PRODUCT FEATURE | Surface special
Mermaid’s Elite is a range of bathroom wall panels with a 100% waterproof core and no need for trims to provide a seamless finish (Scafell Slate pictured)
TOP TIPS
Showerwall’s Acrylic range offers over 40 bold designs and offers customers the chance to personalise panels by providing colour references
Key considerations
When it comes to solid surfaces and laminates, there are loads of options available on the market and if your customer has a tighter budget, this might be the best option – provided they buy from a trusted brand. Utopia offers a range of both solid surfaces and laminates – as well as tiles – to suit all budgets. To help demystify the process, the West-Midlands- based brand dedicates a whole page in its brochure to explain the composition of its 20mm and 22mm solid surface ranges, and also its 22mm laminate and 12mm compact laminate collections. So, education on the actual products is key. In addition, Jason Neve, national business development manager for worktops at IDS, asserts that compact laminate offers some of the same benefits for under-mounting sinks, drainer grooves, water-resistance, seamless aesthetics and on-point design as ceramics, but at around one sixth of the
price. “That’s an enormous saving for a consumer, without sacrificing the look they wanted.” In terms of fabrication and fitting, laminate, compact laminate, solid surfaces and timber are all big sellers for IDS as they are self-fit. “They give the retailer full control of the kitchen installation. because their own fitters can install them without having to subcontract to a third party. The skills shortage is widely acknowledged across our sector and being able to have full control of the entire fit has probably never been more important is now.”
to retailers than
Many designers and retailers don’t look at how the layout can affect how many sheets of material are required. For example, if a designer were to switch from a 1,000mm cabinet to a 900mm cabinet, this can save the customer a full sheet of material, which can be as much as £1,500, depending on the material used.
Scott Wharton, operations and technical director, Roann Limited
it
So, in summary, there are pros and cons to every material and the key is to ensure you’re properly informed so that you can educate and inform the customer, taking into the account their desires, their budget and their lifestyle.
Imperial White is one of six 20mm solid surface worktops from Utopia – made from an acrylic polymer with a solid core
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Some customers may not really understand that they can also have a combination of different materials to suit various applications, so it might be worth discussing this. If you don’t feel so qualified talking about the pros and cons of certain worktops, you can refer them to the Worktop Fabricator’s Federation Guide to Engineered and Natural Stone. Other important considerations include how easy or difficult the material is likely to be to source, access, the lead times and the fabrication/fitting process. It’s crucial to be transparent about these steps as that could potentially impact the customer’s choice significantly. In addition to a skills shortage, some supply chains affected
remain by customers might global events currently, be more inclined so towards
purchasing a product made, or available, closer to home. From a sustainability perspective, which is also increasingly important to some consumers, a UK-made product might be preferable.
When selecting surfaces, retailers and designers need to strike a balance between offering a variety of options while ensuring profitability. By specifying a range of surfaces with different price points, and offering customers good/better/best, you can cater to varying budgets while maximising margins on higher-end materials. By offering too wide of a range, you may end up with niche product that you aren’t able to sell. Understanding market demand and staying up to date with current trends is essential. Conducting market research to identify popular surface materials, finishes, and styles will help you align what you are offering with customer preferences and increase any sales potential.
David Morris, sales manager, MHK UK
You have to know what you are selecting, what your customer’s budget is and the likelihood of them wanting to take red hot pans off the hob and rest them straight on the work surface. Understanding what is possible and what materials are available is a great opportunity to up-sell customers into added-value ideas they’d never have thought of.
Chris Pateman, general secretary, The Worktop Fabricators Federation
• August 2023
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