INDUSTRY VIEWS INDUSTRY
Comment by Vicki Richmond, Marketing Director, CDUK
The Smart Bathroom – not just for ‘tech heads’
Designer training to unlock material’s full potential
“Once designers come to advise customers on the best surface materials for their kitchen, starting the selection process can be daunting as they are presented with a sea of choices. Interactive training helps designers navigate these waters, giving them a deeper understanding of materials, their unique benefits, and how to provide their clients with the best advice to unlock the material's full design potential. These should be designed to support kitchen designers to own the highest level of expertise when designing beautiful kitchens with a specific surface. We can then take it a step further by advising which complementary products, such as sinks and taps, can enhance their designs and make them stand out both aesthetically and functionally. Training is the key to equipping kitchen designers with all the tools needed to design effectively with our solutions, to ensure a smooth design journey, and ultimately to deliver outstanding kitchens.”
There is an old trope that high technology products are more complicated to interact with, and only suitable for the technically minded. Over time, this has been consistently disproved in the home with the likes of smart/connected thermostats, energy meters, lighting and voice-controlled speakers being increasingly accepted and adopted. Consumers are realising that great technology, applied in the correct way, actually makes things easier and more convenient. Furthermore, they find that they have greater control over their homes and better information to hand. The benefits that smart showers and other bathroom products can bring to homeowners are very much aligned. Remote precision control, personalisation of experience and great data and analytics are readily accessible features. With the cost of bills increasing, and water saving being more of a consideration, having more visibility and control over bathroom water consumption will become more of a priority for consumers, and one that can be met with smart technology.
Comment by Joe Brawn Head of Product Management, Aqualisa
VIEWS
Buying once, buying well
At a time when consumers are more hesitant of spending on larger ticket items, retailers need to be armed with a greater understanding on the long-term benefits that investing in more premium appliances can have, despite the up-front cost. It has never been more important to adopt the buy once, buy well mentality.
When it comes to appliances, it is no different. Consumers must be guided to choose products that have a long lifecycle and that deliver optimum performance until the end. Too many cheap white goods are discarded after a comparatively short time given
poor quality technology and inadequate manufacturing, leading to disgruntled customers and heavily contributing to a growing environmental crisis. Appliances that can offer smarter functionalities, cost efficiencies and energy-saving benefits whilst facilitating a more sustainable lifestyle must be prioritised by retailers.
Comment by Hugo Prado, UK Senior Marketing Manager, Liebherr
BKU MARCH 2023 7
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