According to the latest annual report on the bathroom sector, Wickes is the UK’s most prominent bathroom brand in 2023, with B&Q taking second place. In contrast, Leekes has seen the biggest drop in visibility with a staggering 76% decrease.
The report, conducted by Salience Search Marketing, analysed 11 crucial performance indicators, including year-on-year visibility, search volume trends, and brand awareness, for bathroom names to reveal the brands dominating the industry.
Top 5 prominent bathroom brands
| Rank | Brand | Brand searches per month | Total social media followers | Owned social score |
| 1 | Wickes | 2,240,000 | 310,400 | 518 |
| 2 | B&Q | 201,000 | 704,400 | 1,162 |
| 3 | Travis Perkins | 450,000 | 159,485 | 279 |
| 4 | Victorian Plumbing | 301,000 | 147,599 | 253 |
| 5 | Porcelanosa | 22,200 | 841,600 | 1,349 |
The report unveils the most prominent brands in the sector by analysing the number of monthly searches for each brand and calculating an owned social score which combines the number of followers and engagement rate across major social platforms.
The findings reveal Wickes is the most prominent brand in the industry. With over 300,000 social media followers and a sizeable 2,240,000 brand searches per month, Wickes is the market leader in brand awareness.
B&Q is the second most prominent brand in the sector with 201,000 brand searches per month and over 700,000 social media followers.
Regarding organic visibility, there has been a 16% increase in overall organic growth within the industry.
The growth suggests that the cost-of-living crisis hasn’t stopped consumers from conducting home improvements, with home interior publication Ideal Home describing bathrooms as ‘one of the few truly private spaces in the house’ and as a space for creative freedom.
Brand Visibility
| Rank | Brands with the biggest growth in visibility YoY | Brands with the biggest drop in visibility YoY |
| 1 | B&Q | Leekes |
| 2 | Wickes | Wolseley |
| 3 | Plumbworld | PlumbNation |
| 4 | The Bathroom Showroom | Heat&Plum |
| 5 | City Plumbing | VictoriaPlum |
For brands, B&Q currently ranks highest with the biggest growth in visibility Year on Year with a 36% increase, followed by Wickes with a 22% jump since June 2022.
In contrast, Leekes has seen the biggest drop in visibility with a staggering 76% decrease.
Product Trends
The latest report on bathroom brands also assesses the current product trends, analysing which products are losing searches and which products are in demand.
| Rank | Search increase | Search decrease |
| 1 | Toilet roll holder wall mounted | Walk in shower ideas |
| 2 | Walk in baths and showers | The range bathroom accessories |
| 3 | Towel warmer | Walk in shower enclosure |
| 4 | Walk in bathtub with shower / sticky bathroom floor tiles | Combined sink and toilet |
| 5 | Hanging shower caddy | Cloakroom suite |
According to the findings, toilet roll holder wall mounted sees the biggest increase in searches with an impressive 98% increase.
Meanwhile, walk in shower ideas sees the biggest decrease in searches, with a 46% drop. This suggests fewer consumers are browsing online for bathroom inspo.
As for product search volume, bathroom wall panels has a sizeable search volume of over 33,000.
The demand for the product suggests the interior decor is trending, with over 16,000 views on TikTok for #bathroomwallpanels.
Brett Janes, managing director at Salience Search Marketing, said: “As a whole, it has been a positive year for the industry, with a 16% increase in organic growth and a sizeable volume of searches and visibility.
“Demand for certain products has dipped, with bathroom tiling among those facing a hit as it sees a 13% drop in searches. This suggests consumers may be looking for alternatives, with limewash paint a potential alternative as the interior design has surfaced on social media with over 43 million views for #limewashpaint on TikTok.
“Understanding that trends are ever-changing and building a strong online presence across multiple channels becomes crucial in driving sales and capitalizing on the expanding market demand.”
Download the full annual bathroom industry PDF report here.