What’s new and hot with K&B products and trends

BY PETER SCHOR

Showroom specialist

Despite the current economic conditions, the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, held in Chicago April 10-13, was a great success! K/BIS brought together nearly 1,000 exhibitors and 45,000 attendees. The show was much larger in square feet than last year’s show and it was even more challenging for the attendees to see it all in 19 show hours over three days. Some of the show’s best-kept secrets were in the seminar conference, such as learning about Green sustainable design bath and kitchen products. Keep that in mind for next year. K/BIS 2009 is scheduled for May 1-3 at the World Congress Convention Center in Atlanta.

According to statistics from the NKBA, in spite of the housing slump and a slight recession, homeowners are still investing in professional-grade luxury options for the bath such as shower power, steam bath, air massage tubs, decorative faucets, bath accessories and much more. Are you getting your share in that narrowly focused market? Remember from last month’s column: Re-think your product mix for better gross profits; check on overhead and eliminate wasteful habits; create a better showroom “experience”; create better marketing and positioning of your showroom; and implement better ways to create more qualified showroom traffic.

Every showroom must have this sales tool

Good times -- and especially not so good times -- make it mandatory to sell “cost versus value.” Every year, Remodeling Magazine puts out a special magazine issue called “Cost versus Value.” This is done in conjunction with information provided by the National Association of Realtors and 100,000 appraisers, sales agents and brokers, and other objective means. It is a highly respected report that has been in place for many years and has been used by K&B dealers and remodeling contractors to help sell “the value” of better quality as “an investment” to their customers.

Go on the website (www.remodelingmagazine.com) and click on “Special Features” and then on “Cost vs. Value.” You will see the national average of job costs, resale value and cost recouped. In this yearly report (2007 is the last one), it lists 18 mid-range home projects and 11 upscale home projects for the home. You will see as examples categories in “Mid-Range Projects” and “Upscale Projects” such as Bathroom Additions, Bathroom Remodels and Major Kitchen Remodels. The cost recouped is the percentages of “a one-year return on investment.” This is what you want to sell your clientele on. Do not spend time too much time on “job cost” vs. “resale value” unless you read and digest the “What the Numbers Mean” section.

You can click on every region of the country and the major cities within your showroom market. Listen up: National average for return on investment after one year for “Upscale Bathroom Additions” is 69% and “Upscale Bathroom Remodels” is 68.4%. Print out your area “Cost versus Value” statistics and detailed list of your region/cities as a sales tool to sell quality bathroom products to your clientele. Besides the emotional reasons to buy luxury, you now have a tool to support “making a sound investment” in quality bathroom and kitchen products. Share this information with your other showroom consultants and your trade partners. Residential housing will rebound and clients want to know that the bath remodel or bath addition quality products investment is a rock solid one!

Plumbing products and design trends

I have previewed, reviewed and researched a major portion of the new products at K/BIS 2008 the show. Openly, overall, it was a flat year for new products brought about by the slow down in the residential housing and the economy. I walked the New Product Pavilion and it was “slim pickings” compared to the past years. There were only two awards given out by Kitchen and Bath Business, the official show magazine, for the close to 200 products shown. The winner in the Kitchen Category was Brew Express by Lance Larkin (www.brewexpress.com), a built-in-the-wall self-filling coffee system. The winner in the Bathroom Category was Designer Rods (www.designersrods.com), which are towel bars incorporating decorative design elements such as sea glass, shells, marbles and colored glass encased in a shatter resistant, optically clear, hollow rod.

Again, I want to acknowledge the major highly visible and better known manufacturers for their innovation in 2008.  Some of those manufacturers are: Kohler, American Standard, Jacuzzi, Villeroy and Boch, toto usa, Moen, Delta and many others.

Creating the experience

Drawing a bath or taking a shower has evolved into therapy trends such as hydrotherapy (water), aromatherapy (fragrance), chromatherapy (light and color), audiotherapy (sound), air massage & whirlpool combinations (tubs only), radiant heated interior surfaces inside tubs, self cleaning tub features, digital remote controls, CD player, LCD mirrored TVs, iPods, Bose speakers, pillowed head rest for bathtubs, and more.

Showers have become “recreational” to reduce stress and tensions of the day and “coccoon” in the privacy of one’s bathroom. In the high-end luxury market, the goal seems to be turning clients’ showers into a water slide park or car wash! Kohler Company (www.kohler.com) featured its VibroAcoustic chamber where you can experience of music, vibrations, and chromatherapy (light/color) in the company’s Fountainhead Bath. Talk about stress reduction. The music surrounds you, the vibrations reduce stress and tension, and chromatherapy, depending on what colors you select will invigorate or relax your body and mind. Want to know how to “Create the Experience and Branding” in your showroom way beyond value-added? Please e-mail me (pschor@dynamicresultsinc.com) a request to send you my July 2005 showroom column from The Wholesaler.

Green sustainable movement is here to stay!

