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Listen to a full interview with Steve Breen and VitrA marketing director Ruth Davies on a special bonus episode of The kbbreview Podcast using the player below or go straight to it in Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Alternatively, simply search ‘kbbreview’ wherever you get your podcasts.

It’s fair to say that 2025 has been a rollercoaster for the UK bathroom sector. The slowdown in the secondary housing market, combined with economic uncertainty, taxation changes and inflation, made it a challenging year.

At VitrA, we felt the impact, but we also learned a lot. The year had its highs. Our investments in new channels and ongoing support for our core distribution networks showed promise. But macroeconomic pressures in Turkey, where we manufacture, created bumps along the road.

Interest rates and inflation soared over the past 18 months, way above any UK or European levels, which drove up production costs and wages. Thankfully both are now falling. Plus, supply interruptions sometimes slowed delivery. Quality issues also cropped up along the way and our customers noticed, so we’ve worked hard to address these challenges.

The loyalty and patience of our retail partners have been remarkable, and it’s reinforced just how important those relationships are.

One lesson from 2025 stands out – you can’t sit in the office and expect the market to come to you. Visiting showrooms, talking to owners, designers, and teams has been invaluable.

Every conversation, good or bad, provides insights that shape product development, service improvements, and the way we support our customers. That direct engagement has been key to navigating a tough year.

The independent retail sector is particularly inspiring. Each showroom is unique, with its own priorities and challenges. What’s remarkable is their drive. They don’t wait for conditions to improve, they innovate, adapt, and fight for their share of the market. And that mindset has reminded us at VitrA that the market can, in many ways, make itself.

Looking ahead to 2026, we’re cautiously optimistic. The wider market won’t hand us growth on a plate. Consumers will be careful with their spending, pressured by rising costs and taxes. But there are green shoots in the projects sector, where delayed orders are finally moving forward.

So our strategy for next year is clear: focus on share gain, execute with precision, and create opportunities rather than wait for them to appear.

After taking a deliberate pause in 2025 to focus on quality, supply, and retailer engagement, VitrA is entering 2026 with a host of new, design-led products.

From accessible mid-market pieces to aspirational hero products, these launches are designed to excite customers and support retailers. Many will be exclusive to our independent retail partners, reinforcing the value of our relationships. Meanwhile, our Vitality Partner Programme is being strengthened to ensure it delivers even more tangible benefits to showrooms.

What excites me most is the shift in mindset across the sector. Retailers are ambitious, innovative, and ready to fight for share and that energy is contagious, and it aligns perfectly with our approach: we will make our own market.

VitrA has a long heritage in the independent retail space, and it’s where our expertise and products can make the greatest impact. After a demanding 2025, we enter the new year with renewed focus, determination, and excitement. The challenges remain, but the opportunities are clearer than ever, and we’re ready to seize them.

Listen to the full interview with Steve Breen and VitrA marketing director Ruth Davies in this special bonus episode of The kbbreview Podcast

This article is sponsored content