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Victoria Plum invests in Toyota forklift fleet

Bathroom_Review_Victoria_Plum

Online bathroom retailer Victoria Plum has invested in a new fleet of more than 50 electric-powered Toyota lift trucks to help deliver its ongoing growth strategy.

Including state-of-the-art reach and counterbalance models, as well as powered pallet trucks and order pickers, the trucks have been deployed at the company’s 277,000 sq ft distribution centre.

During extensive trials, Doncaster-headquartered Victoria Plum looked for equipment that would cut running costs, improve fleet utilisation and, most importantly, achieve high levels of safety and lift truck operator comfort.

The company’s supply chain and logistics capabilities see the online retailer secure and ship more than 13,000 products from factories to its customers’ homes.

Victoria Plum’s operations director, Andy Svenson, commented: “Our order volumes have continued to increase as we implement our growth strategy. It is therefore essential for us to invest in the latest equipment to further facilitate our expansion whilst ensuring high levels of safety and operational efficiency.”

The company announced that its sales rose by a record 46 per cent to £103m and its EBITDA increased by 115 per cent to £4.5m for the year ended 28 February 2021. The business has experienced further strong sales growth during its latest financial year.

The new forklift fleet will be supplied on a contract rental agreement over five years that includes service and maintenance support. The total value of the investment over the period is undisclosed.

As part of the agreement, Toyota will supply a battery changing station along with spare batteries and a battery management system to ensure that the fleet consistently delivers the most energy efficient and productive performance levels.

Established in 2001, Victoria Plum was acquired by Leeds-headquartered private equity fund Endless in October 2019. Since then, the company has continued its transformation strategy led by chief executive, Paul McClenaghan, and his senior management team which includes Andy Svenson.

For further information visit www.victoriaplum.com

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KEUCO illuminates the bathroom with STAGELINE

Bathroom_Review_Stageline_Keuco

STAGELINE is a new and elegant series of furniture from KEUCO that incorporates a vanity unit and three additional storage units. The unique aspect of this series is the illuminated open storage compartment, the leading light and key feature in both the vanity and tall unit. The shelf or ‘stage’ is illuminated by a warm LED light with 3,000 Kelvin, allowing consumers to creatively display decorative personal items, toiletries, whatever they feel works in this space.

There’s a Shakespeare quote from As You Like it “All the worlds a stage and men and women are merely players” and yet this could also be the perfect description of a family bathroom. STAGELINE is the ideal supporting act for the dramas, soliloquies, romance, and beauty scenes that take place with the bathroom as it’s backdrop.

Bathroom_Review_Stageline_Keuco

The look is tonal, the glass front and body of the furniture are a single colour, in natural shades gently restrained, creating a warm environment. Monochrome also has its place in fact there are four shades to choose from white or cashmere glossy as well as Inox or Vulkanit satin. The glass fronts of the furniture bring an additional textural feature offering a highly glossed or velvety matt finish.

The STAGELINE series incorporates practical elements including an integrated power socket along with a USB and USB-C charging point. The attention to detail is key such as the softly curved, gently protruding glass front at the top of the units, which is not only decorative but practical acting as a handle.

The curves echo other elements in KEUCO portfolio such as the rounded PLAN ceramic washbasins which sit elegantly on top of the STAGELINE vanity units. These are available in six different widths, ensuring the stage can be set whatever the size of the bathroom. The vanity units have an option to add drawer partitions – four versions, providing different size options for personal or family use. There is an elegant dark inlay mat with a non-slip to help keep bottles and jars in place.

Depending on the size of the bathroom there are three additional STAGELINE pieces to choose from; this furniture is ideal for larger storage space requirements; the tall unit, single-door unit or the two-door centre unit. The tall unit is elegant with an illuminated shelf in the middle and all cabinets feature soft-close hinges and high-quality, easy-care glass shelves inside.

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Summer Lovin’… with bathrooms to love!

Bathroom_Review_Bathrooms-To_Love

April marks the launch of PJH’s Spring/Summer collection of bathroom products from its popular Bathrooms to Love brand. Not just the latest new product releases, the launch also comprises of a new package of ‘tech’ customer support to help retailers maximise bathroom sales and enhance the consumer’s experience of the Bathrooms to Love brand.

This latest collection also sees a new gold theme to its Bathrooms to Love branding and logo – in celebration of PJH turning 50 later this Summer.

Showcased in an inspiring new consumer brochure (Issue 19 – pictured), new product ranges are illustrated with aspirational lifestyle photography and supported with practical product information and design ideas. Available from stock and on a next day delivery service, the enclosure, showering, bath, brassware, washbowl and heating bathroom categories welcome a number of new on-trend ranges, spanning the ‘good, better, best’ pricing points to appeal to a wider audience.       

