COMPANY FOCUS
LAKES SHOWERS CUSTOMERS WITH DISPLAY COMMITMENT
Showering spaces specialist Lakes tells Fiona Russell Horne why it has launched a new charter for customers, focussing on showrooms and displays.
O
nline product research is all well and good, but there are some things that you need
to feel and touch in order to make an informed purchasing decision. Shower enclosures fall into this category.
“Clicks still haven’t replaced bricks,” says Mike Tattam, sales and marketing director of shower enclosure specialists Lakes Showering Spaces. “You buy things with your five senses: what it feels like to touch, to look at, the feel of it, the sound that the door makes when it closes.” That’s why the company has launched the Lakes Customer Commitment Charter which will offer graduated benefits to stockists who in turn commit to support the brand through a comprehensive display and showroom offer.
“Once upon a time, shower enclosures were always sold through showrooms. However, in the past few years, the online channel has grown up and that only means one thing, a race to the bottom. It really does become all about the price,” Tattam says. “So we decided that we wanted to protect our Lakes brand values and at the same time protect that brand value for merchants. Hence our Lakes Partners scheme, which we launched at the end of January.” The key driver for Lakes’ business is selling through merchants. The company doesn’t sell to third party distributors, or online itself or to online-only businesses. “We
have strict criteria; you have to have bricks and blocks showrooms and trade counters because we believe that is the way to trade. But that then has its own challenges,” he continues. The principles of the Charter is to build awareness and demand for Lakes’ merchant partners, along with new service and support initiatives so merchants can build their business profitably. There are four customer category levels in the Charter – Silver, Gold, Diamond and Platinum – which are determined by the percentage of current selling space committed to and sales of Lakes’ products. In return, Lakes commits to providing a range of selling and support tools at each category level. The Charter is designed to match the merchant’s capacity, ambition, activity and commitment, recognising that every stockist is different, with different resources, ambitions and potential. Tattam says: “Why would we want to spend time and effort on things like promotions and joint marketing campaigns if we are the minor brand in one of our customer’s showrooms. Instead, I want to spend my time and money with those customers who are really supporting us.” He adds that, although the primary driver is showroom space, there are levels based on turnover and
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net February 2020
engagement as well, so as not to exclude those merchants without a showroom. “What we want to see is commitment to selling the brand in the best way possible. When we talk about the showroom, we don’t just mean physical space, we mean ‘selling-space’,” he says. “If you are a Silver Partner you will still get access to products and to our marketing support, but it’s the standard marketing package and more importantly, the newest products that we are launching will not be available to those levels. To get access to new products you have to be a Gold Partner or above. You also have to display the products.”
The top level Platinum Partners will have access to bespoke literature, a home delivery service, early release of new products and bespoke point of sale. They will also be at the core of focus groups when the company develops new initiatives and products, because they are going to be the ones who are most engaged with the brand. “For us this is all about
commitment,” Tattam says. “Lots of people talk about partnerships, but all too often these can end up being very prescriptive. We didn’t want to dictate to our customers, we want them to want to do this with us because they can see it is the best way forward for them and their sales of our products.” Tattam says the Lakes Customer Commitment Charter is all about helping the merchant and giving them more control to sell and make the most of selling
opportunities in this sector. Being a stepped approach where both sides are committed and rewarded for that commitment, the important element is that the Charter is categorised by individual merchant customers. “In the past if someone wanted a home delivery to a customer, we would do it. There’d be a charge, but we would do it. Home delivery remains as an optional paid for service, but it will open to Diamond and Platinum Partners only.”
This is not to say that there aren’t significant benefits to be had from being a Silver or Gold Partner as there are opportunities to move up through the categories as business with Lakes develops. “We’re trying to get customers to realise the benefits and the potential of the brand. We want to work with them to help grow their business, to help them move through the ranks, should they wish to,” Tattam says. The graduated categories is also a way of bringing in new customers, not currently selling Lakes products, who wouldn’t want to commit to a full Platinum offer, but who might be interested in a Silver Partnership “This is a system of mutual benefit where both the merchant and Lakes stand to gain because the more the merchant commits, the more Lakes has to commit in return. This is the sort of partnership and customer commitment that will grow with the ambition of the merchant and Lakes is there to support that all the way.” BMJ
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