Showering manufacturer Aqualisa was shown alongside House of Rohl brands, for the first time in the UK,  since its acquisition by parent company Fortune Brands, at Kbb Birmingham.

Speaking at the show, marketing and innovations director for House of Rohl and Aqualisa James Smith explained how the shower supplier fitted into the portfolio of Perrin & Rowe, Victoria + Albert, Shaws of Darwen and Riobel.

“Aqualisa is a showering brand steeped in smart, digital, connected technology.

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“It’s an amazing acquisition and will really help us in the future, in terms of how we develop both the mass-market side of our business… but I think it will also help us on the luxury side of the business, in House of Rohl, where we will be bringing some of that technology across into the luxury space”, he said.

James Smith added: “It’s a bit of a long-term plan. We’ve had the Aqualisa business for around 18 months, so it’s very early days from that perspective.”

The Aqualisa brand was shown alongside hero launches for Victoria + Albert, including the Seros bath and basin, inspired by a sculptor, and Ledro with a quarter to a third less capacity than a standard bath from the company.

In addition, Perrin & Rowe previewed its Southbank kitchen tap collection, inspired by mid Century design and The Festival of Britain in 1951, and set to launch at The International Bathroom Show in Milan.

James Smith said of the challenging market: “We do know this will pass. We are in a relatively soft market, at the moment, but we know it will come back” and he advised retailers to focus on what they are good at and their point of difference.