Jon Walker, head of marketing at parent company Roxor Group, discusses BC Designs’ rebrand, its development into a full bathroom collection, and retail strategy.

Q: How is business at BC Designs?

A: We’re seeing growth. Sales are now on part with last year and that’s a trend we’ve seen since COVID.

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We’ve averaged double digit growth over the past three or four years. We’re in a good place. But we always want more.

Business is harder to win. I know other suppliers in the industry are saying they are down on last year, so the fact we’re up is a good sign, but it’s competitive out there.

Q: What has made you so successful in such a challenging market?

A: I think it’s because we control a lot of our supply chain. We manufacture a lot of products and we’re able to hold good levels of stock.

Customers don’t have to wait for their order. That is key.

Q: So, the question must be, why have you felt the need to rebrand BC Designs?

A: If you stand still, you’re not going to continue to grow. At Roxor Group, we’re always trying to evolve our brands.

The BC Designs brand had been as it was for some time, and the fact we’re aiming to grow that brand, we felt it the time was right for it to be brought more up-to-date.

Q: What was your design brief to agency Fresh Britain, who created the visual identity?

A: We talked to them about the heritage of the brand, where it had been, where it was now, and where we want it to go.  We wanted to expand the reach for the brand.

We wanted them to look at what other luxury brands were doing, in all kinds of industries.

We asked people inside and outside of the organisation to talk to Fresh Britain about what they thought was the real strength of our brand and how it could develop.

We asked Fresh Britain what should this brand be now and how can we portray this to consumers?

Q: And what did you want to get across to your trade customers?

A: The big message was the bath as the centrepiece of any bathroom design, with everything designed around it for a luxury feel.

Using the brand’s initials, we wanted to promote being British and created the tagline British Centrepiece.

We also wanted to get across how our products are manufactured with care, and can be made bespoke or Beautifully Crafted.

Q: What has been the reaction from your retailers?

A: It has been positive. They like the look and feel of what we’ve done.

They like the new brochure and find it easier to talk through with their customers.

They like the new products that have been added into the portfolio, with the new BC Designs brand etched on to brassware, which adds value to the product and help sells it.

Our sales team have talked to our retailers about the story behind the rebrand, what it stands for and the messages we want to get across, so that they can communicate that to their customers.

Q: Coinciding with the rebrand, you have launched new products to “strengthen the portfolio”, so could you tell us about them?

The furniture category saw the addition of two new ranges of furniture. There were also some additional ceramic products and a brassware range.

They all have a more modern look than the traditional offer associated with BC Designs.

We call them transitional, in that they wouldn’t look out of place in a traditional bathroom.

It gives the option to provide different looks to consumers, creating a broader appeal.

Although we want the bath to be the centrepiece of bathroom design, we also want to be known for more than just the bath. We will continue to expand our product portfolio.

Q: BC Designs invested £250,000 into manufacturing, last year, so has that continued?

A: There’s been a lot of investment and most recently it has been in furniture production.

There’s been investment into renewable energy, including biomass technology, and warehousing and logistics, so we can accommodate all the extra stock and get it out to retailers quickly.

Q: How does being part of the Roxor Group inform product introductions for BC Designs?

A: We have a robust new product development process and we are always talking about bringing new products to market.

Other brands in the Roxor Group do have a full offer, so we have experience in other categories.

We are able to see where growth is coming from to help us work out which product categories we should be working on, first, for the biggest sales impact.

But we also talk to customers. We know they think of us for the bath and might go to another manufacturer for furniture.

We want to give those customers more options and be able to get the full bathroom from BC Designs.

Q: When can we expect to see BC Designs transform into a complete bathroom offer?

A: We are well on the way to having the complete range in place now, and new product development over the next couple of years will see us achieve the goal.

I would say, we will have a complete bathroom offer in the near future.

Q: How are you supporting retailers for the rest of the year and into next?

A: Going forward, we see the rebrand and new product development program helping retailers.

The biggest request from retailers has been help with displays. One size doesn’t fit all, so we’re offering a tailored display program with key partners to help them sell their products.

Our sales team is working with them on the best products to show, how best to display them, and how can we work as a partnership to give them what they need.

Online we have a showroom locator and design tool that are great helps for retailers.

Consumer can pull together a bathroom design with BC Designs products or retailers can sit down with a customer and use our design tool to design their bathroom in front of them.

We’re also investing in PR, on social media, and working with influencers, to bring the name to a wider audience, and so consumers ask for the BC Designs brand.

We’ve also exhibited at shows that we’ve never done before to promote the name to installers and interior designers.

We exhibited at The InstallerSHOW and Decorex this year, hopefully generating noise, sparking conversations and driving people into store

Q: What will be the greatest challenges and opportunities for BC Designs?

A:  I think the biggest challenge is the macro challenges of the industry, with declining footfall and reduced consumer spend.

In the short term, the slowdown in house building is a challenge because we see our products going into luxury housing. This will remain a challenge for the rest of this year, at least

However, driving people back into retailers is a huge opportunity.

The rebrand itself is an opportunity offering new products and promoting our brand to consumers, installers and interior designers.