A new Scavolini dealer has opened in Dublin displaying seven kitchens and four bathroom solutions from the Italian brand.
Amid heightened political tensions ahead of Brexit, Scavolini and retailer partner, Vita Italiana, have forged head to open a new showroom in an interior design hub in Ballymount Avenue, close to Dublin’s Fashion City.
“We used to be one of the most important players in the kitchen sector in Ireland. What’s more, Ireland was one of our most important European markets,” said Naldi Vittorio, UK branch manager at Scavolini UK.
- Read more industry news and views about Brexit
“Unfortunately, the recession hit and demand dropped. Fast-forward to today and the market is rocking again. There is a huge interest and demand for Italian design at a competitive price. And Scavolini is the leader in this.
“Our partnership with Vita Italiana is a fantastic way to return to the Irish market. The unique showroom is a design and creative temple in Dublin. With Vita Italiana, we are ready to confirm our position as the number one Italian kitchen company in the world.”
Vita Italiana is housed in co-founder Aaron O’ Grady’s company Vision Creative Studios, which has 30,000sq ft of purpose-built showroom space.
Four living room designs are also currently on display at the venue.
The Italian ambassador to Ireland, Paolo Serpi and Irish radio personality Marty Whelan, attended the launch.
“This is a new promising step forward, which confirms Scavolini’s relentless worldwide expansion process and the importance of Ireland as a market within this,” Scavolini said in a statement.
Scavolini now has 11 retail partners and four scheduled openings next year, the first of which will be in Preston in January.
The brand said sales are up 40% in the UK and is “dramatically” expanding its presence in bathrooms. A new collaboration will launch imminently with bathroom retail chain CP Hart.
- Meanwhile, Irish bathroom manufacturer Sonas Bathrooms is also making preparations to cater for increasing demand from home improvers and the new-build housing sector in Ireland by moving to a bigger distribution centre in January next year.
In what the company said was the largest logistics letting of 2018, Sonas will move to Northwest Business Park in Ballycoolin, Dublin, to a warehouse comprising 12,494sq m.
The move represents significant investment for the business, which said it “has seen exceptional growth over the past number of years”, with private equity firm MML Capital Partners supporting the firm’s expansion. “As construction output in Ireland continues to expand, Sonas is extremely well positioned to service this growth and continue to meet its customer requirements in the RMI, new-house-build and commercial sectors,” the firm said.