SUPPLIER PROFILE | Clearwater
A selection of taps and sink samples that show the variety of colours available
want to give the retailers something to touch and feel and not just something basic. Sinks and taps can be a hard sell, as there are only so many ways you can talk about quality, but having a tactile product helps the retailer. “We wanted to create all products
with a unique selling point that has a tactile nature. Going from stainless- steel to granite to ceramic sinks to taps to filter taps to boiling taps to sensor taps – we are working our way through the categories and putting our spin on everything to create a hero product, as we want to make that sale for the retailer easier and more interesting.”
Finishes One strong selling point is how
Clearwater sets out to create finishes that coordinate with one another – the sink, the tap and the waste all match. A process that requires a lot of testing and samples to get just right to keep a seamless look. There is a lot of keeping up with the Joneses with finishes at the moment, a lot of new colours that customers are demanding, meaning there always has to be development into new areas. However, Clear- water tries to invent new sinks and taps and be the first to market as a way to break the hamster wheel of trends. Take the twist and spray aerator tap, a
We wanted to create some wow products, not necessarily thinking how many we can sell but how can we create a hero product and create some interest
in the brand Daniel Bolton
totally new idea from Clearwater that solves a consumer problem of needing a different setting on the tap to help wash dishes more efficiently. The aerator is built into the faucet’s design and comes as standard, and the customer is not charged extra. Clearwater doesn’t want to follow trends but make them. “You have to create what the market
wants at the time,” says Hall. “So, we just leave Daniel to his creative side.” Bolton laughs at that. However, that is where he flourishes at the company.
48
Bolton says: “The creative side of the business is where I found my feet.” There are now 154 products at Clearwater across multiple areas. “We are a one-stop-shop for everything – providing it is a sink and a tap,” jokes Hall. “Our desire to not diversify to other avenues has kept that focus on us.” The retailer is always at the forefront of their minds. Although Clear-
water only did a little advertising for many years, the primary way to get in front of customers was through retailers. They rely heavily on retailers, so they know they must give them the best support possible.
This personal touch kept them in good standing in the industry because the classic word-of-mouth and reputation helped fuel their business for many years. But when you rely on your reputation, customer service must be at the top of your agenda. Hall is hyper-aware of this fact, as
he describes: “If something goes wrong, then that is what you are remembered by. But, of course, things will always go wrong sometimes, especially when factors are out of your control, so our ethos is that we want to make things as easy as possible when things go wrong.
“Reacting this way can be to our detriment as we will send out a part free of charge or give someone a discount on a replacement sink. We will keep the experience as painless as possible. That used to be one of our main slogans as we want to build those relationship and have a good level of service.” Practically
speaking, that means
that emails to the company are replied to within the hour and they aim to resolve any support issues within 24 hours.
The quick response helps
people keep the brand in mind. Where is the brand’s focus now, and where will it go?
Hall assesses the current situation: “Now the brand wants to push themselves further. There is more than can be done around marketing, which is a key area for the team. They have set up the foundations and are now looking to put themselves out more.”
The foundations are there for them
to grow. Their warehouses are packed to the brim with stock. The brand has carefully grown stock over the past few years as they knew they needed product options for retailers. As a result, around 90% of the catalogue is always in stock and can be shipped immediately.
Being a distributor of other brands means they also know the market. Sterling already knows precisely what sells – meaning that all the expensive market research for their expansion is already done.
They just have to look through their books to find out what products are the most desirable. Looking to the future, the team do want to expand the Clearwater brand in a sustainable way. There is a lot of passion for the brand that shines through in every detail, from the waste in the sink, and the taps, to the brochure to the POS and how they interact with the retailer.
Bolton sums up: “For us two, Clearwater has been an area of passion for us, to give the best service possible to our retailers, and to raise our level in the industry. All the while hopefully growing.”
• April 2023
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
