Bathroom furniture brand Burgbad has announced it is withdrawing from the UK market, with last orders placed by August 31.
The shock move, revealed in a letter to dealers last week, blames broad economic conditions for the decision, saying the brand will focus its efforts on its other territories.
Established in 1946 in Germany, Burgbad entered the bathroom furniture business in 1966 and since 2008 has been part of the Turkish Eczacıbaşı Group of companies since 2008. The Eczacıbaşı Group also owns many brands in the construction sector including bathroom manufacturer VitrA.
In the retailer letter – which begins with the headline ‘Burgbad says goodbye to the UK’, Hendrik Koopman, Burgbad’s director of customer experience and new business development, says: “Burgbad stands for quality, innovative design and excellent service. In order to be able to meet this requirement in the UK, we have invested a significant amount in the last years.
“Unfortunately, the macroeconomic situation has changed significantly and so for this reason, we have decided to focus our commercial activities on the key countries in Europe. As a result, we will stop our activities in the UK at the end of this year.”
Koopman confirms that any orders placed before August 31 will be delivered ‘within our standard delivery time’.
“We very much regret this painful step and would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the long-term partnership with your company,” Kloopman says.