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SHOW PREVIEW | kbb Birmingham
‘A positive challenge’
Theresa Turner, marketing director, ArtiCAD
Q & A
Q: How’s business compared with last year? A: ArtiCAD had the most successful year in the company’s history last year in terms of sales turnover, product innovation, team
enhancement and collaboration. We benefited
enormously from changes in our specific software marketplace, whereby retailers and manufacturers were seeking a dependable software partner able to provide a high-quality, single sales lead generation to post-installation solution for kitchens and bedrooms and bathrooms. This year has started much more strongly than we had anticipated, with inbound UK sales leads up by over 60%, compared with January 2023. Customers have reported that showroom footfall slowed in November, but for many it recovered in December and January has started well.
Q: What are the main challenges facing your sector and how are you tackling them? A: It’s fair to say that our sector has been facing turmoil over the past year, as suppliers restructure and changes impact their customers, in some cases catastrophically. We have been busy recruiting additional resources and upskilling our great team to thrive under sharply increased demand but this is, of course, a very positive challenge. The pace of our own software devel opment and catalogue production has also increased dramatically to ensure we can satisfy the influx of new customers but this innovation will also benefit all of our customers, new and existing.
Armac Martin Stand: L115
Luxury brass hardware and accessories manufacturer, Armac Martin, will be unveiling its latest collections of luxury brass cabinet hardware and accessories at this year’s kbb show. Showcasing its most popular solid brass hardware and accessories collections, the manufacturer will be debuting its range of luxury bathroom accessories, in addition to its first collection of sockets and switches. The highlights of the show will include what Armac Martin describes as its most decadent collection yet, Cocktail, which reimagines sophisticated glassware silhouettes and details to form a trio of indulgent design stories. Two years in the making, Cocktail is inspired by the cocktail district of the brand’s home town of Birmingham.
Q: How do you think the relationship between supplier and retailer is changing? A: I think that retailers increasingly recognise the benefits in forging ever-closer relationships with their chosen supplier partners and suppliers are investing in more initiatives to support their retail customers and to prevent a repeat of the supply issues that plagued the market in recent years. At ArtiCAD. we’re developing technologies for a number of suppliers, that are designed to directly benefit their retail channel partners, while the benefits for the supplier are less direct. There are many more examples.
ArtiCAD Stand: N60
Among many innovations to be revealed, ArtiCAD will be showing new versions of its ArtiCAD-Pro, BathCAD and BedCAD design, pricing and management software. In addition, ArtiVR – ArtiCAD’s “ultra- high-quality yet affordable” virtual reality (VR) software – will feature strongly on the stand, where visitors can experience continuous live presentations, both on screen and via the Meta Quest 3 headset. The brand will also showcase new KBBConnect features, and there will be examples of ArtiCAD’s custom web tech, including room planners, visualisers and configurators (all integrated with the design, pricing and management software) alongside examples from the company’s CGI and animation production team.
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