RAINWATER MANAGEMENT
BATHROOM & SHOWERS
STANDING UP TO SHOWER ROOM SALES
Showering is bigger business than ever, as householders and developers alike take advantage of new products - whether enclosures, wall panels or even wet- rooms - to enhance their bathrooms. BMJ investigates the profit opportunities for merchants.
E
veryday objects from cars to mobile phones keep on getting better, and today’s consumer has realistically high expectations of performance and quality. When we choose a product, we combine our conscious ‘rational’ decisions with subconscious sensory judgements of quality from subtle signals that asses how it looks and feels.
That’s according to Mike Tattam, sales and marketing director at Lakes Showering Spaces. “Quality is important because a showering space is more than a place to get clean” he says. “It’s a place to unwind and refresh, a time and space for you, a sanctuary from the world.”
When displaying showering spaces in a merchant or retail showroom, it’s easy to focus on the shower unit and hardware because they catch the eye, he continues, adding that it’s important to consider the whole customer experience.
“From walking into the showroom, the setting, lighting and surrounding space, to reaching for the handle and opening the door, stepping onto the shower tray, and looking at or through the glass – the whole experience must feel quality.”
Questions that merchants should be asking as they view their showroom product are: Is it solid and secure? Do the doors wobble or clang when shut? Is the glass and hardware clean? Scratch, and damage-free? Tattam says: “We have five senses – sight, sound, smell, touch and taste – and without instruction the first four will tell us whether a product says quality or not.”
He say that the top three ‘invisible’ factors that promote feelings of quality are: glass, the shower tray and the details.
“A showering space is mostly glass. If it’s smeared, scratched, dusty or watermarked, it will hit customers’ perceptions of quality. So, Lakes Glass comes with AllClear® as standard. It’s a stay-clean long-life coating technology that ensures that water, limescale and soap scum slide off the glass. No scrubbing or harsh chemical cleaners are required - a simple wipe
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with a damp cloth keeps it looking beautiful. Glass coated with AllClear is 10 times more scratch and impact resistant than standard glass – so it’s perfect for families with young children, or showrooms where people walk past with bags and objects that could scratch the surface.”
Tattam says that the quality of the glass adds a huge amount to the showering experience, and that customers expect to see clear sparkling glass. “When they look through it in their home, they don’t want to be surprised to see their walls and fittings tinged with green, because standard glass has a green hue. That’s why Lakes Glass has PureVueHD as standard, so they can see their bathroom in its true colours.“
Most people don’t give the floor a thought when looking at a shower, but Tattam points out that the quality of shower tray reflects on the showering space. “Questions to ask are: does it wobble, dip or creak when you stand on it? Is it slippery? Is there a big step to get in? We may not consciously think about it, but our feet have a vote. Whatever the judgments from our eyes, ears, hands and brain, our feet chip in to adjust our rating of the whole showering space.”
Quality stone resin shower trays for example are low profile, anti-slip, and anti-bacterial. He says: “They feel solid, safe, and look great. They have a natural quality look and feel, adding to the spa-at-home experience shower customers love.”
Designed for Life
Settings matter, Tattam says. “Do your showering spaces look right in the display space? Are they lit well? Your eyes are drawn to quality hardware and your hands instinctively reach for the handle. If it’s comfortable and solid with a pleasing shape it says quality. Make sure handles are fitted correctly so they feel sturdy. Check that doors close smoothly and quietly. If anything feels loose or ill-fitting, the customer may not say anything, but they’ll question the quality,
whatever the price.
People love the showering experience – it’s a pick me up concentrated into 5-10 blissful minutes. But the sense of sanctuary and well- being is quickly eroded if the space doesn’t work. The way a showering space feels tells us if it’s quality. And if it’s not – because the glass is smeared with limescale and has lost its sparkle, the tray is slippery or the handle rattles and door judders - we react with disappointment to the letdown.
Think about the showering space holistically. Make sure every feature enhances the experience, and you’ll communicate the quality assurance today’s customers demand. BMJ
Continued on page 34
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net March 2019
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