NEWS | Round-up
People are funny and as if to prove it our bathroom retailer recalls some of their craziest moments dealing with customers in this regular series
Towel traumas and a severed toe...
IF YOU own, run or work in a showroom that sells bathrooms, you will at some point have been working during a display change or renovation. You can’t see me, but as I type this, I am saluting you in solidarity. The dust, the cold, the noise — isn’t it charming! Hopefully during your showroom update, you didn’t sever a staff member’s toe. We did — well not us technically, but a big mirror that broke. See if you can spot her at the next kbbreview awards, she will be in a floor-length dress sans toe. She would be more than happy to tell you all about it, I’m sure! Talking of staff, one of our youngest designers
recently had to keep a straight face when she discovered the reason her client was so hell-bent on finding out how much weight a bath would take. It was not because she had eaten a little too much over quarantine, but rather
that she had
her son’s and his girlfriend’s
weights
written down and wanted to make sure it would take both of them, as they bathe together. I’m not a parent myself, but even I know that it’s time for that son to move on out!
The older of us in the showroom are a little
thicker-skinned
as a result of a career made up of toilet talk. The oldest loves a good chat about
We love to feature completed client projects on social media. One time, we took a towel off a radiator to roll it up and use it in a nicer position in the room only to find that it had a huge poop smear right down the centre
‘arse-wash’ toilets. But just when you thought we were done with the poop talk… strap in.
Social media is a fantastic tool for marketing and advertising an independent bathroom showroom such as ours. We love it and we use it frequently. We mainly feature photos of completed client projects and we go back to take as many as possible. And when we do go back to completed projects, we never know what to expect. We have clients whose bathrooms look pristine, sparkling beyond belief, but we have others who have just shaved their nether regions or taken a poop seconds before our arrival. It’s a very real problem for us designers in search of the best ‘after’ pics we can get. One time, we took a towel off a radiator to roll it up and use it in a nicer position in the room only to find that it had a huge poop smear right down the centre. Here we all are, concerned that Covid is the biggest
threat to our health, when in fact for us it’s faecal matter from our clients’ dirty towel habits!
10
Schock acquires The 1810 Company
GERMAN QUARTZ sink manufacturer Schock has announced the acquisition of The 1810 Company, one of the UK’s leading kitchen sink, tap and accessory brands.
According to a statement, the deal is for an undisclosed sum and will allow Schock to expand its sales footprint in the UK — a move made possible by the earlier acquisition of Schock by investment firm Triton back in March 2021.
Speaking about the deal, Schock chief executive
Ralf Boberg said: “The 1810
Company’s strong position in the UK market gives us the perfect platform to build on. Its products, ethos and knowledge of the UK market are exemplary, and we are looking forward to working together in the future.” The 1810 Company was founded in 2009 by managing director Gareth Williams. Its offices and warehousing facility are located in Mold, north Wales.
In 2019, the company also invested in a dedicated trade showroom in the Business Design Centre in London’s Islington, in a bid to strengthen its position in the market. Commenting on the acquisition, 1810 Company managing director Gareth Williams said: “I have always had lots of admiration for the originality and strength of the Schock brand and its patent-pending and award-winning recyclable
quartz sink technology. We see
great opportunity in combining the strengths of both brands and our joint compelling product offering, making us a leading supplier of kitchen sinks and taps in the UK. We are very excited about the future and are looking forward to developing both brands to their full potential.” The 1810 Company will continue to operate under the current management team and will market
its product Schock brand.
This is the second acquisition in as many months for Schock. In January, it bought Polish bathroom brand Marmorin.
Founded in 1924, Schock describes itself as the inventor of the quartz composite sink and says it “has been setting new standards in technology and quality in the field for more than 40 years.”
Elliotts opens new £5m showroom BUILDERS MERCHANT Elliotts has
opened a new warehouse in Lymington that incorporates an Elliotts Living Spaces kitchen and bathroom showroom on the first floor.
Elliotts now has 14 builders merchants across the south, but the new £5 million 54,000sq ft site on a two-acre plot on Ricardo Way, Ampress Park, Lymington, features the region’s largest drive-through warehouse. The kitchen and bathroom showroom is on the first floor of the building and is fully accessible with its own dedicated lift for visitors with mobility requirements.
Officially opened last month, the new showroom features 23 bathroom displays and 13 kitchen displays.
Elliotts Living Spaces manager Victoria Anderson told kbbreview that the existing Elliotts Living Spaces showroom in Lymington has closed and transferred to the new building,
which she said was more “light and airy” and gives them more space for displays. She added that Elliotts previously had no merchant presence in Lymington.
Anderson further explained that the new kitchen and bathroom showroom is laid out in a similar way to Ikea with customers being led around a series of room sets. One kitchen display has a utility room and one has a walk-in pantry, while on the bathroom side there is a working Crosswater shower. Brands
featured include Laura Ashley,
Stoneham, Neff, Crosswater, Laufen and Roper Rhodes. Anderson said that there are also displays
of Symphony’s Freedom
accessible kitchen — a first for Elliotts. Speaking of the development, managing director Tom Elliott said: “We’re thrilled to be opening
our brand-new Elliotts branch in
Lymington this spring. Everything from the scale of stock to the layout of the site has been designed with customers in mind. The drive- through concept is all about helping builders get materials to take away as quickly as possible, and we’ll continue to build and improve on what we offer.” The company said it had created 14 new jobs in Lymington as well as an additional apprentice. It has also increased its fleet of delivery vehicles with a £300,000 investment, as well as electric forklifts.
The new site is only the fourth to house an Elliotts Living Spaces showroom.
· May 2022 portfolio alongside the
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