Consumers keener to save water

Water-saving features are continuing to gain importance among consumers when having a bathroom designed, new research has revealed.

According to the Bathroom Purchase Behaviour report, from market intelligence company Trend-Monitor and online bathroom platform Foam & Bubbles, consumers planning a bathroom installation are twice as likely to consider water-saving features to be important when purchasing a product than those who have already installed their bathroom.

The report also revealed that brand awareness in the bathroom remained low, as 90% of respondents were unable to name any of the brands they had used, or were planning to use in their new bathroom.

However, brand awareness does rise slightly as the budget increases, in the sense that more research is done online and more purchases are made at local bathroom showrooms rather than DIY and retail chains.

Consumers, the report said, were increasingly researching products online before making a purchase, with 45% more people now researching online via bathroom inspiration websites, particularly those looking for higher-budget bathrooms.

Additionally, 46% more people were researching via e-commerce websites, with these tending to be more focused on lower-budget bathrooms.

Design services offered by bathroom retailers and installers had a relatively low uptake, the report revealed, with a third of homeowners choosing to plan their bathroom themselves and a further 29% opting to keep the same layout as before.

Almost a quarter (24%) of homeowners who chose to design their own bathroom chose to do so on paper, compared with only 10% choosing to use an online design tool.

It also showed that homeowners sourcing a fitter for their new bathrooms were still doing so by personal recommendation. Bathroom fitters were more than twice as likely to be appointed based on recommendation from a family member or friend over any other sourcing method.

  • Main image Crosswater Zion shower head
Home > News > Consumers keener to save water