THE KBBREVIEW INTERVIEW | Dave Barber, Ideal Standard


for change W


A time


For Ideal Standard International the pandemic was a catalyst for reflection and change. Dave Barber, Ideal Standard UK, MD talks to Rebecca Nottingham about the latest developments at the brand and what it all means for retailers


ithout doubt, the past year has tested us all at every level of our personal and working lives. So much so that even global giants like Ideal Standard weren’t immune to the disruptions and challenges the pandemic threw at us. To secure its short- and long-term future, like many businesses, Covid forced the brand to review its global strategy. With the scale of a business like Ideal Standard International, this inevitably brought about some changes. As part of that review, it forged ahead with the global launch of its new ‘landmark’ Atelier Collections. However,


this has also led to the


streamlining of its global brand portfolio in some areas, which, for the UK specifically, resulted in the decision to withdraw the Sottini brand from the market. Dave Barber, managing director of Ideal Standard UK, who, let’s not forget, only took on the role a month into the first national lockdown, explains how he is implementing the new strategy, what it all means for the brand and, most importantly, the retailers in the UK.


Conca bath from the new Atelier Collections


42


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