Opinion
kbb Birmingham 2018 Show Special
How to… profit from the 4G bathroom market
Raj Mistry, marketing director at Grohe UK, explains how retailers can benefit from the ageing population by designing bathrooms with functional, yet stylish, products that meet their constantly changing needs
M
any people planning a bathroom today want to take their future needs and requirements into account without compromising on
contemporary, stylish design. Driven
by demographic change, demand for ‘multi-generational’, or 4G, bathrooms continues to increase. According to a recent government report, ‘Future of an Ageing Population’, the UK population is ageing and by 2040 nearly one in seven people is projected to be over 75. It also highlights the home’s growing significance and importance in later life. “Suitable housing can significantly improve life in older age, while unsuitable housing can be the source of multiple problems and costs,” the report says. “Poor-quality housing costs the NHS an estimated £2.5 billion a year. Homes will be increasingly used as places of work and care. Appropriately designed housing, that can adapt to people’s changing needs as they age, has a number of benefits. These benefits include reducing demand on health and care services, and enabling individuals to work more flexibly in later life”.
It is imperative we prepare our homes to meet the
elderly’s needs, so we can remain in them for longer. However, we need to do this in a way that balances functionality and style and matches design trends, so we can still be proud of and appreciate where we live. The bathroom is particularly vital, as it is where people generally want to be self-sufficient to preserve dignity and save embarrassment. There are a number of ways bathroom design can be structured to cope with the demands of ageing, with the aim to help people remain in their home for as long as possible. Specially designed and engineered products, combining elevated levels of comfort, ergonomics, user
safety, and longevity, make an important
contribution to this. A sensible room layout and a forward-looking decor are instrumental in maximising the user-friendliness of any home’s most private room.
Above: Smart Comfort bathroom design by Grohe Access
When advising your customers on bathroom choices with the future in mind, think about spacing and product positioning. Avoid narrow access ways, provide sufficient turning space for wheelchairs and walkers, and place basins and WCs in easily accessible spots – for example, a lower wall-hung basin to allow wheelchair access. Cleverly placed grab bars in the toilet and shower area, plus a seat in the bath or shower, can help give people confidence to use the bathroom independently.
Product-wise, think about safety features such as thermostatic shower controls to balance fluctuations in water temperature and pressure, as well as cool- touch technology. This helps reduce the risk of scalds and burns and, as the technology is hidden within the product, the customer can still enjoy a stylish look. Product control is also important. Ease of use and intuitive functionality are imperative, such as levers requiring minimum effort to turn the water flow on and off. Infra-red touchless taps are also a great solution. They also often come with a timer that automatically stops the water after a desired length of time to reduce wastage. These are just entering the residential market, and therefore provide an on-trend solution for the multi-generational bathroom.
84 kbbreview kbb Birmingham Special Edition March 2018
Shower offerings include push-button control systems to easily start and stop the water. Many products allow the user to store their favourite settings, to avoid the process of resetting the perfect temperature and strength of water flow each time. A shower toilet, with its natural, water-only cleansing process and its wide array of customisable functions, also provides a solution for the 4G bathroom. Using advanced technologies to minimise maintenance and cleaning, they offer a perfect combination of thorough body care, ultimate hygiene and personalised comfort. Once considered as a niche luxury, shower toilets are becoming increasingly popular and experienced 7% year-on-year growth in Europe. It is estimated that by 2020 one in 500 homes will have one. Planning a bathroom to meet future needs no longer means compromising on style and design. As the population ages, providing offerings to meet older clients’ needs is more important. Through the variety of products available, retailers can provide their customers with a wide choice to best suit their lifestyle and needs, to help them plan for the future and create a stylish yet functional home suitable for all ages.
It is imperative we prepare our homes to meet the elderly’s needs, so we can remain in them for longer
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