7th November 2025 at Bowood Hotel & Resort in Wiltshire.

The two-day event was a vibrant mix of learning, collaboration and celebration, offering franchisees the opportunity to connect, share best practice and discuss the future of the brand.

With a packed agenda covering finance, marketing and sales, the conference provided a valuable forum for the Ripples head office team to share updates for the year ahead, while also spotlighting success stories from across the Ripples network. Franchisees took to the stage to share how they’ve driven growth in their own businesses, from local marketing innovation to operational excellence and customer service.

A major highlight of the event was a keynote presentation from VIP guest speaker Peter Cross – the renowned customer experience expert, author and former Customer Experience Director at John Lewis.

Peter, who famously worked alongside Mary Portas OBE as her business partner before leading customer experience for John Lewis, delivered a captivating session exploring how to serve customers to the highest level in an ever-changing world.

Drawing on insights from his new book It Starts with the Customer, Peter inspired delegates with his trademark blend of charisma, humour and straight-talking insight, emphasising the vital role of service as a competitive differentiator in the modern retail landscape.

“Our annual conference is always a real highlight of the year,” said Paul Crow, CEO of Ripples. “It’s a chance for us to bring together the talented people who make Ripples what it is – our franchisees. We’re so proud of the energy, creativity and passion they bring to their businesses every day. Having someone of Peter Cross’s calibre join us this year was a real privilege; his insights into customer experience were invaluable and left everyone feeling inspired. The conference gives us all an opportunity to share ideas, celebrate achievements and, just as importantly, have a bit of fun along the way.”

The event concluded with networking and celebration, reinforcing Ripples strong culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.

Now approaching its 38^th year, Ripples continues to build on its reputation as one of the UK’s leading luxury bathroom design franchises, combining design excellence with a relentless focus on customer experience.