I am hoping that those who attended K/BIS 2008 went to the numerous “green” seminars or picked up some of the many books on “green” in the NKBA Bookstore. If not, visit www.NKBA.org and buy some good green books for your showroom. The four components that relate to designing and constructing of sustainable bathrooms and kitchens are:

• Water conservation
• Energy conservation
• Material conservation
• Indoor air quality.

My best advice for today’s plumbing wholesaler showrooms in “green” are:

• Identify which of your existing products in your showroom offer “green.” Ask your local rep and manufacturers to assist you.
• Make very small discreet professional signs for each green product displayed with “I’m Green” or just the word “Green” in a green color. Those who want “green” will easily identify to you and your showroom.
• Identify other manufacturer product lines that offer “green” products.

Showering

I predicted last year that the pre-plumbed shower columns/panels would be abundant. Hansgrohe’s (www.hansgrohe.com) SkyLine Showerpanel featured a fold-out shoulder shower and a flip-out foot rest for easy leg shaving. Smart Showers (www.smartshowers.net) had a great Shower Panel at the show and had much tv coverage. Tile Redi (www.tileredi.com) leak-proof mold-free shower pans are ready to accept the tile, marble or stone of your clients’ choice. Each shower pan has an integrated floor drain with a built in 1/4” pitch to the drain. Sure beats the cost and time to hot mop a shower pan. Trust me that you can stock/sell this in a plumbing/bath showroom. Collectively the k&b dealers loved this product!

Jaclo Industries (www.jaclo.com), which has grown into a dominant “shower power” firm, came out with ne spa “Chromatherapy” (light/color) showerheads.  Conventional rain heads available in oval, round, square and rectangular, and ranging from 8” to 16” diameter and up to 16” x 20” rectangular. Jaclo also came out with a line of ada-compliant luxury grab bars that continues to get wide acclaim in their designs. Lots of chromatherapy shower devices and tub filler at the show. Better Living Products (www.dispensers.com) is an undisputed leader of bath liquid dispensers and other bath and shower accessories. A good showroom display product line. They had a full array of new products. New Home Bath and Mirror (www.clearmirror.com) has one of the best “Shaving in the Shower Fogless Mirrors,” which is built into the wall and is nahb Research Center code approved. With all the hot water required to operate tubs and showers, don’t forget Rinnai (www.foreverhotwater.com), 24/7 hot water on demand.

Bathing

Palazzo Baths (www.palazzobaths.com) is well on their way to branding their product line as the most desirable “lifestyle tub” of the affluent luxury market. Their award-winning bathtubs have graced the 5-star boutique and resort hotels of the world. Affluent consumers in luxury markets are asking for this product.

Jason International (www.jasonint.com), the original Jacuzzi family, has some of the best new bathing features on their products today. Check it out!  Xylem’s (www.xylem.biz) “Dual Art” bath faucet had an arm that pivots from the faucet body to vary the angle of the water stream and can be fixed using a hand tightened screw.

Chromatherapy

Kwc Faucets’ (www.kwcfaucets.com), Canyon Faucet uses temperature-sensing leds that provide a sensual aura of light as they illuminate the water from blue for cold, to pinkish magenta for warm, to red for hot! We all saw tons of this technology expanding in lots of other faucetry and new industry products in 2008 at the show! Remember, my 2005 K/BIS article about expanding and growing in electronics in bathrooms? Electronics in baths will continue to grow. Rubinet Faucet Company (www.rubinet.com) has come out with a magnificent custom metal decorative finish. Huntington Brass (www.huntingtonbrass.com) came out with an upscale contemporary faucet series called Favari, which is beautiful and extraordinarily competitive. One of the exciting faucets that caught my eyes was the Moen (www.moen.com) Vivid Collection faucet, ideally for the powder room.

Toilet technology

Dual flushing toilets were everywhere and I believe they will be a standard feature in homes in a few years. They save nearly 50% of the water used. In the meantime, Brondell Inc. (www.brondell.com), which is known for their bidet seats has a product called Ecoflow that enables you to install a dual flush functionality in 90% of all toilets made in approximately 30 minutes. It can’t get any “greener” than this. Sloan Flushmate (www.flushmate.com) has come out with new pressure assisted flushing systems for toilets in slimmer vessels. The new Intelli-Flush automatic flush system is hot. Touchless flushing! 

Sinks and lavatories

One of my best finds at K/BIS 2008 was Cantrio Koncepts (www.cantriokoncepts.com), which offers a full range of hot designs in glass, stainless steel, copper, nickel, ceramic, marble, granite, and wood vessels, appealing to both traditional elegance as well as contemporary style. Glass sinks out and glass “art” in. There is a dramatic difference between art and quality, and the flood of glass sinks coming from China and other parts of the world. You can bank on the product line like VitraForm (www.vitraform.com), an industry benchmark that will be around 100 years from now. One of the best not exhibiting at K/BIS 2008 is Coyote Glass (www.coyoteglass.com) which is designed and owned by Melissa Payton, is one of the best “art in form” product lines out there! Eco-friendly green bamboo lavatories, vessels and pedestal lavatories were hot and shown at several booths. One of the best manufacturers I examined was Rio Grand Imports (www.riograndeimports.com).

