Words: Julie James

As an independent showroom it is so important we choose wisely which products we display. 

We do not have a bottomless pit of money for displays, and we have so much competition now from the online companies, the many multi-nationals including the rise of the many independent builders and plumbers merchants. We should never try and compete with these as all we will do is compromise our margins and put ourselves on an uneven playing field, as we do not have their same buying power.

I think independent showrooms need to share the same values as their suppliers – it is a two-way partnership, after all. We promote their products; we display to elevate as well as we can to enhance their products.

The service level we promote to our customers has to be replicated by the supplier and the product knowledge we offer about their products must be matched by the supplier representative who comes into our showroom to ask us to display their products.  

By carefully choosing a small selection of suppliers, we protect our commitment to the brands we choose and for what our business has stood for during its 40 years.  Our motto has always been: “a company built on trust with exceptional customer service”.

Space invaders

Some suppliers want to take over half your showroom, which simply isn’t possible.  The space is simply not there and besides why would you put all your eggs in one basket?  

I admit I have not always got this right, but in general the showroom has to offer a wide variety of suppliers at varying price points and choices to accommodate all customers budgets and preferences.

To sell the products from a supplier, all the showroom team have to “buy into” their products – above all, they have to like what they see. It would be difficult for a salesperson to sell the dream bathroom with products that they really do not like.

The products on offer must be easy to understand for both the salesperson and the showroom designer. Not all companies have the luxury of this being the same person.  Sales and Design do go together, but can a designer be as good as a salesperson and equally is a salesperson an experienced designer? There is a fine line between selling the client their dream bathroom and pushing too hard to get the sale over the finish line!

When we choose to partner with suppliers, it is not just about the products, but the customer service is key to the success of all staff being confident in selling their products.

If a client has spent £10k on a new bathroom, and after a year, a tap part needs replacing, they are not going to be happy if this tap has been discontinued or are charged for the part. The suppliers we now work with all look after us and I think this is so important for a successful continued partnership.

The other area of contention is how much we get charged for displays, after all it is the retailer that is investing in the supplier’s products. However, if a supplier is prepared to give you items free of charge but then saturates the geographical area with displays in every showroom nearby, then this is not the sort of company we want to deal with.

We want to deal with suppliers that offer us some protection – if we commit to their brand, then we expect the same too.

A partnership is a two-way relationship. The suppliers we choose to deal with now really understand this, and  I am really happy now with our portfolio of brands!