RefleXion, PJH’s own brand of shower enclosures, continues to evolve and the collection includes a number of high specification models including new Iconix Wetroom screens with a brushed brass profile, and Classix Sliding Door and Quadrant Enclosures with a new matt black profile. Similarly, the Bath Screen collection, also welcomes new matt black, framed and panelled glass screens.  

To complement the updated lineup of glass screens, new showering and brassware products such as upgraded shower valves, featuring higher spec cartridges and additions to the Italian-designed range of ‘Vema’ mixer taps, join the portfolio.

With matt black finishes continuing to sell well, and to coordinate with the enclosures, a new choice of matt black ladder radiators joins Bathrooms to Love (in addition to current Anthracite & Chrome), including matching matt black valves to complete the look.

On the sanitaryware front, due to the rising demand for design-led vessel basins, this category too welcomes some beautiful new bowls in a range of shapes, sizes and coloured finishes. And sleek new ceramics feature in the Sandro VC range.

Technological advancements also feature in PJH’s latest launch bringing some innovative new selling features into the whole customer experience. Virtual reality headsets offer an enhanced VR showroom experience, and new QR codes give access to more product content, offering Augmented Reality (AR).

All new Bathrooms to Love products are now listed on PJH’s e-commerce platform, the Partners Portal™ and available to order immediately, as well as all marketing materials, downloads and a link to the virtual showroom.

For further information, contact Bathrooms to Love at PJH on Tel: 0800 8 77 88 99; or visit  www.partners.pjh.uk  and www.bathroomstolove.uk

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Acquabella launches new Opal Quiz model

Acquabella Opal Quiz

Spanish bathroom brand, Acquabella has unveiled a new variation of its Opal Quiz freestanding bath for 2022. A smart design that sings with colour.

The Opal Quiz offers something very different with the two-colour pairing. The Opal Quiz Bath has already claimed the prestigious European design laurels of Red Dot, iF, SBID, ICONIC and Designer and is sure to win yet more approval with this cool, clever composition.

Unsurprisingly the new look of the two-colour Opal Quiz Colour takes centre stage. Paired with neutral tones or stand alone, the pale baby blue and white contrasts beautifully with a neutral interior.

Available now to Acquabella stockists throughout the UK

Pictured Top: Opal Quiz Colour, Beton Panels in Crema, Show Shelf in white

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GROHE offers cashback promotion & free accessories

Grohe-cashback-promotion

Bathroom and kitchen brand, GROHE, has launched two new promotions to help retailers give back to their customers this spring.

Customers can claim up to £100 cashback when they purchase an eligible shower system, with the promotion available on a range of best-selling lines offering features such as GROHE SmartControl thermostats and GROHE Rainshower heads. Plus, a free GROHE bathroom accessories set, worth over £95, including a towel ring, towel rail, robe hook, paper holder and soap dish is on offer with every purchase of the GROHE Sensia Arena.

Running from 1st April to 30th June 2022, the cashback promotion is available on over 20 different shower systems including the Rainshower system SmartControl Duo 360 which offers intuitive controls and a luxurious GROHE TrioMassage spray and utilises EcoJoy; GROHE’s water-saving technology which contributes to water preservation without affecting the premium shower experience.

Also included in the offer is the Euphoria SmartControl System 310 Duo delivering high-end performance and precision control. With two spray options on the 310mm swivel head shower – the GROHE PureRain and the GROHE ActiveRain – and three different spray patterns on the hand shower, the shower is ideal for busy
households.

To qualify for the free GROHE bathroom accessories set, customers must purchase the GROHE Sensia Arena. Offering ‘intelligent care’ the shower toilet creates a more comfortable, more hygienic method of personal care. Complete with two separate shower arms for gentle yet essential cleaning, the multi-award-winning innovation offers long-lasting toilet hygiene complete with an effective and efficient flush, odour-absorbing capabilities and an automatic seat.

Customers can claim their cashback via GroheRewards.co.uk and must submit information by 31st July 2022.

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New Look YOU from UTOPIA

You Modular Furniture

A completely new on-trend unicolor look has been created for Utopia’s YOU modular furniture collection with the introduction of colour coordinated cladding panels. New sit-on basins and worktop options, new brassware and a choice of new contemporary handles complete the radical transformation.

