COMMENT AND OPINION | Paul Crow


PAUL CROW OPINION


Now that Brexit is a done deal, the Ripples managing director asks whether the bathroom industry is ready for a new normal and hopes sales directors will spend some time getting to know their retail customers better


Ready for a new normal? W


hatever your political viewpoint, I am sure most are relieved to get Brexit over the line as it is never good to go to war on too


many fronts. And it has felt like that, hasn’t it? With


vaccines already being rolled out and the


Covid-19 has changed the bathroom industry forever. The


question is whether the bathroom industry is ready for these changes


European barriers lifted once more, it is right that we cheer a little, but my biggest concern is that it is a sigh of relief that triggers a complacency few can afford. One of the most natural consequences of the pandemic was the change in consumer behaviour. It is not a straightforward transition from ‘high street’ to online. How we and our suppliers set out our stalls to cope with this new world is going to be a test for us all and one I fear not everyone is ready for. We all know that Debenhams didn’t fail because of Covid. It failed 10 years ago when it stopped being anything other than a department store and has been on a life support machine ever since. Likewise, Arcadia didn’t fail because of Debenhams, it failed because it didn’t invest early enough in the areas to match the consumer trend of buying clothes online.


Demand The reality is that 2020 has given everyone a kick in the stomach and regardless of how well pent-up demand served to bring an early fi nancial spring, we must all be mindful of assuming an Indian summer will follow. Whether we are studying what is going on with the economy, the housing market, online retailers or our competitor down the road, Covid-19 has changed the bathroom industry and probably forever. That itself is not the issue, the main question is whether the bathroom industry is ready for these changes.


The fi rst thing most manufacturers wanted to do at the end of 2020 was send out a price increase letter that also mentioned tariffs and surcharges.


I acknowledge that they have not been immune to the challenges and, if anything, as global businesses they have much more serious issues to worry about today than any of


us. Like us, they present a brave and supportive face on the fringes of their communication, but such is the depth of the damage done to some that many will be needing a complete rethink on how they move forward globally, and that does often manifest itself in price increases. Clearly, I don’t run their business, but I do believe it is the


exact opposite of what they should be doing. What was obvious from the past year was that the Ripples team responded best to the individuals or companies that worked the hardest to make it easier for us to buy from them.


Supplier reps The supplier representative was key to this. If you ask Ripples franchisees, they will all agree on the top three or four names that stand out for making a difference to their company, and by this, I mean to their turnover. These were the representatives that always visit the showroom; always look pleased to do so and always answer their phone and get things done. And unlike most of their sales directors they know what our showroom looks like. There are too many sales


directors that


remain a


mystery to our franchisees and I fear that many are out of touch with what is happening within their customer base. That should be a concern for them, too. While this view might provoke and even annoy some, it is stated against the contrast of those sales directors I can also say the exact opposite about. A few are always visiting Ripples, always on the phone and always wanting to do more. They understand the importance of spreadsheets, but use their ears to infl uence them and put their effort into the areas that infl uence us best too. They are the same people who demand more, get more, and lead their sales team by example. If 2020 has saved some money on management fuel bills, I would hope and expect this to be the opposite this year, and they can start with the simple question of ‘how can we help?’ They will be very welcome in all our showrooms as I am sure they will be in yours.


Ruby, Ruby, Ruby! On a lighter note, Nicola and I made our fi rst leap into dog ownership during the second lockdown and our lives, as well as our house, were turned a little upside down. Ruby, our little Cavachon, has made several guest appearances


on Teams and helped keep a busy


household sane. Likewise, she has certainly benefi ted from more working from home and will take some persuasion I’m sure to go to work post-lockdown.


14 · February 2021


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