Interview: Kazuki Osugi and Floyd Case on reinventing Toto's London showroom

As Toto unveils a ground-up renovation of its London showroom, UK general manager Kazuki Osugi and senior project manager Floyd Case talk to Amelia Thorpe about growth and the evolution of the shower toilet market.

Fresh from unveiling a complete refurbishment of Toto’s London showroom, UK general manager Kazuki Osugi and senior project manager Floyd Case are eager to share the extent of the reinvention. "We’ve been in Clerkenwell for 16 years and the showroom opened soon after," says Case. "We were at the point that we knew it needed an overhaul, so we decided to commit to it in a major way."

While the showroom closed for 8 months and the team worked remotely, the 2-storey showroom has been entirely redesigned and re-built. "We have worked to create a Japanese atmosphere in London," says Osugi, referencing Toto’s history: the company was founded in 1917 in Kokura, Japan. A serried rank of Toto’s Washlets, the Japanese-designed shower toilets for which the brand is so well known, greets visitors on arrival, while downstairs there is an opportunity for them to visit the ‘Customer Experience Toilets’, designed by Squire & Partners. Each of the 3 rooms is designed with texture, lighting, sound and fragrance to enhance the wellness experience, which for many visitors is the opportunity to try out a Washlet for the first time.

While the front showroom is UK-orientated, a new global showroom has just been opened in former offices at the rear of the premises, geared towards UK-based architects and designers working on international projects and their differing requirements.

"When we first launched in the UK in 2009, architects were bemused by the product," says Case, "but we have grown the market to the point that our trademarked name 'Washlet' is now listed in the Oxford English Dictionary." While there are many other players in the shower toilet market now, he says that Toto’s focus on hygiene and performance allows it to maintain a global market leading position: the brand has sold more than 70million units worldwide, with a current annual turnover of more than 700billion Yen (about £3.25billion). Toto’s entry-level models are the RG and RG Lite, moving upwards to designs with more features and functions to the Neorest, and retail prices from approximately £2,500 to more than £10,000.

Latest innovations include matt white and matt black ceramic models. "It was technically challenging to deliver the same level of hygiene inside the bowl with matt ceramic, which is why they have only just been launched," says Case. "Again, with our focus on hygiene and performance, it was essential to get it right before introducing them to the market."

"When we first came to the UK, we were focussed on the hospitality market, but today we have an established residential business," continues Case. "The current split is about 60% residential, 40% hospitality." Products are sold – mostly through 2 distributors – via more than 100 retailers in the UK. Is the focus entirely on the luxury market? "Yes and no," he says. "With our increased breadth of range, there is affordable luxury, but a Washlet is always going to be a considered choice."

And how’s business? "We closed the first half of the year from January to June more than 30% up on the same period last year," notes Osugi, while Case adds, "Our goal has always been to grow the overall [shower toilet] market in Europe, because the bigger the market grows, the better for us."