Business is reassuringly good for Matthew Kallum, particularly at the higher end of the bathroom market. 

“2025, it wasn’t the best. It was okay. And 2024 was sort of steady,” he says. “But this year is much better. Actually, I’d say great, especially on the higher end of the market.” 

Kallum says the difference is noticeable not just in overall sales but also in the quality of customers coming through the door. “I could actually see the difference now between last year and this year and the year before. Much better quality leads and footfall.”

Today, the family-run business operates two showrooms, Kallums Bathrooms in London and Walton Bathrooms in Surrey, following the recent acquisition of the latter.

 The move has brought together two established businesses with complementary strengths, with Walton Bathrooms adding a 40-year heritage, an established repeat clientele and a logistics operation that Kallum says benefits both businesses.

It is a positive position for a business that has built its reputation around design, service and a more complete approach to bathroom projects. And Kallum’s enthusiasm for the sector is rooted in the way the bathroom itself has evolved.

“I always loved home interiors and interior design,” he says. “But I could see that people didn’t care about bathrooms that much in the past. It was just as long as it’s functional and it does the job, then it’s fine.”

That has changed dramatically. Kallum believes bathrooms are now competing with kitchens for attention, with customers willing to invest more time, money and creativity in the space. 

“People are definitely investing a lot more time, and that’s what really keeps us going. And there’s something new every year, something trendy, something different,” he says.

The result is a much more creative discipline, with colour, finishes and spatial planning playing an increasingly important role. Kallums Bathrooms sells a wide range of finishes, from brass, gold, black and nickel through to newer bronze tones.

“You can do a lot more with a bathroom rather than just have four walls and tile everything and have a basin, tub and shower,” says Kallum.

Not just a showroom

For Kallum, that creativity is matched by a growing expectation from customers that their retailer will take responsibility for the whole project. “The full end-to-end service” is central to the business, he says, with the team managing projects from start to finish, including going to site and continuing to help customers after completion.

Kallums Bathrooms offers a two-year warranty, but Kallum says the relationship does not necessarily end there. “Even after that, customers would call us. We still go and help out. If there’s anything wrong with anything, we sort it out.”

He puts much of that service down to the company’s people. Rather than hiring purely sales-focused staff, the business looks for designers with knowledge, personality and empathy.

“Our best USP is our designs because we market heavily on social media and that focuses on designs and new trends,” he says. “We hire people with knowledge and with personalities to match that or to complement what we offer.”

Training is also a continual process, with staff kept up to date on products, technical issues and emerging design trends. Kallum says the team has more than 100 years of combined experience.

The approach also extends to the suppliers Kallums works with, which Kallum says have changed significantly over the years.

“In the old days it used to be that you had an account with the supplier, you order, and then they deliver to you,” he says. “Now it’s completely different. Now it’s about building the brand together.”

That is particularly true of the higher-end brands the business works with, he says, where suppliers increasingly see retailers as business partners rather than simply customers. 

“They care about how you display their products in the showroom,” says Kallum. “They visit you a lot more than they used to. They support you in every way – it’s almost more personal because they know you.”

Supplier events and showroom visits have also become part of the relationship, with Kallums’ designers able to meet brands, see new products and build relationships within the industry. 

For Kallum, the same emphasis on people applies internally. Staff receive regular training on products and technical issues, while supplier representatives are brought into the showrooms to introduce new ranges. The aim is to make sure the team remains up to date with both products and design ideas.

That has become increasingly important as customer expectations have risen. Kallum says social media, AI and exposure to hotels and spas overseas have all given consumers more inspiration – and more confidence to try something different.

“They expect a lot more, and have more courage,” he says. “Consumers pick bold colours and designs and layouts. They’re not afraid of that. Now they would actually go bold and expect a lot for their money in terms of service and design.”

Process and systems

Digital has become another essential part of the retail mix. “If you’re not digital, if you’re not online, you can’t do business,” says Kallum. 

The business continually refreshes its websites and social media activity, although he also notes the importance of channels like traditional magazines.

Alongside digital, Kallum sees wellness as one of the biggest opportunities in bathrooms. Saunas, steam rooms and shower toilets are increasingly in demand, while customers are also moving towards showers rather than baths and becoming more adventurous with finishes and layouts. He believes wellness is a trend with longevity.

Kallum says the business has learned the importance of robust processes and systems, particularly around things like stock, invoicing and project management. 

In the past, he admits, those systems were not as robust as they needed to be. “That’s what I regret,” he says, “not having sophisticated systems in place to manage things like accounts.”

Those shortcomings did not necessarily affect the customer experience, but they almost certainly created additional pressure behind the scenes. 

Kallum believes that having the right systems in place is now just as important as having the right people. A robust process from start to finish helps the business keep its promises to customers while also making day-to-day life easier for the team.

“It’s important to have clean and direct processes in place to help you achieve or deliver what you promised,” he says. “You need systems to support the processes, and you need a good team to support that as well.”

And his advice to other retailers is straightforward: know your customers and put their interests first. That means providing honest advice from the beginning of a project to the end, even when that advice may not lead to the biggest sale.

“Good advice and genuine advice. That’s the key,” he adds.