Mike Tattam, Sales and Marketing Director for Lakes, discusses how the shower enclosure market continues to evolve and highlights what merchants can do to stay on top of the trends.
A year ago, Lakes changed direction. Deep-dive market research and conversations with our merchant customers had revealed a fragmented, behind-the-times, staid shower enclosure market with low recall of shower brands. Enclosure brands relied on the shower unit and hardware brands to promote showering, without explaining why ‘showering spaces’ are important.
It is no surprise then that when buying new showers, showering spaces were the last thing people thought about. Yet good showering experiences come from the broader showering spaces — namely, a well-integrated combination of space, glass, frame, hardware, floor, access and shower unit.
Our research identified two other key developments influencing the market:
1: Changing lifestyles demand flexibility
Bathrooms are shrinking as housebuilders squeeze their houses and add value with en-suite bedrooms. And whilst baths use a lot of space, homeowners seem to prefer showering to refresh and relax with ‘me time’.
Multi-generational living is increasing with young adults are returning to live at home and older parents are moving in with children and grandchildren. Today’s showering spaces need to support our different, changing lifestyles, our need for privacy and better access for reduced mobility.
2: The growth of the premium market requires a focus on quality
Demographic and economic changes are boosting the premium market. Driven by the growth in mainly over 55 mortgage-free homeowners, who have the money, and with rising house prices over the last 20 years paying for the purchase, why wouldn’t they invest in themselves? This powerful trend is driving most home improvement markets, and not just bathrooms and showers.
This research has informed a year of fundamental change at Lakes, with the primary aim of boosting sales opportunities for our merchant customers.
Redefining quality
Homeowners who spend on premium products, expect quality that lasts. And when they buy, they want a quality experience that extends to what they see, hear and touch. Accordingly:
Glass:
Shower enclosures are mostly glass, but you can have too much of a good thing, with brands outdoing themselves using thicker and thicker glass. Thickness is important for practical and safety considerations, but thick glass should not be a substitute for good engineering and design. Glass can be too thin, so it’s not safe or robust, but glass can be too thick too — making it more costly than it needs to be, and too heavy for installers (remembering that most work alone) and floors.
Shower enclosures should be designed and engineered for performance and looks as a complete entity, so they work well and meet expectations for years to come. Unnecessarily thick glass is a cost without benefit.
Regardless of thickness, the shower experience shouldn’t be ruined by glass smeared with soap scum. Lakes Glass is what we call our advanced glass technology. It is used across our range, so customers get a better showering experience at no extra cost. PureVueHD low iron glass reduces the green hue in standard glass, and AllClear glass coating repels water, limescale and soap scum.
Trays:
Shower trays also influence our perception of quality. Does it wobble, dip or creak when you stand on it? Is it slippery? Is there a big step to get in? We may not consciously think about it, but our feet have a vote. Quality stone resin shower trays, like Lakes Stone for example, are low profile, anti-slip, and anti-bacterial. They feel solid, safe, and have a natural quality look, adding to the spa-at-home experience shower customers love.
Attention to detail:
Softly closing doors, interlocking caps that stay put, concealed covers, and refined, stylish hardware that feels sturdy are attributes of a showering space that says quality.
The role of the showroom:
Contrary to expectations, the growth of online retail has made showrooms more important than ever in the middle to premium markets. Before they buy a new bathroom, most people have questions they want answering, things to look at, touch, or listen to like the sound of a door closing.
From the setting and lighting, holding the handle, opening the door, stepping onto the shower tray, and looking at or through the glass, it’s the whole experience that counts — and merchants can make all the difference.
What’s in an image?
Our new, lifestyle imagery puts showering spaces at the heart of end users’ experience and aspirations — and not just premium sector end users — rather than the stiff unrealistic images we’re used to. Our new brochures, literature and showroom support are designed to help stockists engage with installers and end users around the whole showering experience.
For more information on Lakes’ range of products and services, visit https://lakesshoweringspaces.com/trade/
