Missing out on a huge market for accessories?

Soap dishes and toilet brushes may not be the most significant purchases in a bathroom refit but the market is worth millions. Even if you take away sales into hotels, there is still a significant amount of business for home refurbishments. But despite being in a prime position for sales to capitalise on these sales, bathroom retailers and designers may still be losing out.While some bathroom showrooms have focused on the bigger picture of the supply, design and fit, it has allowed department stores, supermarkets (at the lower end of the market) and etailers to capitalise on these small, yet profitable sales. 

Co-ordination and personalisation

But what types of accessories do bathroom retailers and designers need to consider to maximise sales? For top-end bathroom refurbishments, co-ordination with the suite and brassware is key, particularly if the design is based around a vanity unit. Bathroom accessories can also be a statement of personality. And since accessories can be easily refreshed to update a look, consumers can also be experimental with their choice including injections of colour or choice of material.uxe looks are set to be the future trends for bathroom accessories, mixing glamorous metals and materials.

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Display: insitu or boards?

Equipped with the ‘on-trend’ choice of bathroom accessories, industry experts agree bathroom designers and retailers need to put them on display in a showroom to boost their sales. But a frequently discussed topic between retailers is how best to display them in a showroom to maximise sales – should they be featured in the suite layouts or separately on dedicated accessory boards? Arguably the best way is to have accessories as part of the roomsets and on accessory boards. By positioning the boards at areas of purchase or discussion, such as the designers’ desks it not only helps reminds customers but also members of staff not to forget them in the sales process.

Perhaps, rather than seeing bathroom accessories as an add-on, designers and retailers should see them as an integral part of the project. After all, how beautiful will a bathroom project look, if the toilet roll has to be balanced on the cistern or the damp towels hung over the enclosure to make them within easy reach? So, designers and retailers make bathroom accessories among your first additions.

The full article features in the November 2013 issue of Kitchens & Bathrooms News