Bathroom Brands | ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
PARTNERSHIP T
TRUST AND
The Bathroom Brands Group is in the middle of its biggest National Sale to date, demonstrating its continuing and significant commitment to its network of independent retail partners
he Bathroom Brands National Sale has become one of the biggest dates in the KBB industry calendar and, now in its
ninth year, the 2021 flagship event is bigger and better than ever. But while it’s a hugely significant period for Bathroom Brands Group and its customers in terms of intensive focus, for CEO Stephen Ewer the motivations for the sale go much deeper and it illustrates perfectly the company’s core principles. “Our independent retail partners are our heartland,” he explains. “And the National Sale is the time in the year where we can really demonstrate just what that means to us in the most practical way possible. “But the work and commitment that goes into the National Sale doesn’t begin and end there. The principle of constantly supporting our partners underpins our approach to the market all year round and the sale is just one example of that.” There’s
no disguising the fact,
however, that this year’s National Sale is a considerable undertaking and a massive strategic demonstration of intent for the Bathroom Brands Group. And it’s undoubtedly worked – there are record levels of meaningful retailer participation, but in truth it’s not hard to see why. The sale has the biggest ever product assortment across all its brands with focused messaging on complete bathroom solutions. Equally, the sale features both the
We constantly seek to be seen as a long- term, trusted partner for our retailers – and that’s not just a
we act on every day Stephen Ewer, CEO, Bathroom Brands Group
latest, recently-launched ranges as well as the greatest tried and tested ranges and colours too. The marketing is equally impressive. It’s the group’s biggest ever digital consumer campaign, largely done through social media, and it has partnered with several influencers to drive greater consumer reach. And it’s all underpinned with clear calls to action that drive those highly-engaged consumers to their local independent retailer.
Commitment
The 2021 National Sale comes at a time of enormous change for the bathroom industry following the upheaval of the Covid lockdowns. However, that commitment to its retail partners has never really let up, despite that uncertainty. The momentum Bathroom Brands Group has built up has seen them continue with a hugely impressive programme of support, training, POS, brand building and product development throughout the past couple of years – a programme that, Ewer says, will not only continue but grow into 2022 and beyond. “In many ways, the past 18 months have really
driven home to us more than ever that, in order for us to be successful, we must do everything we can to help our retailers be successful,” he says. “We must
November 2021 · slogan, but something
continue to prove via our actions as well as our words that our commitment and support is very real and tangible. We must constantly seek to be seen as a genuine, long-term, trusted partner for our retailers – and that two-way relationship is not just a corporate slogan, but something we act upon every single day and it is a vital factor in every decision we make.” This clear strategic vision has had some practical wins for the group and its retailers. A revitalisation of Burlington has been hugely successful, subtly shifting the direction of the ‘traditional’ brand to become less about reproduction and more about reinterpretation – using clear references to the past, while updating them to appeal to a more modern sensibility. This is encapsulated by the Riviera Collection – a complete suite of furniture, ceramics, and brassware inspired by the design freedom and fashion of Europe in the 1920s, designed in collaboration with UK design group Christian Booth Design. There is a new strategic direction for the company’s premium contemporary collec- tions, with the Simpsons and Bauhaus names, both very successful for many years, folded together under the one Crosswater brand – a move driven by the company’s ethos to give customers complete
solutions rather than individual brands. And with emerging brand Britton, the group aims to get closer to the ‘Gen Y’ under-40s, focused on early homeowner refurbishment with a key message that they don’t need to sacrifice design for affordability. “For me,” Ewer says, “it’s all about momentum. Building up clear visions for what you want, and what we’ve achieved through the past 18 months has been something I’m so proud of – but it’s all done to give our retail partners choice and opportunities
to create
something stunning for their customers. They’re the ones that own that relationship and our role is to make their job as easy and enjoyable as possible.” Ewer also believes that this means Bathroom Brands Group has a responsibility to look to the future and anticipate the direction consumers are going when they source their dream bathroom. “We must be clear about strategic directions that we feel will ultimately lead to wins for our retailers,” he says. “For example, we have been clear about our views on supporting the online consumer journey when they are doing their research and we want to position ourselves to be very present and highly visible at that point. “So, we are developing initiatives that will support today’s independent retailers who are entering the
online world and we want to be as much a long-term trusted partner in that arena as any other.” The ability of Bathroom Brands Group to tell a very clear success story through the upheaval of the lockdowns is a testament to Ewer and the foundations of the company he joined not long before. Strong vision and a commitment to retailers sounds simple, but it’s hard to pull off – especially for a company this size. But even though it’s still running, Ewer sees this year’s National Sale as a huge success and indicative of something more fundamental. “The National Sale is about engagement,” he says. “And we have that from our retailers more than ever before, and that’s fantastic. But it’s also about our pledge to drive engaged consumers to their door and we’ve invested more than ever in that too. And that’s a perfect illustration of proving what we believe in by our actions and that will always lead to mutual trust between true partners.”
www.bathroombrands.com 0345 8738840
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