Excellent shop and friendly professional staff. Michela and Sophie were very helpful - nothing was too much to assist me finding the right canvas in the right size - which we had to order in the end.... See more
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See what reviewers are saying
Went to Canterbury Cowling & Wilcox today. Had help from both Lloyd and Jack. Lloyd helped me select the brushes and explained their differences. Introduced me on the new 'vinal' art techniques. Jac... See more
Company replied
This store has a great selection of artist supplies and their canvases are always available at great prices. I was served by Janey who despite being busy with a store full of customers, went out of... See more
Company replied
I’d put zero stars if possible. Slow as can be (blamed bank holiday over a week after bank holiday). Not all emails responded to and order eventually delivered with main item missing. Customer servi... See more
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Company details
Written by the company
We've been supplying fine and graphic art materials since 1960. Our range includes art supplies from the world's leading brands, all at fantastic prices.
Contact info
Unit 7a, CT3 Business Park, Cooting Road, CT3 3DW, Aylesham, United Kingdom
- 01303 290550
- admin@cowlings.com
- www.cowlingandwilcox.com
4.4
Excellent
116 reviews
No recent history of asking for reviews
This company hasn't invited customers recently, so reviews may not be representative
Replied to 100% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 24 hours
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Summer and her colleagues were very…
Summer and her colleagues were very helpful, helped me find what I needed and more
9 February 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Cowling & Wilcox
Thank you for your feedback!
This has been passed along to the Store and Summer who were so pleased with your comments. This is exactly the experience we want customers to have in Store and it's great to hear that they helped you find what you needed.
We hope to see you again soon!
Kind regards
Cowling & Wilcox
Great Online Service from Megan
I had an issue with delivery and the help I received from Megan was exceptionally good!
Thanks!
7 February 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Cowling & Wilcox
Thank you for your feed back!
We have passed this along to Megan in Head Office who was very happy to hear you had such a good experience and that this got resolved for you. Issues with deliveries are never ideal but it's great to hear that our team are being helpful and supportive to correct these where needed.
Please do not hesitate to contact her or the team if you did need anything further with this, or a future order.
Have a lovely rest of your day,
The Cowling & Wilcox Team
5* All around
Excellent communication throughout the ordering process.
I bought 2 white easels. Packaged with care. The instructions on contents and how to assemble instructions were top notch 5*.
The product itself, another 5*.
Very happy with my purchases.
Highly recommend this company.
16 January 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Cowling & Wilcox
Thank you for your feedback!
We are so happy to hear that you liked your product and all went well with your delivery. This is exactly what we like to hear from anyone placing online orders with ourselves and do hope to see you order again in future!
If you ever have any queries, do not hesitate to contact us on admin@cowlings.com and we'll be happy to help!
Kindest regards
Cowling & Wilcox
Super helpful and friendly staff
As a family we’re quite into art and letting our creative sides out. Summer was so helpful in finding out what we each were looking for and matching us up with some great products. She provided some great advice too. Both she and the other staff member on the shop floor were really helpful and friendly. Thank you, Summer!
11 January 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Cowling & Wilcox
Thank you for your feedback!
I have forwarded your kind comments along to Summer and the Team who were so happy to hear that you enjoyed your visit and hope to see you again.
If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to contact the Store or ourselves at head office on admin@cowlings.com
Kindest regards
Cowling & Wilcox
Lily was kind and helpful
Lily was kind and helpful. I got what I needed and my shopping experience was positive.
11 January 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Cowling & Wilcox
Thank you for your feedback!
I am so glad that Lily gave you such great service, this is exactly what we like to hear after customers visit any of our Store locations and I will be sure to pass this along to her as well!
We hope to see you in Store again soon
Kindest regards
Cowling & Wilcox
Summer in the Canterbury shop
Summer, the young lady in the shop was so helpful. I am undertaking some art classes and she was able to guide me to the best products for my course. I am an absolute beginner and found Sumer to be very knowledgeable and approachable.
11 January 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Cowling & Wilcox
Thank you for your feedback!
Our Canterbury Store Manager and Team were so happy that you had such a lovely experience in Store. I know these comments were also passed along to Summer directly as well.
We hope to see you again soon!
Kindest regards
Cowling & Wilcox
Went to get a new pen and had the best…
Went to get a new pen and had the best service from Shantelle. Thanks very much
3 January 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Cowling & Wilcox
Thank you feedback!
I have passed along your feedback to our Shoreditch Branch so they can let Chantelle know as well. We are so happy that you had a good experience in Store and hope to see you again soon!
Kindest regards
Cowling & Wilcox
Customer care
I ordered a canvas 10 m x 1.2m, and this one is nice I think. I haven't got to paint on it yet, but it stretched nice.It is worth to say some canvas doesn't stretch nice! Ok,there was some factory lines that go away with a bit of water, no problem that.
