Design-conscious distribution - Bathroom & Kitchen Update – for new and existing bathroom & kitchen products

Design-conscious distribution

Comment by ANDREW LANGFORD, Marketing Manager, PWS Distributors

Published: 01 September, 2007

The consumer’s growing appetite for new ideas, designs and innovations shows no sign of abating, so retailers are understandably looking to their suppliers to deliver the goods. Although this puts pressure on distributors to constantly review and improve their product offering it also creates an opportunity for them to keep that all important step ahead of their competitors.

But there’s no doubt this leaves the distributor in a tough position. Taking the decision to commit to stock at high costs can be a risky business, especially if the trend prediction for the ‘next big thing’ fails to materialise, well, it’s not something any of us want to experience.

Of course the savvy-minded distributors no longer solely rely on their manufacturers and key suppliers to guide the next stage of product introductions. Those in the know appreciate that there’s nothing like having your nose to the ground with an experienced team of designers and product development experts to plan the next phase of development. The reality is that the kitchen buying public has diverse tastes, is becoming more design literature, discerning and demanding. Consumers expect more choice, but all with improved quality and value for money.

This is a tall order for distributors who following a buoyant period of sales in the kitchen market with low interest rates and high consumer confidence now face more challenging trading conditions. It’s no longer sufficient to offer supreme customer service, efficient order processing, stock control and spot-on delivery schedules, the product portfolio must be hot with new ideas on a regular basis.

As consumer expectations increase it’s unquestionable that design and development will play an ever more influential role for the distributor.

For further information on PWS’ portfolio visit www.pws.co.uk or call 01325 505555.