PROFILE: Victor Paris, Glasgow

01 February 2010

Whether it's top end brands or budget alternatives, Scottish bathroom retail giant Victor Paris has it covered. Gavin Derighetti gives Tim Wallace a tour of its multi-level Glasgow showroom...

Despite being comfortably the biggest bathroom retailer in Scotland, the Victor Paris philosophy remains disarmingly modest.

"We're humble people, not brash," director Gavin Derighetti assures me as he shows me round the company's Glasgow showroom. "We just want to sell bathrooms and make a nice wee living. All we care about is Hibs winning on Saturday and selling good quality bathrooms."

It's an unassuming approach, but the more you talk to Derighetti, the clearer it becomes that Victor Paris has ruthlessly outmuscled its rivals in just about every way possible. For one thing, it has vast multi-level showrooms in both Glasgow and Edinburgh for wha tit calls its "high branded" products. But in 2006, it also launched three Buyrite stores - in Edinburgh, Fife and Broxburn - aimed at the cheaper end of the market.

Then there are the five Bathroom Planet franchises in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Elgin, Stirling and Galashiels. Not bad for a "small family business" that claims it just likes to keep its head down.

"Bathroom Planet is big business in itself," Derighetti admits. "We hold the accounts and they buy from us. Orders are sourced from our own central distribution hub - Europa - and they don't pay until we deliver. It works really well and means they don't need massive storage. People like Ripples have to pay the supplier direct. Here, we pay the supplier, so it takes the burden off them a bit."

Established in 1975 by the now deceased Vincent Derighetti, Victor Paris is run by his four sons - Gavin, md Paul, Mark and Steve. "We employ 98 people, many of them family members," Derighetti laughs. "There's the four brothers, our wives, nephews and nieces, cousins, even uncle Bill..."

Layout

Earlier, I get an interesting insight into how the Glasgow showroom operates. With Derighetti still reportedly fighting his way through the morning rush hour on his way over from Edinburgh, I get time for a good look round. Launched 10 years ago and housed in a former mill on the outskirts of the city centre, the ground floor alone is bigger than most bathroom stores I've visited. However, that turns out to be only a small slice of what's on offer.

"We normally suggest that once people have seen the ground floor they get a lift to the fifth and work theirway down," a salesman advises. "We've got over 150 displays in total and can also offer a full design service."

Each floor offers something a bitdifferent from the last, a handy way to point customers in the right directionas long as they've got a rough idea of what they're looking for. The fifthfloor, for example, houses the new Victor Paris Express section, aimed at thebudget end of the market (there's no Buyrite in Glasgow), but the two floorsbelow offer a much more designer feel.

The displays are all immaculately presented and the list of suppliers includes Duravit, Hans-grohe, Vitra, Jacuzzi, Daryl and Geberit, with furniture from Burg. Tiles are bought directly from top-end manufacturers in Spain and Italy.

However, with such a big store, there's inevitably a slightly unfinished feel in some areas, particularly on the second floor, which is currently being transformed into a wellness section, featuring steam and sauna products.

By now, I've been joined by the amiable Derighetti, who outlines his ultimate vision for the showroom: "On the fifth floor, we want our own-brand stuff, the fourth floor is more upmarket, the third even more upmarket and the second will be the wellness area. We hope it will be the best spa area in the UK. Then on the first floor, we've got a more traditional selection. So you've got a massive showroom, but you can limit the customer to certain areas within seconds.

"We try to create space because space to me is quality," he continues. "We section it to a degree, but it's crazy, because someone will go and get a budget enclosure and then go to the third floor and buy a £3,000 bath."

It always surprises me when stores arrogantly claim that they've decided to do things their way rather than pickup ideas from elsewhere, but Derighetti takes a different approach. "I don't go in a lot of showrooms now because I get recognised," he smiles,"but I look at hotels. I've just been over to the Gleneagles Hotel, for example. You might only pick up one idea but it's worth it. We get a lot of ideas from hotels, trade shows and factory trips."

Although the store is big enough to accommodate a vast range of suppliers, Derighetti is keen to limit this wherever possible. "We don't do a massive number of brands. We show loyalty but it frustrates us when we get stabbed in the back. A lot of suppliers are brand collectors, just so they can quote it. We're not afraid to mix things up a bit and sell Daryl with a Duravit basin or whatever. The only thing we've brought in recently is Burg, because we wanted an upmarket furniture brand. We also now do V&A because freestanding baths were lacking; there are too many cheap plastic imitations around."

Peaks and troughs

Turnover is currently about 4% down year on year at £12m. Average spend at the Glasgow store is about £3,000. On the day of my visit, I have to say the store is incredibly quiet. In fact, I don't see a single customer as I descend through the five floors. However, I'm confidently assured that footfall is improving.

"Because we're not in the city centre, we know if a customer walks in here that they're serious,"

Derighetti says. "We have high targets, but certainly over the past three months it's really picked up. We get good months and bad - massive peaks and troughs. We blame the press!"

