Sink brand Shaws of Darwen has given further information on its shock price rises, with the company insisting that the rise is not “a uniform percentage increase” across its entire range, and that it also doesn’t set the price that distributors offer products for.
News of the substantial price rise was first publicly reported yesterday, after distributor Clearwater sent a letter to customers warning that the pricing change would “average around 300%”.
Responding to the specific concerns around the 300% average figure, Jonathan White, sales director EMEAA for Shaws’ parent company, Fortune Brands Innovations, acknowledged that the price rises were “significant”, but said: “This is not a uniform percentage increase across the Shaws range – individual products have been repriced to reflect the true cost of manufacture and supply, with the scale of adjustment varying by product.”
White also said that Shaws acts as a supplier to distributors who “independently determine their onward selling prices to retailers”. White was also firm that Shaws does not “disclose confidential distributor pricing”, nor was the company going to comment on the individual prices that distributors set.
In other news, looking to offer reassurance to the market after news of the increase broke yesterday, Caple managing director Danny Lay has said that his company plans to hold Shaws prices until May 2027, and has encouraged retailers to speak to their local area manager for more details.
Similarly, Daniel Boulton, sales & produrement director at Clearwater Products, has today said that Sterling Brands will continue to maintain its current pricing based on existing stock and confirmed purchase orders with Shaws. Boulton added: “We anticipate this stability continuing well into 2027, though this will ultimately depend on market demand. We encourage retailers to monitor stock levels and pricing regularly.”