I tested the strength of the 10oz canvas by trying to rip it both directions at the corner of one end, seems pretty tough. It also isn't coarse, which I like for my work.
The best part of the order is the customer care for me.
The courier took my canvas someplace where it shouldn't have been causing me to get it late, I paid for a quick service.
That was reimbursed with no fuss, and the lady I was dealing with got on to the courier to make sure it was delivered to a secure place not included on the list of places to put it incase of no one home situation.
The item really well wrapped in paper and bubble wrap, plus the canvas came in a plastic layer too. Friendly and professional customer service. Nice to find people who genuinely care.
Really well done.
For me, this gets 5 star across the board for all aspects.
Vernon W Jones
12 December 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Cowling & Wilcox
Hi Vernon,
Thank you for your feedback!
I have checked your tracking and can see there was a delay on this which was fed back to the couriers and I'm glad our Customer Service Advisor Megan was able to help resolve this for you. This is certainly the feedback we like to hear regarding Customer Care!
With regards to the canvas roll, we really hope you enjoy using this for all your upcoming projects.
Should you ever need a future order or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Kind regards
Cowling & Wilcox
Brilliant service
Fantastic service from this company. I was dealing with a lady called Megan Warren. She went above and beyond in helping me get an item they had out of stock, notifying me of every step of the process via email. Brilliant customer service, and so helpful. I will be using these again in the future that's for sure!
P.s if the boss is reading this, Megan is a absolute credit to your company. She deserves a Christmas bonus!
29 November 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Cowling & Wilcox
Thank you for your feedback!
We're pleased to hear that you received such good service and we will be sure to pass your message along to Megan as well.
Our team are working hard to ensure all stock is dealt with promptly in the lead up to the festive period so we're really happy to hear you were notified every step of the way.
We hope to see you back with us again and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!
Kind regards
Cowling & Wilcox
My order took 2 weeks to arrive and one…
My order took 2 weeks to arrive and one of the items was in poor condition, the parcel was next day delivery and the tracking just said delayed for a week and a half. I did contact the company and they apologised for shipping and offered to refund or replace the damaged item, due to no stock of the item I accepted the refund offer. Happy with customer service but I wish I didn't need to contact in the first place.
5 December 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Cowling & Wilcox
Thank you for your feedback!
I am sorry to hear that your order took so long to arrive and that you had to chase this delivery with our team. In an ideal world we agree that you shouldn't need to chase your delivery however, there are occasions where the couriers do not inform us of delayed parcels for which we do sincerely apologise.
I am glad to hear that your damaged item got resolved and I know the Customer Service Advisor you spoke with fed this back to the couriers as well with regards to both the delay and damage done in transit.
We do hope you order from us again and if so, we will do our best to get your goods dispatched and with you in a quicker timeframe!
Kind regards
Cowling & Wilcox
Lovely supply run
I got helped by Michela in finding my products I needed for my project she was lovely and helped me find it, and what was the best to use, good experience and I'm happy I got my supplies, only thing is they didn't quite have everything I need but other than that perf
14 November 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Cowling & Wilcox
Thank you for your feedback!
We're happy to hear that you had a good experience in Store and I'll be sure to let Michela know as well!
With regards to the product(s) we did not have that you needed, can I ask what these are? I just wanted to check if this is something we'll be stocking soon or perhaps have available online!
Many thanks,
Cowling & Wilcox
Excellent shop
we were served by Janey and she was super kind and helpful. This is a great art shop, one of the best I've ever seen and great staff and selections.
26 October 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Cowling & Wilcox
Thank you for your feedback!
I'm so happy to hear you had a good visit to our Canterbury Branch. Janey is always keen to give great service and help out where she can so I know she'll be very pleased to hear this when I forward it to her and the team too.
We hope to see you again soon!
Kind regards
Cowling&Wilcox
They hide negative product reviews
I had a fairly average 3 star experience with Cowling and Wilcox. But it undermined my trust in the website when I had a product review declined simply because it compared the product to a competitors.
I went out of my way to be fair and balanced, and took the time to be specific. But C&W offered a clearly inferior quality product at a worse price. Preventing customers from sharing this feedback to protect your business is enough for me to permanently shop elsewhere.
Edit: Thanks for the reply. But to clarify, I didn't mention that Jackson's had a superior product for a lower cost "to make you look bad", but to provide the would-be buyer with more insight into what they're buying. It's the quality of the product that makes you look bad, not my review. Likewise, it's the product you'll need to improve if you want positive reviews, rather than just hiding the negative ones (hence the distrust).
28 October 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Cowling & Wilcox
I responded to you and thanked you for your feedback and would use your advice to improve our offering. Our Review Provider (in fact all Review Providers including Trustpilot) take a very dim view of customers comparing us to competitors in a negative manner. They simply won't allow these Reviews so they flagged it and cancelled it. To be honest, I think this is a fair policy as mentioning competitors to make us look bad is not really equitable, is it? Kind regards, Guy.