A big enemy, he insists, is the internet. "Manufacturers pretend to be sorting it, but they're just pulling the wool over retailers' eyes. They don't give a damn. You just try to get as close to their prices as you can. We like to sell the things that can't be bought on the internet, like wet rooms from Lux Elements."

An even bigger problem is the number of competing products that end up in local budget outlets. "Plumbers merchants are worse than the internet sites," Derighetti complains."They shouldn't stock brands like Daryl, Schneider and Bisque, they should have Ideal Standard and Armitage Shanks. Manufacturers want to have their cake and eat it. It's a massive problem."

He remains tight-lipped on just how well the business is doing, or on its future plans. "You'll have to ask my brother what sort of profits we're making, I haven't got a clue," he claims. "We don't want to encourage the big hitters up here."

But surely there must be a temptation to venture further south as the business grows?

"We do bits and pieces in England, but we don't have any plans for the rest of the UK," he says. "We're happy in Scotland. We're going to open one more Buyrite branch, which will upset a few people, but that's it. We want to remain a small family business and be the best we can be."

Gavin Derighetti on...

Showrooms

"A lot of stores are pleasing on the eye, but they have nothing to sell the consumer. It looks great but the consumer doesn't want it. The supply-and-fit guys aren't selling bathrooms. It's their own glass, their own marble, they build the wet floors themselves, 90% of the furniture is bespoke. So they aren't giving the manufacturers anything, maybe just a wall-hung pan. Everything else is bespoke."

Customer service

"We only close five days a year and are open seven days a week. Not a lot of retailers do that. We have eight sales staff in the Glasgow store and they go on all the manufacturer trips."

Wellness

"We have the space - you're slitting your throat with these products if you don't. When you can touch and feel it and see it working, that's when you'll sell them. We'll even be supplying saunas."

The internet

"These people could be selling your credit card details to anybody. A lot of them are dubious guys with cheap warehouses. What if it goes wrong? And who's making the money? Nobody. They've still got overheads - people answering the phone, delivery, web maintenance. They're using retailers to build their own business and selling boxes."

Installation

"We don't do installation. When you sell quality, the instructions are generally good, the only thing that can go wrong is the tiling. Some fitters are charging outrageous amounts. Four grand to fit a bathroom? I mean, come on!"

The downturn

"Save your money because there's another recession on the way. I always look at things negatively because it keeps you on your toes. The problem with a recession is that people don't plan for it. They go away to Hawaii and they don't invest in their showroom and they're the ones that go under. We invest in the showroom. We don't cut back on displays."

Advertising

We still spend three or four hundred grand on advertising. We've cut back on TV ads, but you need to keep advertising to keep at the forefront."

