Lee Palmer, sales director UK & Ireland for BagnoDesign, explains how the company is reaffirming its commitment to UK bathroom showrooms with a new in-store sales strategy in a bid to grow its retail network.
Q: Tell us about BagnoDesign’s sales strategy – how has it changed?
A: Our retail partners have always been incredibly important to us and we’re constantly looking at ways to develop and improve those relationships while growing the BagnoDesign brand in the UK. As part of our commitment to our UK retail showrooms, we’ve made the decision to change our retail strategy to exclusively focus on in-store sales from the beginning of 2025.
Q: What is the reason for this new approach?
A: When I joined Sanipex Group earlier this year, I was tasked with growing sales through a selected network of committed retail partners. We talked to our customers and their passion for the BagnoDesign brand and our growing portfolio of premium products was instantly evident. BagnoDesign offers a wide range of beautifully designed products from brassware to sanitaryware and we feel consumers really need to be able to see them in-store to appreciate the design language flowing through the whole range. Both Nick Taylor, who recently joined the company as our national retail account manager, and I have extensive experience of working with retail showrooms and we believe the immersive in-store shopping experience is an important part of the journey within bathroom design and selection.
Taking all of that into account, we developed our new strategy and based it on the foundations of relationships, trust, support and service to offer our showroom partners an exclusive brand that’s not diluted within the market. As a team we’re really excited about working with new and existing retail partners and believe this strategy will secure the long-term growth of the BagnoDesign brand within the retail sector in the UK.
Q: Why should independent bathroom retailers take note?
A: It’s an exciting time for BagnoDesign. Our new sales strategy reaffirms our commitment to the UK retail market and to independent bathroom retailers, who we believe are integral to the growth of the brand. Pair that with our luxury bathroom products, which offer retailers something a little bit different and give them an advantage in the premium sector of the market, and we believe we have a very attractive proposition for retailers.
Q: How many retailers do you have in your network and how much do you hope to grow it?
A: We’re actively targeting new retailers and are currently in the process of presenting our new strategy to existing retail partners. It’s a structured, 2-tier approach to grow our retail network so that we’re working with 50 to 100 Gallery and Lifestyle partners. Gallery showrooms will have 1-2 displays while Lifestyle showrooms will have 3-4 in a branded BagnoDesign area.
Q: What support do you offer independent retailers?
A: We believe collaborative partnerships are key to success in the UK retail market and our commitment to selling in-store extends to supporting every one of our retail partners with a comprehensive package. This includes product training, help marketing our brand online and within their showrooms through POS and displays as well as printed brochures. We’re also investing in growing our sales team to better support our independent retailers.
Q: Next year is the company’s 30th anniversary – what will you be doing to celebrate?
A: 2025 is an exciting year for Sanipex Group as we celebrate our 30th anniversary. We have several new bathroom launches planned for 2025 and we’re looking forward to sharing those with our customers. We’ll continue to invest in our UK business and are actively growing in the UAE as well with a number of new stores set to open next year.
To mark such a significant milestone, we’ll also host a range of events to celebrate with the team that has helped to develop and grow the company. Without all their hard work we would and could not be where we are today.
