INDUSTRY UPDATE THE IPG Supporting Independents
Cyncly welcomes Giesela Hawthorne-Slater as Product Manager for Bathrooms EMEA
The IPG App: More Reasons to Keep Coming Back
S
trong customer relationships are built through regular contact, helpful service and reasons to return. The IPG
App for Trades is designed to support those relationships, giving tradespeople something extra when they visit participating independent merchants and showrooms. For an app to remain relevant, there needs to be a reason to keep
engaging. Through its programme of supplier-backed prize draws and exclusive offers, The IPG App gives members opportunities to connect with customers, both digitally and at the counter. October brings another varied selection of prizes. A Center Parcs break
for four continues from September, alongside the chance to win £200 cash. There is also a console prize, with the winner choosing between an Xbox Series X Digital Edition and a PS5 Slim Digital Edition. From time away together to entertainment at home, the line-up
offers different reasons for tradespeople to get involved. Crucially, this activity remains connected to visits to participating independent members of The IPG, keeping the relationship with the local merchant or showroom at its heart. For members, each new prize provides something to talk about.
A conversation in store, a social media post or an email can introduce customers to the app and remind existing users to explore what is available. The aim is not simply to generate downloads, but to create ongoing engagement that supports repeat visits. Suppliers also have a role to play. By backing prizes, they gain visibility
among tradespeople while supporting the independent businesses that bring their products to market. The app does not replace the knowledge, availability and personal
service that customers value. It adds another reason to stay connected. For The IPG, that is the bigger opportunity: using digital tools to support
relationships in the real world, helping independent members remain part of their customers’ routines and giving the trade more reasons to keep coming back.
Search for "The IPG App" on the Apple App Store and Google Play today!
Nike Lovell, Marketing and Operations Director, The IPG. ▶
www.the-ipg.co.uk
40 BKU OCTOBER 2026
Manager, bringing around 16 years of experience across the kitchen, bathroom and furniture industry. Giesela joins Cyncly with a broad background spanning product
C
management, design technology, retail, commercial operations and customer experience. Her career has provided first-hand insight into the role technology plays throughout the design-to-installation journey and how decisions made at the design stage connect with pricing, quotation, ordering, supply and installation. Beginning her career in informatics and project management, Giesela later
moved into the CAD software industry, where she entered product management. She subsequently held roles across design and commercial teams, developing an understanding of the different priorities shaping the KBB customer journey, from designers seeking creativity and speed to commercial and operational teams requiring accuracy and dependable information. Most recently, Giesela brought these perspectives together during her time
at John Lewis, where her responsibilities extended beyond CAD to encompass the wider customer journey and its connections across design, commercial and operational teams, suppliers, installers and customers. Her experience also included selecting and implementing design technology, including Winner and InnoPlus, followed by the transition from Fusion to Winner. “Selecting the right technology is only the beginning,” said Giesela
Hawthorne-Slater, Product Manager for Bathrooms EMEA at Cyncly. “The real value comes from how effectively that technology fits into the organisation and connects the different stages of the customer journey. “I’m excited to bring my experience to Cyncly and work closely with
customers and teams across EMEA to understand their challenges, identify where we can create the greatest value and help shape products that support the realities of the bathroom industry.” Her appointment reinforces Cyncly’s commitment to developing
technology around the real-world needs of bathroom businesses and connecting the journey from inspiration and design through to commercial execution and installation.
▶
www.cyncly.com
yncly has strengthened its Bathrooms EMEA team with the appointment of Giesela Hawthorne-Slater as Product
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