We went to a fantastic kids art…
We went to a fantastic kids art workshop here which totally inspired my kids. The customer service is always great, Jenny was super friendly to the kids who loved her!
26 October 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Cowling & Wilcox
Thank you for your feedback!
We're so pleased that your kids enjoyed the workshop, this is exactly what we like to hear from our attendees and we hope to do many more in the future as well. We will post these on our social media and website so we hope to see you again 😊
Kind regards
Cowling & Wilcox
MIchela
I was looking for something new to try and Michela was easy to talk to and was able to recommend a new kit for me to try.
12 October 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Cowling & Wilcox
Thank you for your feedback!
I have passed your feedback along to Michela and the Store who were so happy to hear you had a good visit with them.
We all hope you enjoy your new kit and hope to see you again soon!
Kind regards
Cowling & Wilcox
Very poor quality linolium blocks
Very poor quality linoleum blocks. They are advertised as soft and easy to carve but I find them harder than normal lino. They arrived unwrapped and stale. I was given a return label but I need to pay the shipping price in order to return them. I wouldn't recommend purchasing lino from this store.
The Lino that is described as ‘heavy’ also is said to be ‘soft and easy to carve’ in the description. Therefore, I did not consider ‘heavy’ to mean hard. Also the Lino should be covered by plastic when stored or delivered in order to guarantee customers are receiving fresh quality Lino.
28 September 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Cowling & Wilcox
Thank you for your feedback.
I have checked your order and spoken with my team and can confirm that you Lino you ordered was our heavier Lino option titled as Heavy Lino Blocks, this is why they feel harder then previous Lino's you've used.
They are listed online as soft and carvable as tools are able to carve them however, they are still a heavier option and we do apologise if this was misleading in anyway.
If you did want lino which is a bit softer for future then we do have some other options which we'd be more than happy to send links for or discuss over the phone.
With regards to your return, we are happy to have these back for a refund if they're not suitable for you however, the reason that the postage is not being covered from our side is that these are not faulty/damaged.
I also wanted to mention that the lino is not classed as stale however, the environment they're stored in can affect their hardness and that's why my colleague advised that running these under a hot tap could help with carving our your desired pattern if you wanted to give them another go.
If you did need any other assistance, please let the team know on admin@cowlings.com or 01303 290550 and we'll be happy to help.
Kind regards
Cowling & Wilcox
Canterbury Kent Cowling& Wilcox…
Entered the Canterbury Cowling& Wilcox branch. Staff were extremely helpful and friendly. They gave the customer lots of time to browse around the store.
Supplies were displayed neatly which allowed the customer to navigate easily through different items on display.
Each section of the store was organised therefore it was easy to find the item .
Lee was extremely helpful and supportive with questions and was able to supply alternatives.
13 September 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Cowling & Wilcox
Thank you for your feedback!
It's so nice to hear that the Canterbury Store was organised and helpful when you visited as this is exactly the standard we want for our customers.
I have passed your feedback along to the Canterbury Team as well and we all hope to see you again soon.
Kind regards
Cowling & Wilcox
Brilliant service !
Thank you, we called into the Canterbury store this afternoon and had the best service ! Janey offered us wonderful assistance, she listened carefully to what we were trying to do and offered us different options . She gave us time to have a browse but was also there with helpful advice and possible solutions. Such a brilliant store ! We were really happy with our purchases and will definitely return.
9 September 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Cowling & Wilcox
Thank you for your feedback!
I am so glad to hear that Janey looked after you in Store, I know how important customer care is to her so I'll be sure to pass this feedback along to her and the team too.
We hope to see you again soon!
Kind regards
Cowling & Wilcox
Janey at your Canterbury shop
Janey at your Canterbury shop, was helpful, knowledgeable and friendly when I visited a few days ago. It was a joy to find a well stocked art shop and with Janeys guidance I was able to get everything on my list. Thank you for a thoroughly pleasant shopping experience.
22 August 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Cowling & Wilcox
Thank you for your feedback!
I am so glad that you're looked after in our Canterbury Branch and Janey will be really pleased to hear your lovely feedback as well. I will be sure to pass this along to her and the team!
We hope to see you in Store again soon
Kind regards
Cowling & Wilcox
Really friendly and attentive staff
Really friendly and attentive staff in store. Well stocked shop. I could do with there being a selection of Michael Harding oil paints in store but this is a small quibble
29 August 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Cowling & Wilcox
Thank you for your feedback and we're so happy that you enjoyed your visit into Store!
Can I ask which Store you visited so that I am able to pass this feedback along? I also wanted to check the Stock for you as all branches are showing to have Michael Harding Oil Colours 40ml in stock!
Many thanks,
Cowling&Wilcox
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