Burgbad has plans for the UK to do better

The UK is in the top five performing countries for German bathroom furniture manufacturer Burgbad sales, so it’s odd to learn it has been targeted as one of its markets ‘which could do better’. But that is exactly how newly promoted director of sales Jens Kromer describes it and he has big expectations for sales of the Burgbad brand. He explains his ambitions for the UK, stating “we will try to double our turnover in three years.”

It’s a good start then, that the UK is already up on last year’s sales, as UK director John Drake continues “We’ve had a reasonable year. The beginning of this year was quite difficult, for the first three months, but I think quite a few people found that. Since then, it’s improved quite dramatically.”

Burgbad is seeking to grow sales in the UK by responding to the country’s specific requirements for product. The company is undertaking 12 months of research to better understand the needs of the market. Marketing director of Burgbad, Sabine Meissner says since the management changes at the business, with Jorg Loew taking the reigns as sole managing director, greater emphasis has now been placed on product management and market analysis. “More than has been done in the past”, she explains.

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It means following its year-long analysis of market demands Burgbad may deliver UK-specific product, with suggestions of creating sizes for the smaller British bathroom. John Drake explains: “We do have some products where the smallest sizes are too big for the UK. There is more volume in the smaller sizes. Not that there isn’t a market for the 1200 and 1600mm unit, us of course there is.” But he points out that there may be a requirement for 600 and 800mm furniture too, which won’t necessarily be a price-positioned range. However he does hints at Burgbad broadening the price range by introducing lower cost products. Drake adds: “We have product like RC40, which is fantastic product but it’s not product that you can sell to everybody, every day. In order to be successful we need product for both ends of the market. We need product which is sized and priced – not at the bottom end of the market – but a busier end of the market.” And Jens Kromer agrees that to drive more sales, Burgbad may need to develop lower-priced product: “We will never be the cheapest but we have to find to product in order to get volume we need to get market share.”

John Drake says there are at least 200 quality showrooms in the UK which it would choose to deal with. And he points to new showroom openings, in the current market, setting out their stall at the higher- end of the market, which ultimately suits its furniture. Targeting a growing number of top-end showrooms, and set to deliver more mass market products, along with designs specific for British bathrooms, it seems Burgbad is already destined to ‘do better’.