Ahead of its Annual Members Meeting, the Kitchen Bedroom Bathroom Buying Group (KBBG), part of Der Kreis, has announced it has strengthened its number of bathroom and kitchen suppliers.

The group, which is celebrating 10 years in the UK and will hold its largest ever Annual Members Meeting at Silverstone on June 12, has added Utopia, Sonas Bathrooms, Decosan and Grohe to its bathroom offer.

Managing director of KBBG Bill Miller commented: “At last year’s annual members’ meeting, I did say one area I really wanted to try and develop was our bathroom offer. It always looked a bit weak compared to the kitchen offer.

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“This year I have been focused on trying to find bathroom suppliers to come on board because 50% of our members sell bathrooms”

He explained the KBBG was seeking bathroom suppliers which sold direct, as selling through distribution means there may not be a margin to provide additional commercial benefits for KBBG members.

Miller said: “I’m really pleased that I stood up at the last AMM [annual members meeting] and said we want to add bathrooms and at this year’s AMM I will be able to say there are four new suppliers coming on board, that will boost our bathroom offer.”

Speaking about the partnership with Sonas, which has recently launched into the UK, Miller said  “Sonas Bathrooms is an exciting addition to the UK market, particularly with its huge success in Ireland.

“We are pleased to have the brand on-board so early into its UK journey and have every confidence that our members will be attracted to its complete bathroom collection that has been created for the independent bathroom specialist and offers such an excellent margin opportunity.”

CEO of Sonas Bathrooms Richard Sloan added: “We are proud to launch our brand in the UK and look forward to working closely with the KBBG to introduce our range to the members of the buying group.

“Our philosophy is centred around supporting our customer by putting them at the heart of everything we do, and we are excited to build long term relationships with leading retail partners across the UK.”  

KBBG has also grown its kitchen suppliers, adding Fisher & Paykel to its roster, which Miller says is a ‘stand out’ moment for the group this year.

Miller said: “We are proud to announce Fisher & Paykel as the latest supplier to join our buying group. Fisher & Paykel offers a fantastic range of products.

“Not only do its appliances boast the latest technology to help improve consumers’ lives, but they also look great aesthetically, which is always a bonus for our members’ showrooms.

“We believe Fisher & Paykel will be a welcome addition for many of the independent kitchen specialists that are part of the KBBG, and we look forward to a long and prosperous partnership with the brand.”

Sales director of Fisher & Paykel Mark Young added: “At Fisher & Paykel, we believe everybody deserves good design, because good design is all about making life better.

“We have built our success on understanding consumers and designing innovative products to create moments of delight in the home.

“We are excited to be joining forces with the KBBG to bring our distinct styles to independent kitchen showrooms across the UK.”