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PROFILE: Victor Paris, Glasgow	Back
01 February 2010 Whether it's top end brands or budget alternatives, Scottish bathroom retail giant Victor Paris has it covered. Gavin Derighetti gives Tim Wallace a tour of its multi-level Glasgow showroom... Despite being comfortably the biggest bathroom retailer in Scotland, the Victor Paris philosophy remains disarmingly modest. "We're humble people, not brash," director Gavin Derighetti assures me as he shows me round the company's Glasgow showroom. "We just want to sell bathrooms and make a nice wee living. All we care about is Hibs winning on Saturday and selling good quality bathrooms." It's an unassuming approach, but the more you talk to Derighetti, the clearer it becomes that Victor Paris has ruthlessly outmuscled its rivals in just about every way possible. For one thing, it has vast multi-level showrooms in both Glasgow and Edinburgh for wha tit calls its "high branded" products. But in 2006, it also launched three Buyrite stores - in Edinburgh, Fife and Broxburn - aimed at the cheaper end of the market. Then there are the five Bathroom Planet franchises in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Elgin, Stirling and Galashiels. Not bad for a "small family business" that claims it just likes to keep its head down. "Bathroom Planet is big business in itself," Derighetti admits. "We hold the accounts and they buy from us. Orders are sourced from our own central distribution hub - Europa - and they don't pay until we deliver. It works really well and means they don't need massive storage. People like Ripples have to pay the supplier direct. Here, we pay the supplier, so it takes the burden off them a bit." Established in 1975 by the now deceased Vincent Derighetti, Victor Paris is run by his four sons - Gavin, md Paul, Mark and Steve. "We employ 98 people, many of them family members," Derighetti laughs. "There's the four brothers, our wives, nephews and nieces, cousins, even uncle Bill..." Layout Earlier, I get an interesting insight into how the Glasgow showroom operates. With Derighetti still reportedly fighting his way through the morning rush hour on his way over from Edinburgh, I get time for a good look round. Launched 10 years ago and housed in a former mill on the outskirts of the city centre, the ground floor alone is bigger than most bathroom stores I've visited. However, that turns out to be only a small slice of what's on offer. "We normally suggest that once people have seen the ground floor they get a lift to the fifth and work theirway down," a salesman advises. "We've got over 150 displays in total and can also offer a full design service." Each floor offers something a bitdifferent from the last, a handy way to point customers in the right directionas long as they've got a rough idea of what they're looking for. The fifthfloor, for example, houses the new Victor Paris Express section, aimed at thebudget end of the market (there's no Buyrite in Glasgow), but the two floorsbelow offer a much more designer feel. The displays are all immaculately presented and the list of suppliers includes Duravit, Hans-grohe, Vitra, Jacuzzi, Daryl and Geberit, with furniture from Burg. Tiles are bought directly from top-end manufacturers in Spain and Italy. However, with such a big store, there's inevitably a slightly unfinished feel in some areas, particularly on the second floor, which is currently being transformed into a wellness section, featuring steam and sauna products. By now, I've been joined by the amiable Derighetti, who outlines his ultimate vision for the showroom: "On the fifth floor, we want our own-brand stuff, the fourth floor is more upmarket, the third even more upmarket and the second will be the wellness area. We hope it will be the best spa area in the UK. Then on the first floor, we've got a more traditional selection. So you've got a massive showroom, but you can limit the customer to certain areas within seconds. "We try to create space because space to me is quality," he continues. "We section it to a degree, but it's crazy, because someone will go and get a budget enclosure and then go to the third floor and buy a £3,000 bath." It always surprises me when stores arrogantly claim that they've decided to do things their way rather than pickup ideas from elsewhere, but Derighetti takes a different approach. "I don't go in a lot of showrooms now because I get recognised," he smiles,"but I look at hotels. I've just been over to the Gleneagles Hotel, for example. You might only pick up one idea but it's worth it. We get a lot of ideas from hotels, trade shows and factory trips." Although the store is big enough to accommodate a vast range of suppliers, Derighetti is keen to limit this wherever possible. "We don't do a massive number of brands. We show loyalty but it frustrates us when we get stabbed in the back. A lot of suppliers are brand collectors, just so they can quote it. We're not afraid to mix things up a bit and sell Daryl with a Duravit basin or whatever. The only thing we've brought in recently is Burg, because we wanted an upmarket furniture brand. We also now do V&A because freestanding baths were lacking; there are too many cheap plastic imitations around." Peaks and troughs Turnover is currently about 4% down year on year at £12m. Average spend at the Glasgow store is about £3,000. On the day of my visit, I have to say the store is incredibly quiet. In fact, I don't see a single customer as I descend through the five floors. However, I'm confidently assured that footfall is improving. "Because we're not in the city centre, we know if a customer walks in here that they're serious," Derighetti says. "We have high targets, but certainly over the past three months it's really picked up. We get good months and bad - massive peaks and troughs. We blame the press!" A big enemy, he insists, is the internet. "Manufacturers pretend to be sorting it, but they're just pulling the wool over retailers' eyes. They don't give a damn. You just try to get as close to their prices as you can. We like to sell the things that can't be bought on the internet, like wet rooms from Lux Elements." An even bigger problem is the number of competing products that end up in local budget outlets. "Plumbers merchants are worse than the internet sites," Derighetti complains."They shouldn't stock brands like Daryl, Schneider and Bisque, they should have Ideal Standard and Armitage Shanks. Manufacturers want to have their cake and eat it. It's a massive problem." He remains tight-lipped on just how well the business is doing, or on its future plans. "You'll have to ask my brother what sort of profits we're making, I haven't got a clue," he claims. "We don't want to encourage the big hitters up here." But surely there must be a temptation to venture further south as the business grows? "We do bits and pieces in England, but we don't have any plans for the rest of the UK," he says. "We're happy in Scotland. We're going to open one more Buyrite branch, which will upset a few people, but that's it. We want to remain a small family business and be the best we can be." *Gavin Derighetti on...* Showrooms "A lot of stores are pleasing on the eye, but they have nothing to sell the consumer. It looks great but the consumer doesn't want it. The supply-and-fit guys aren't selling bathrooms. It's their own glass, their own marble, they build the wet floors themselves, 90% of the furniture is bespoke. So they aren't giving the manufacturers anything, maybe just a wall-hung pan. Everything else is bespoke." Customer service "We only close five days a year and are open seven days a week. Not a lot of retailers do that. We have eight sales staff in the Glasgow store and they go on all the manufacturer trips." Wellness "We have the space - you're slitting your throat with these products if you don't. When you can touch and feel it and see it working, that's when you'll sell them. We'll even be supplying saunas." The internet "These people could be selling your credit card details to anybody. A lot of them are dubious guys with cheap warehouses. What if it goes wrong? And who's making the money? Nobody. They've still got overheads - people answering the phone, delivery, web maintenance. They're using retailers to build their own business and selling boxes." Installation "We don't do installation. When you sell quality, the instructions are generally good, the only thing that can go wrong is the tiling. Some fitters are charging outrageous amounts. Four grand to fit a bathroom? I mean, come on!" The downturn "Save your money because there's another recession on the way. I always look at things negatively because it keeps you on your toes. The problem with a recession is that people don't plan for it. They go away to Hawaii and they don't invest in their showroom and they're the ones that go under. We invest in the showroom. We don't cut back on displays." Advertising We still spend three or four hundred grand on advertising. We've cut back on TV ads, but you need to keep advertising to keep at the forefront."