Designers and retailers must consider accessories as a valuable and essential fixture of a bathroom sale.

Although high street bathroom showrooms are well-renowned for offering a one-stop shop for design, fit and installation, it still seems part of the sale can still be overlooked – accessories. In fact, it could be argued they are left as an afterthought, allowing consumers to purchase from elsewhere, whether that’s a department store, DIY chain or online. Despite two years, after we reported bathroom showrooms could be missing out on accessory sales, director of Bathroom Origins Sofia Charalambous says the situation remains, stating: “Bathroom retailers could do more in accessory sales, instead of leaving them to department stores and online. It’s a conversation I have with showrooms very often. I get the feeling from many of my conversations with them that selling bathroom accessories is seen as a hassle.” And the importance of bathroom accessory sales is evident when marketing manager of VitrA Margaret Talbot comments: “Based on research shown by Construct UK, quality accessories are the second fastest-growing area in the bathroom industry subsequent to baths and sanitaryware.”

Essential role

Bathroom accessories can in fact make or break a fully-functioning bathroom. They are certainly not an added extra. Consider a bathroom where the towel is not within easy reach of the shower, the dressing gown has nowhere to hang and toothbrushes clutter the basin.  In fact, the need for bathroom accessories has remained a constant. Sarah Evans, head of channel marketing – trade at Hangrohe, explains “the necessities stay the same and this is reflected in sales with toilet roll holder, soap dish and towel rail or ring being among the most popular items.” And product designer at Roper Rhodes, Joe Stephens agrees: “The must-have accessories for a bathroom are a toilet roll holder, toothbrush holder, towel rail and towel ring. Robe hooks are also fairly high on the essential bathroom accessory shopping list.”

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Aiding accessiblity

However, with a growing elderly population there is also room for additional accessory sales which can aid mobility around the bathroom or accessibility into the bath or shower. Sofia Charalambous of Bathroom Origins agrees: “Designers and retailers should definitely pay more attention to accessories that can make a bathroom more inclusive, such as grab rails, especially as designs are now so stylish and no longer scream clinical. A customer may not have considered these items, so for the designer to suggest the importance of them as part of a bathroom renovation will only lead to an increase in sales.”

Marketing manager at Frontline Bathrooms Emma Gaskall points out including seating is key for an inclusive bathroom: “A key solution for multi-generational bathrooms, particularly if used by elderly members of the family are shower seats such as our Aqua Model which can provide both comfort and safety benefits.” And such is the importance of accessory design to inclusivity, Victoria + Albert is looking at extending its accessory line to improve accessibility. Marketing director at Victoria + Albert Jonathan Carter explains: “We developed our own premium brass grab handle that can be retrofitted in bespoke locations to the majority of our bathtubs. This came in support from universal demand from around the world. The feedback and interest continues to come in loud and clear, so not resting on our laurels we are also working on a couple of more comprehensive solutions to make bath accessibility both effective and aesthetically pleasing.”

Finish variety

Aside from the change in consumer demographics, influencing accessory design, comes a wider variety of finishes. Designed to co-ordinate with taps and showers, chrome is not the only option available to high street showrooms and their customers. Instead, the latest brassware decors are now influencing bathroom accessories. Clive Griffiths of Grange Design points out: “Consumer trends err more towards atypical finishes such as dark matt and industrial or polished metallic styles, these days, as a great way to create that fundamental ‘wow factor’. Such diversity has welcomed new antiqued and burnished finishes that are competing with the more readily available, chrome-plated options we’re all used to and this is evident across the bathroom accessory market too.”

Showroom experience

And the best way to show the variety of accessory finishes are to include them as an integral part of a showroom’s display. Grohe UK product manager Michael Gray continues: “It is important for a customer to get a sense of how their own bathroom might look when visiting a showroom. This also includes accessories, as customers want to see what their entire bathroom might look like before purchasing and to ensure a matching design.” And, Jonathan Carter explains, by having accessories in the showroom – such as its backrests – allows users to ‘try and test’ the benefit: “This really is where consumers only get to experience the real benefit of the product through trying it out – a great example of where bricks and mortar showrooms are an absolutely invaluable element to business success.

In fact, such is the importance of displaying accessories in a showroom; marketing manager of Utopia Sam Ball says designers and retailers must include them both in roomsets and display boards. She continues: “Accessories take up little space and enhance the overall showroom appearance…Not only should the accessories be featured in each display setting but display boards presenting the whole range, at a glance, should be readily available.”

Mindset change

However, being successful with accessory sales is not simply about introducing the notion of a towel ring and having it on show. Industry experts agree that a change in mindset, from considering the accessory sale as an annoying extra to an essential part of the bathroom. “Bathroom retailers need to view bathroom accessories as essential to finishing the bathroom, not just as finishing touches. By thinking of them as essential implies that a bathroom is not complete until these have been fitted and therefore adjust the way they promote the sale of them”, says Sofia Charalambous.

Ultimately, it mean designers and retailers need to include accessories as part of the sale and quote them into a project at the beginning. It then leaves it up to the consumer to take them off the bathroom specification if not required. Jo Stephens of Roper Rhodes comments: “Make sure bathroom accessories are included in the design and quote right from the beginning so that they aren’t viewed as add-on items that could be bought at a later day.” And sales director at Perrin & Rowe, David Cole agrees, adding if designers and retailers quoted them in the project, at the offset, they would sell more accessories and at a higher value. “Premium bathroom showrooms do this as standard”, he explains “But I’m amazed at how many retailers and designers still subconsciously omit to plan in accessories at the point of sale.”

So take another look at the market for accessories to capitalise on sales. Don’t consider them as optional dressing but as a vital part of bathroom design. Ensure accessories are at front of mind for the consumer in displays and part of a design team’s mindset when designing a bathroom project. All of which should see accessory sales clawed back from DIY and department stores and online retailers and higher value, more profitable projects which work better for customers.