Rangemaster has signed an agreement to become the exclusive partner in the UK for Schock granite sinks from Germany.
The Schock by Rangemaster range comprises two collections – Cristadur and Cristalite – which includes 14 designs and over 250 SKUs. The material is hard-wearing with antibacterial properties and all the sinks are sold with a 25-year warranty.
The new granite sinks offering will sit alongside Rangemaster’s existing range of stainless steel and fireclay sinks and kitchen taps.
German sink manufacturer Schock lays claim to having invented the granite sink and was founded by the three Schock brothers in 1924.
Speaking exclusively to kbbreview about the landmark deal, Rangemaster sales director James Cunningham (pictured) said: “I am very excited. The product range we have agreed with them is significant. I think it is the largest granite sink offer available today. Their colours and designs are exceptional, very on-trend. The materials under the Schock brand, Cristalite and Cristadur, have fantastic properties and consumers are already approaching us to ask where they can buy the sinks. We are having to open up new accounts to fulfil demand.
“We are the exclusive distributor of Schock-branded products in the UK market. We wanted to make more of a splash so that it lifts our own profile and that of Schock and we are intending to put quite a lot of marketing activity behind it to raise awareness of our partnership alongside the vast collection of product on offer.
“They will be called Schock by Rangemaster. It’s a Schock-branded sink and they are all made in Germany. We as a business are the exclusive partner for Schock and we will be selling it under a watertight agreement into the UK market. It is a full portfolio.”
Cunningham told kbbreview: “There is definite room for growth in the sector. In the overall market for granite sinks, we are selling thousands, but I would like to be selling tens of thousands. I think it is a range that retailers and consumers will go for and there is very much a trend for coloured sinks at the moment.”
He said that Rangemaster is talking to a number of retailers interested in taking on the Schock by Rangemaster portfolio.
Cunningham told kbbreview: “We are talking with a number of existing customers alongside new customers and the number of retailers is going to grow rapidly. We are expecting 2021 to be the real start of our journey. The feedback we have had has been very positive and I am convinced we will be able to drive granite sinks sales into the UK market – (a) because of the brand and (b) because of the popularity of the material
“We also deal with some distributors in the UK and they in turn will stock our range of Schock products, which will allow retailers to buy through them. We are talking to a number of new distributors at the moment. For our larger retail customers, who have accounts and who can take stock, they would buy direct from us.”
Commenting the deal, Schock region manager Christopher Taylor said: “Rangemaster is highly experienced in sinks and has created a very well-known brand with UK consumers. We have been partners for several years and are pleased to take our partnership to the next level. I am confident that Rangemaster’s highly professional sales structure will be the perfect platform for our premium product range and deliver added value to our trade and retail customers.”
In terms of growth in the sinks and taps market, Cunningham said: “Up until three years ago, the sinks and taps business was very static. Now that we as a team are giving it some focus, we are starting to see some change. We saw single-digit growth in 2018, in 2019 we saw double-digit growth and we are definitely seeing significant double-digit growth in Q3 and forecast the same for Q4 2020. There is a continued upward curve in this part of the business.”
In a company statement, Cunningham described Rangemaster as offering “the ultimate one-stop-shop for sinks and taps”
He told kbbreview: “We are going to be in a position where arguably we will be offering one of the largest, if not the largest, granite sinks ranges in the UK market, which will push Schock’s profile much higher. We intend to build brand awareness and are expecting that that will deliver sales growth as well.”
Rangemaster, which was taken over by the American Middleby Corporation in 2015, manufactures all of its stainless steel sink portfolio in house as well as producing some sinks on an OEM basis for other brands.
Cunningham told kbbreview: “In terms of stainless steel sinks, we are the last bastion of consumer sink manufacturing in the UK. We are the largest by volume in the UK market by far. We are a sleeping giant.
“If we could give the [sinks and taps] business a bit more focus, which is my continued plan, we could certainly grow that business more than we have over the past few years and can become a significant player.”