Lecico Bathrooms MD Dan Banks: We're reliable, focused and easy to do business with

Newly appointed Lecico Bathrooms MD Dan Banks on the products being showcased at this year's InstallerSHOW, why the company is broadening its proposition, and how it is supporting customers in a competitive market.

Q: Lecico Bathrooms is taking part in InstallerSHOW 2026 – why is the show such a key event in your company's calendar?
A: InstallerSHOW has become a genuinely important event for us because it brings together the people who influence, specify, install and sell bathroom products across the UK. For Lecico, it gives us the opportunity to get directly in front of installers, merchants, distributors, specifiers, and contractors in one place. We are at an important stage in our development as a business. We have a strong heritage in sanitaryware, but we are also actively broadening the Lecico Bathrooms proposition across more complete bathroom solutions. InstallerSHOW gives us the right platform to demonstrate that direction clearly, speak to customers face to face, and show the market where the brand is heading. It is also a useful reality check. You can learn a lot from the conversations you have at a show like this. It helps us understand what customers are dealing with day to day, what products are gaining traction, where the pain points are, and how we can support them better.

Q: What highlights can visitors to the show expect to see on your stand?
A: Visitors can expect to see a much more complete Lecico Bathrooms offer. We will be showcasing our core sanitaryware ranges, including the established products that customers already know us for, but the main focus will be on how we are strengthening the wider bathroom proposition. A key highlight will be our newer brassware and showering ranges, which have been developed to give customers a strong, commercially sensible mid-market offer. We will be showing a range of finishes including Chrome, Matt Black, Brushed Gold and Gunmetal Grey, giving customers more choice across contemporary bathroom schemes. Most importantly, visitors will be able to meet the team. We want the stand to be a place for proper commercial conversations, not just product browsing. Whether customers want to talk about range, availability, margin, specification, display support or future opportunities, we will have the right people there to help.

Q: Tell us about the new product ranges – what do they consist of and why have you launched them now?
A: The new ranges are part of our wider strategy to make Lecico Bathrooms a stronger and more complete bathroom brand. We have built a reputation in sanitaryware, but the market increasingly wants joined-up solutions. Customers are looking for ranges that are commercially viable, easy to understand, reliable to source, and suitable for real-world projects. Our newer brassware and showering ranges have been developed with that in mind. They include a choice of basin mixers, bath fillers, bath shower mixers and showering options across popular finishes such as Chrome, Matt Black, Brushed Gold and Gunmetal Grey. The aim is not to overcomplicate the offer, but to give customers the right range depth, the right design cues and the right price positioning. We have launched them now because the market needs value, but not at the expense of quality or credibility. Customers are under pressure, installers are under pressure, and homeowners are still expecting good design. Our role is to give our customers products that allow them to compete confidently without exposing themselves to unnecessary complexity or poor availability.

Q: In your view, what sets Lecico Bathrooms apart from other suppliers?
A: I would say it is the combination of manufacturing heritage, commercial pragmatism, and accessibility. We are not trying to be everything to everyone, but we are very clear about where we can add value. Lecico has a strong manufacturing base and a longstanding reputation in ceramic sanitaryware. That matters because customers still need dependable products, stable supply, and sensible commercial support. At the same time, we are close enough to the market to understand what merchants, contractors, distributors, and installers are actually dealing with. We are also very easy to do business with. That can sound like a throwaway line, but it is important. Customers want suppliers who respond, who understand the pressure they are under, who can make decisions, and who are prepared to build proper long-term relationships. That is where Lecico can stand apart.

Q: What support do you offer your customers?
A: Our support depends on the type of customer and the route to market, because a national merchant, regional merchant, distributor, showroom, contractor and specification customer will all need slightly different things. At a practical level, we support customers with display material, point-of-sale, product literature, technical information, training, and access to the right people within the business. We also work closely with customers on range selection, stock profiling and commercial planning so that what we offer is relevant to their business rather than just a generic product list. For key partners, we are increasingly focused on building proper joint plans. That means agreeing the right range, the right level of support, the right commercial structure and the right measures of success. The days of simply placing product into the market and hoping it sells are gone. Good supplier support now has to be much more deliberate.

Q: How's business going at the moment?
A: The honest answer is that the market remains challenging, but we are making good progress. Demand is not as easy as it was a few years ago, and customers are rightly cautious around stock, cash and margin. That means suppliers have to work harder and be much clearer about the value they bring. For Lecico, that has sharpened our focus. We are looking carefully at where we win, where we need to improve, and where we need to be more disciplined. We are strengthening our branded proposition, improving our range architecture, and putting more structure around the sectors and customers we want to grow with. So, business is not without its challenges, but I would rather be clear-eyed about that. There is still good opportunity in the market for suppliers who are focused, responsive and commercially sensible, and that epitomises our approach to unlocking new business now and into the future.

Q: How optimistic are you feeling about the market looking ahead?
A: I am cautiously optimistic. I do not think anyone should pretend the market is easy. Inflationary pressure, softer demand, project delays, and customer caution are all still part of the landscape. But there is still demand, and there are still customers who want reliable supply partners with strong products and a sensible commercial approach. The opportunity for Lecico is to be more focused and more disciplined than we have been historically. We know the sectors where we can compete. We know where our product offer is strong. We know we have work to do in some areas, but that also gives us a clear agenda. My view is that the market will reward businesses that are easy to deal with, commercially consistent, and able to offer genuine value. That is where we are putting our energy.

InstallerSHOW 2026 takes place at NEC Birmingham from 23rd - 25th June.