How can merchants help installers add value to their kitchen designs with entry-level tap technology? Adding extra functionality to the kitchen brassware doesn’t necessarily carry a high price tag these days, so what are the opportunities for tapping into the trend for professional, industrial-style kitchen design and at what cost to the merchant? Daniel Boulton, Clearwater’s Procurement & Technical Manager, gives us some answers.
Taps have always been a functional purchase for the kitchen but over the years, even this most humble and essential of kitchen fixtures has evolved. Take the choice of styles as a clear example of this. The look of the tap can really help to shift the design of the kitchen up a level and that’s why today there is such a wide array of styles, sizes and even materials to choose from.
This is certainly one area where merchants can differentiate themselves, with the chance to offer installers and end users alike something a bit different from the norm.
However, there is another trend making waves in the kitchen tap world and that involves technology. Born out of the trend towards industrial-style kitchen design, professional taps and those with added functionality are increasingly sought-after. And where once such technology would carry a weighty price tag, it is now increasingly available for entry and mid-markets too.
That’s good news for the merchant looking to take stock of products that help designers and installers create kitchens that stand out. For the installer, such entry-level tap technology helps them add value to their kitchen designs, giving the end user an on-trend space that is big on function and on style.
So, what type of technology are we talking about here? Ultimately, it is that which adds a new level of convenience to the kitchen, while tapping into the trend for professional styling. Taps with a pull-out spout, for example, are fast becoming a must-have for performing tasks other than simply washing up. And when the kitchen is increasingly being used as a multi-functional space, perhaps the popularity of such models comes as no great surprise.
Pull-out taps are a valuable aid for rinsing down the sink after use, washing veg and filling large pots. It’s all about greater convenience, after all. And the latest in tap technology and design takes this one step further, with the next generation of models featuring twin-flow spouts that can deliver standard aerated flow for filling and needle jet spray for rinsing, all in one sleek and modern-looking tap.
In hot water
There’s even more technology than that on tap in the kitchen these days too, of course. The market for filtered water taps and those that dispense near to boiling hot water has grown, with as many as one in five UK kitchens now featuring one, according to Trend Monitor.
Again, this technology was once relatively expensive, so the trend began at the higher end of the market. As technology has developed, production costs have reduced and the opportunity for merchants to grab a piece of the hot water tap action is now very much here.
What’s driving the market? Convenience is number one, although sustainability and the eco concerns of the consumer are also having an influence, particularly in terms of filtered water taps which reduce the need for single use plastic bottles. Particularly in terms of filtered water taps, the cost saving is considerable compared to purchasing bottled water and also saves time and energy carrying heavy bottles from the supermarket.
We hear from our customers time and again that once they’ve had a hot water tap fitted, they wondered how they ever did without it and that’s all down to the level convenience this technology brings to the modern kitchen. No more water for the kettle to boil, which means clearer worktops and great tasting water literally on tap.
In fact, it’s such a popular idea that we are now seeing more consumers installing secondary compact models, alongside their main tap or as part of a secondary sink set-up and even in their home office for an instant coffee fix when working or for making the perfect brew when entertaining.
Of course, technology never really stands still and that is certainly true of this market, with hands-free, sensor-controlled models taking this convenience to the next level still. It’s important to note too that none of this gadgetry comes at the expense of style. In fact, with a wide choice of finishes available, consumers can have the best of all worlds.
While much of this tap technology is perhaps not so new at the top-end of the market, its filtration down to the lower, more budget conscious end of the scale presents merchants with a solid opportunity to help their customers create high-end kitchen design, where quality, function and style combine.
Click here for more information on Clearwater’s range of products and support services for merchants.
A version of this article appeared in the January edition of Professional Builders Merchant magazine. Click here to see the full issue in digital format via the PBM website.
Described by Clearwater as the perfect way to introduce this design-led yet highly practical trend for professional taps into the kitchen at entry level, the Topaz tap is fitted with a Twist and Spray aerator, providing two flow types that can be changed with a simple twist of the aerator.
Saving time, water and energy, meanwhile, the brand’s Magus Kettle taps offer a raft of reasons to upgrade a sale from standard brassware and add value to a sale. For example, the Magus 4 Electronic is billed as “the complete package,” combining elegant design with intuitive controls that deliver four water options. The left-hand LED electronic control dispenses 98°C filtered water at the touch of a button while the right-hand lever delivers domestic hot and cold water and fresh tasting cold filtered water.
Finally, the company’s Bellatrix model is a professional-style filter tap with a detachable and directional silicone spout offering two spray modes for filling and rinsing. The swivel retaining arm contains its own water conduit for filtered water.
