Special Feature // ISH 2025


Retailer thoughts Paul Crow, MD of Ripples


I thought ISH 2025 was okay. I don’t mean that negatively, as I’m glad that I went, but the reality is that it’s like walking through a high-end shopping mall and expecting something new and different from the last time you visited. Sure, the window dressing has changed a little, the merchandising now has one


foot in the sustainability camp, but it’s still the same sign and logo above the window. Perhaps the only thing that has noticeably changed is that some manufacturers have


now vacated the show whilst others have expanded to occupy the space they once had. Those that were present, were (product wise) all a bit safe, corporate and professional which tells you how much the industry has moved on with finance people being heard over the creative ones. The show is crying out for a bit of disruption. Perhaps I was in the wrong show for that or simply looked in the wrong places. The main take-away for me was that the manufacturers present, who we partner with


for their products, services, people and overall support of our goals are all clearly getting stronger and better at what they do. Hansgrohe are, as I said two years ago, aggressively attacking anyone who makes a product for the bathroom and won’t stop until they win. I had hoped for a bit more on the Axor side than was shown, but there is still enough for


us to get excited about, though perhaps not as much as those that favour the Hansgrohe products over their more expensive sibling brand. I was also relieved to see that Roca had used the Alape acquisition to elevate Laufen to a


new level, as my fear was that it would be neglected. I’d been a little underwhelmed at the previous show and put this down to the post COVID disruption. This time I felt like it was a show-within-a-show and probably needed half a day to navigate on its own. They deserve credit for their bravery and the products were very well received by our designers. Overall, it’s encouraging to see the industry continuing to host events like this, as it


suggests confidence in consumer demand for these products – positive news for those of us in retail. If, at the next show there is a migration away from variations of metallic colours and a few less copycat coloured basins and shower trays, our designers would be a bit happier. It’ll be interesting to see how things move forward over the next two years.


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Kenneth Luck Luck and Fuller Bathroom Design Studio


ISH 2025 was huge! You can clearly tell who spent money on the show and who didn’t. Not all the exhibitors showed innovation, design flair, or inspiration, but overall it was a really good experience. Like all exhibitions, it’s good to compare brands against each other and, as an independent retailer, there’s real value in attending these shows.


Kenneth’s ISH 2025 top five trends… Offset furniture is on the rise.


above Responding to feedback, VitrA


has focused on meaningful updates to its bathroom furniture.


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2 3 4 5


May 2025


Stone countertop basins are also in. Spa showering is becoming more affordable. Laufen is launching new brassware ranges that look amazing. It’s the year of the Japanese toilet! I think they’ll become more mainstream.


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