Today, after over a year in development, Schlüter’s bathroom sales team comprises seven area sales consultants, boasting a combined 175 years sales experience, covering the entire UK and Ireland. The team works with key retailers to create showroom displays of Schlüter products using well-designed point of sale collateral to showcase key products.
With an enduring dedication to protecting tile and stone, Schlüter-Systems now has a strong UK network of luxury bathroom showrooms and installers. Thomas Etheridge explains the company’s aims, “With more than 10,000 products for the long-lasting installation of tiles and natural stone, including a comprehensive range of trims, waterproofing, underfloor heating and shower drainage systems, the brand is an ideal choice for the premium end of the bathroom retail sector. This is especially the case for those looking to take a system-led approach to their bathroom designs and installations. The vastness of Schlüter’s product portfolio gives retailers the opportunity to offer add-on sales to their customers, increasing the average spend on a bathroom. It also means that retailers can simplify their supply chain.”
Building on its excellent reputation in the project specification and tile distribution markets, Schlüter-Systems aims to offer unmatched levels of training, service and supply to bathroom showrooms and their installers. The centrally located UK base of Coalville in Leicestershire is the ideal place from which to service the needs of the bathroom retail sector, with stock regularly leaving the warehouse for next day delivery. The specialist team began working with premium bathroom retailers last summer and is already in partnership with multi-branch players such as CP Hart and West One in London as well as independent showrooms including Warren Keys Bathrooms of Man on the Isle of Man, Studio One South West in Plymouth and The Water Gallery in Esher.
“While our existing routes to market remain important to us, we feel that our offering is ideally suited to premium bathroom showrooms and installers so it was the natural next step for the brand in the UK,” continues Thomas.
“Our products are designed to work together as a system – hence our name. Rather than bathroom retailers buying from several different suppliers for what we do, everything is simplified by coming through us. By working with Schlüter-Systems, retailers only pay for one lot of delivery costs, can reduce their admin and have one point of contact for any queries. We’ve also heard from retailers that have worked out they can fit up to six additional bathrooms in a year on our underfloor heating product alone, as our products are quicker to install.”
“Our experienced technical team can offer advice on product suitability, and we’ll even visit a property to check how the installation is going, if required. Ultimately, we want to ensure that tile and natural stone installations stand the test of time,” Thomas concludes.
“Our founder, Werner Schlüter, says our products cannot be sold; they must be understood. That gives you a feel for the ethos of the business.”
Photographed top are: left to right: area sales consultants James Callinan, Sean McCreadie, Stuart Gillson, Michael Kimball-Smith, bottom left to right: Michael Dar, Graham Rose and Phil Cutts
For further information, call 01530 813396 or visit https://www.schluter.co.uk/