YOU Modular Furniture in Sea Green

Key to the new look are the cladding panels which are available in all 19 YOU colours and finishes, including four super matt, soft touch colours and 15 additional gloss, matt and textured options.  The cladding panels can be used to create the popular unicolour effect and are perfect teamed with 12mm compact laminate worktops from the collection and the newly extended range of sit-on basins. Brand new basin styles include two glossy mineralcast basins, the circular Stratton and the generously proportioned, oval Hepworth as well as the new Quinn, a matt ceramic circular basin available in Chalk (white) or Twilight (black) colourways with coordinating wastes.

Also contributing to the new look is the introduction of the Vector handle. Vector is a short, industrial-inspired yet elegant handle offered in brushed chrome, brushed brass and matt black.

YOU is one of Utopia’s key modular furniture collections. Explaining the new additions, Rich Shore, Head of Product Design, said “The full unicolour look is hugely on-trend at the moment, so opening up the availability and flexibility of Utopia’s extensive décor collection to YOU has been a real revolution.”  Helen Clark, Head of Marketing, adds “With some clever introductions and by ensuring the collection is even more configurable with colour, worktop finish, basin choice, and handle style and finish, there are so many distinct looks that can be achieved. Combined with other additions to the product range, such as the Luma circular mirror, YOU has been given a completely new, fresh look.”

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Red Dot Award for D-Neo and White Tulip

Duravit D-Neo

The two complete bathroom series D-Neo and White Tulip plus the associated faucets have won this year’s Red Dot Award for Product Design. “All the products we entered in the competition won an award,” said Stephan Tahy, CEO Duravit AG, “which is a testament to the outstanding design work of our teams.”

In March 2021 Duravit first unveiled D-Neo – a complete bathroom range by Belgian designer Bertrand Lejoly – to the public. D-Neo stands out with its straight-lined and geometric forms. Thanks to the range’s attractive entry-level price, new target groups can enjoy Duravit products. The design series as a whole and the faucets in particular have already won the German Design Award.

With White Tulip, the French designer Philippe Starck has created a holistic bathroom collection. From bathtubs, washbasins and furniture, toilets and bidets, to matching mirrors and a complete collection of faucets, the exceptional form of all the components within the series echoes the organic silhouette of a tulip in bloom. The monolithic, free-standing ceramic washbasin is particularly eye-catching.

The Red Dot Award “Product Design”, which can trace its origins back to 1955, seeks out each year’s best products. True to the motto “in search of good design and innovation”, a jury – around 50 strong – evaluated the products individually as originals.

The expert committee only awards the internationally renowned quality seal to products with an impressively high design quality and that satisfy additional stringent evaluation criteria. These include degree of innovation, functionality, formal quality, ergonomics, and durability.

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PJH goes for gold!

Happy Birthday PJH

Happy Birthday PJH, one of the UK’s largest KBB distributors is marking its 50th Golden Anniversary of when the company was established back in 1972, by its founder, Peter J Hopkinson, whose ‘PJH’ legacy lives on today.

To engage all its partners in the celebration, PJH has unveiled a new 50th Year Anniversary logo to remind customers, staff, suppliers and all of PJH’s partners, what a landmark achievement this is, and to highlight the importance of this historical company milestone.

Over the last fifty years, the industry has changed significantly and with it, PJH has grown, evolved and enjoyed enormous success in supplying and distributing products to the UK’s network of retailers, merchants and housebuilders.

It all began with Peter J Hopkinson, trading as ‘Hopkinsons Fourways’, who started off supplying the local plumbers of Bolton with plumbing fixtures, fittings and of course the famous ‘three-piece bathroom suite’ in an array of pastel colours (now back on-trend!). From this humble but ambitious beginning, the determination and clear vision of the company has seen PJH lead the way in distribution to become one of the UK’s largest suppliers and distributors of bathrooms, appliances, sinks and taps, as well as part of a global organisation.     

Commented Richard George, CEO, PJH: “This is a fantastic achievement for our business which has changed considerably over the years. Turning 50 for any company is a marker worthy of note but for us, it highlights just how established, enduring and successful the business is within the KBB distribution sector.

“We couldn’t have done it without the support, efforts and energy of everyone who has played a part in this 50-year journey and on behalf of the company I would like to thank all the loyalty and dedication given to the business. We continue to have ambitious and exciting growth plans for the years ahead and we head forward knowing we are in the best place possible to chalk up another successful 50 years!”

For further information on PJH, visit www.pjh.uk , www.partners.pjh.uk or call, T: 0800 8 77 88 99.

More news from PJH Group

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Demand for tradespeople up by 50% in just two years

bathroom_review_Trades_people

New research from the find-a-tradesperson platform, Rated People, has revealed homeowner desire for home improvement went through the roof in 2021.

As nearly half (49%) of UK residents improved their homes in the last year, demand for tradespeople increased by 32%. Almost two in three tradespeople (62%) say last year was ‘the busiest year they’ve ever had’. In fact, compared to the start of the pandemic in 2020, demand for home improvement has gone up by 50%.