Plumbing fixtures

One of the hottest product lines that I experienced was The Rivers Collection (www.the-stockmarket.com/ Rivers_brochure.pdf)  exclusively distributed by The Stock Market. The 1,000-square-foot+ booth had a wide variety of hand-carved stone lavatories, vessels, pedestal lavatories, statue pedestals, kitchen and bar sinks, all available in a wide variety of choices. Wrought iron stands are also available in black. These stands can house many different types of manufactured vessels and material types that give your showroom an exclusive custom combination.

One of my best new finds in a plumbing fixture line “untapped” for showrooms was O Design (www.odesign.com), which is a four-year-old division of Aciflex Industries from Canada. The Villion and Werner bathtubs in a combination of stainless steel and tempered glass were hot! Their glass shower systems with bases were innovative. Take a good look at the Voitti and Beethoven Round Glass Shower with free standing faucet system. Go on the website and see for yourself.

Bath accessories

Amba Towel Warmers (www.ambatowelwarmers.com) had some great affordable, quality designed towel warmers in multiple metal finishes. The 100% stainless steel construction is available in a variety of styles and sizes. The Amba Towel Warmer brands -- Jeeves, Goldry and Elory -- all have very distinctive looks. All models are electric and are ul certified. Amba’s booth had a great mix of towel warmers and pictures of the products in actual bathroom applications.

Quick Tip: Showrooms must use this technique more often. Seura (www.seura.com) introduced a new generation of lcd mirror TV combinations and back lit mirrors with or without the TV. Seura was seen on the Oprah Winfrey Show’s “Top 10 High Tech Product Innovations for The Home” recently. The award-winning mirror TV delivers cutting-edge technology to power mirror and glass surfaces with a futuristic look. Kimball and Young (www.kimballyoung.com) had a wide variety of magnification mirrors with led lighting technology. Each of its 28 led lasts more than 50,000 hours and use only a fraction of the power that traditional bulbs do. For this reason, this is also an environmentally conscious mirror. Magnification mirrors with lights are a big item for consumers. Put them in your showrooms.

Door hardware

Boyle and Chase (www.boyleandchase.com), who did not exhibit, is one of the largest master distributors of decorative and residential door and cabinet hardware (Baldwin, Omni, and more). Door hardware showrooms took a big bite out of plumbing/bath products over the last 30 years. Isn’t it time you get involved with selling door hardware? Check out the feasibility in your market. Display. No stock, Sell high. Buy short. Make your showroom a one-stop shop.

Kitchen

Everpure (www.everpure.com) drinking water systems have won numerous industry awards. The professional’s choice! Water Inc. (www.waterinc.com). You must take a look at Everhot instant hot water dispensers (they work 100%!); Evercold water chillers; Everbrew built in purified coffee maker; and great-looking traditional and contemporary designed gooseneck faucets for hot and cold water -- lead free -- in 20 finishes and colors.

Tile and surface materials

Moving Color (www.movingcolor.com), one of the great patented inventions of all time in tile. Using the color of infinity, The Moving Color process enables the glass tiles to change hue dramatically, responding to applied heat. Moving Color has two lines of 4 x 4 tile called Northern Lights and Watercolors.  Mirage Tile (www.miragetile.com) has one of the best selections of glass, spectra glass and lava stone in the industry. The colors are very fashionable. Hirsch Glass (www.hirschglasscorp.com) was a huge hit. Hirsch manufactures a unique line of glass art panels and glass mosaic tiles. All in very desirable colors and patterns. Vetrazzo (www.vetrazzo.com) made from recycled glass was a great hit with the most vibrant colors. ThinkGlass (www.thinkglass.com) was a extraordinary hit in kitchen countertops. Picture 1 1/2” thick and personalized with your choice of texture, color, or even embedded art, sealed beneath a smooth glossy top.

For those who could not attend this incredible K/BIS 2008 show, you can log on my website (www.drknowledge.net) for a complete overview of some of the other new and exciting bath and plumbing products. There are websites listed on each new line for you to review.

In my May column I covered the first of a three-part series; in the July column, I will continue with Part II, “How to Speed Up the Showroom Selling Process and be in Control of Your Showroom.”; and in August, I will continue with Part III, “Tips and Secrets of Today’s Successful Plumbing Showrooms.”                   

Peter Schor, president of Dynamic Results Inc., is an educator, motivational speaker, consultant, coach and writer in our industry and many diverse others. For the past 17 years, he has conducted 100 educational programs yearly, including 34 industry conventions. Schor has great expertise in the field of showrooms and has won many industry awards. He also works with manufacturers in the field of sales, marketing and public relations. Schor can be reached at 1491 Ivy Arbor Lincoln, CA 95648, phone 916/408-5346, fax 916/408-5899, by e-mailing pschor@dynamicresultsinc.com or website www.dynamicresultsonline.com.