Following the launch of its new brand and easy fit product portfolio designed specifically for the trade to fit, Palio by Karndean has continued to experience significant year on year growth and puts its success down to its investment in its sales team and interactive Point of Sale (POS).
As part of its significant investment in the new brand, Palio has expanded its dedicated team of sales managers and designed and created an interactive full-size POS unit and range of compact stands. It also offers bespoke marketing support for its nationwide customer base with specialist product training, in-store graphics and merchandising, and display flooring for showrooms.
Bradfords Building Supplies is one of the first to installthe new full-size POS unit in several of its flagship branches across the West Country including Yeovil, Glastonbury, Ilminster and Sherborne. Having recently invested in refurbishing its kitchen and bathroom showroom, Bradfords in Yeovil is just one of the branches to look to increase its flooring offering and sales.
“Having worked closely with Karndean Designflooing, and now Palio since 2015, we have seen the growth in demand for flooring products as part of our joinery offering”, explains Kevin Knutt, Showroom Manager at Bradfords in Yeovil.
“The product offering with three dedicated ranges of luxury vinyl flooring – Palio Clic, Palio Core and Palio LooseLay – opens up popular wood and stone designs to the trade, who can offer the same Karndean quality without the worry of specialist installation or extensive subfloor preparation.
“The recent improvement to our showroom has seen us work with Palio to install eye-catching Palio Core and Palio LooseLay in kitchen and bathroom settings. Having the product on the floor really helps our trade customers see the potential and realistic finish.”
Designed to interact with trade customers, the full-size POS unit stands tall at 1800mm (1605mm width and 610mm diameter) with a tablet displaying handy ‘how to’ videos – featuring television presenter, Skillbuilder founder and Professional Builder magazine’s Products Editor, Roger Bisby – benefit graphics and lifestyle photography. There’s also marketing literature featuring the entire product range and a full suite of full-size Palio Core and Palio LooseLay planks and tiles, which are easily accessible for the trade to test and demo in-store. Importantly, the trade can try out all easy-fit click, rigid core and loose lay formats.
There is also an alternative small-scale individual compact POS unit available for Palio Clic, Palio Core and Palio LooseLay, designed for trade customers with a smaller footprint.
James Waterhouse, Business Development Manager for the South, has helped the Bradfords team introduce the new collection to its local customer base by facilitating in-store product training and demonstrations. He said: “We’ve always been recognised for our realistic floor designs and providing our merchant partners with the highest level of support.
“As with all our customers, we are committed to supplying Bradfords with trade friendly merchandise and this is where our POS offers a brand-new experience for users. As well as displaying the full-size product in easy accessible shelving, our POS shows trade customers just how easy it is to fit our flooring. With our Palio flooring, Bradfords agree seeing is believing.”
Kevin added: “We were really impressed with the new POS, so much so we have positioned it in a prominent place within the entrance to our first floor. It has a striking look and really stands out and captures the attention of our trade customers with its open plan design.
“With flooring still being a developing category for the trade, we can see the real potential for sales growth in this area. More so as our trade customers know the Karndean name and quality and have been asking for a dedicated range for the trade for a while, and now they have a Palio by Karndean designed for them to fit. It’s an exciting time for our flooring offering. Watch this space.”
With the brand forecasting further growth throughout 2018, it will continue to work with its existing UK wide customer base to help drive sales in flooring.
Matthew Brown, National Trade Sales Manager, said: “As a brand, Palio is going from strength to strength and we’re looking forward to working even closer with our customers to offer bespoke sales and marketing opportunities throughout this year. Our investment in the brand has proved extremely popular, not just for us but our customers too.”
For more information visit palioflooring.com
(left to right) Billy Lintell, former Showroom Manager of Bradfords Yeovil and James Waterhouse, Business Development Manager for the South at Palio by Karndean.