The findings are taken from a 2022 Rated People Home Improvement Trends Report, and the study shows that 77% of UK tradespeople experienced increased customer demand in 2021. Carpenters/joiners are the trade that’s reported to have experienced increased consumer demand the most, with almost nine in 10 (89%) saying demand went up in 2021.

While the surge in demand since the start of the pandemic brought huge opportunities for tradespeople, they’ve also been hit with a series of challenges – almost 9 out of 10 tradespeople (89%) say their costs increased in 2021, 84% experienced materials supply issues and just under half (44%) had workforce shortages. As a result, 4 in 5 tradespeople (83%) had to increase their prices and almost two thirds (62%) had to delay or cancel jobs. 

This year, 9 out of 10 tradespeople (91%) expect their costs will increase, and 82% say they will need to put their prices up in 2022. 97% of builders and 89% of plasterers say they’re planning to increase their prices this year. And when looking at the top 10 trades most likely to charge higher prices, a minimum of 77% of each trade say they will need to put their prices up in 2022 to remain profitable.

Adrienne Minster, CEO of Rated People, commented: “The last two years have been challenging for many reasons, but it’s great to see just how much homeowner demand has increased for all things home improvement and renovation. The volume of work completed in 2021 is a testament to how well tradespeople and homeowners worked together, because in a COVID and post-Brexit landscape, material supply issues, cost increases and labour shortages affected home improvement work across the UK.”

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GROHE tackles plastic crisis with partner & customer help

Bathroom_Review_Grohe

Consumers increasingly want to contribute to the global fight against climate change by choosing a more sustainable lifestyle, with the support of eco-friendly product solutions.

In a representative study* conducted by YouGov on behalf of GROHE, 54% of respondents stated that
a new product should support them in saving plastic in their daily life – before saving waste (53%) and
energy (51%). Living spaces such as the kitchen is the focal point of consumers’ daily lives. Kitchen
studios and installers are in a unique position to support customers reduce their plastic usage by offering

GROHE, a global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings, is offering its retail partners a product line suitably equipped to reduce end-users’ plastic footprint.

“We can only tackle this crisis together. As a brand of the LIXIL family, it is essential for GROHE to
ensure we protect the resources mother nature has given us. One organisation or brand alone cannot
achieve what needs to be done and so we want to enable consumers and partners alike to create a
more sustainable future together,” says Jonas Brennwald, Leader LIXIL EMENA and Co-CEO Grohe
AG.

“With innovative products like the GROHE Blue water system, we support our B2B partners in
joining us on this journey with an innovative, high-quality product portfolio that allows them and their
customers to make a real difference.”

Solutions with a direct impact
Products such as GROHE Blue offer a tangible solution for a more sustainable everyday life. In addition
to enabling consumers to avoid plastic bottles, GROHE supports the reduction of already existent plastic
waste. Since 2019, the brand has been joining forces with everwave, an environmental non-governmental organisation that uses innovative waste collection boats to collect plastic waste before it damages marine ecosystems.

As part of GROHE’s “Made for your water” campaign, consumers were given the chance to make a direct contribution towards a cleaner environment. For every GROHE Blue purchased between 1st August and 31st December 2021, GROHE and everwave committed to collecting one kilo of waste with the help of everwave’s “CollectiX” boat. Thanks to these contributions, the joint clean-up mission has removed a total of 30 tons of waste from the Bočac Reservoir in Bosnia and Herzegovina throughout February 2022 – this equals the weight of over one million 1.5l PET-bottles.

The collaboration with everwave is part of GROHE’s comprehensive sustainability efforts: It is one of
three important pillars of the brand’s Less Plastic Initiative which was launched in 2018. Besides offering
innovative water systems, such as GROHE Blue, the brand also works towards eliminating unnecessary
plastic in product packaging

Clemens Feigl, CEO & Co-Founder of everwave, explains: “GROHE’s ‘Made for your water’ campaign
highlights how to balance commercial and sustainability goals. We are proud to have a partner in
GROHE who shares our vision of a better, plastic-free future and with whom we can raise awareness
for the prevailing plastic crisis and drive concrete action. We are looking forward to many more projects
to come.”

The latest study by WWF anticipates the plastic waste mass in our oceans is to quadruple by 2050.

*Survey with 1.000 citizens from 7 European countries: Germany, Italy, Russia, France, The Netherlands,
Pictured L-R:

Image top and middle: The Bočac Reservoir in Bosnia and Herzegovina before, during and after the GROHE and everwave clean-up activity in February 2022

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