KBzine: the original kitchen and bathroom industry e-news - since 2002
19th December 2014
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 International News
Products New palette of painted colours adds an individual touch to the hub of the home
Adding warmth, character and personality to any style of kitchen, the new colours of Biscuit, Light Blue, Light Grey, Heritage Grey, Dust Grey and a Primed finish ready for painting on site, bring the total number of painted colours available from Masterclass to 15. Chic and stylish towel warmers from Ben de Lisi
What materials work well in a wet room?
"Practicalities are key to a wet room - a waterproof foam material, such as Abacus Elements, is ideal, as when sealed, it makes the room completely waterproof. This is the same technology that is used in steam rooms - which are essentially the ultimate wet rooms. Instant style with Elite's new Anthracite
Elite bathroom furniture from Bauhaus is one of those magic ranges that will lift a bathroom or cloakroom from functional to fabulous - at a very reasonable price. Nolte Kitchens opens flagship store in Tallinn
VitrA unveils Memoria in the UK at Sleep
Grohe launches five new products at Sleep 2014
* The Grohe Powerbox - This infrared tap uses water pressure to power itself. Grohe's innovative technology uses the tap's own water flow to drive a turbine, concealed in a small box installed below the basin. This converts the energy from the flowing water into storable electrical energy which then powers the tap's infrared function. British Ceramic Tile launches new retail brand
Abode launches new three and four part heritage mixer tap collection
A new way to light and heat a bathroom from Auratherm
The new product, from Auratherm - part of established electric heating company, Ecolec, offers heat and light with remote controls, incorporating a four hour timer and an LED dimmer switch. The Auratherm vision of controlled heat and light in one electric product with a mirror is an intelligent way to save effort and energy. Teka goes a 'Touch' digital with Gas-on-Glass
Available as a five burner, 90cm model or four burner, 60cm model, the hob presents the perfect cooking solution to those who prefer the controllability of gas married with the sleek aesthetics of crystal tempered glass - and of course a hi-tech touch control panel with digital settings. |
This is our last issue of KBzine prior to the holiday break and with it falling so close to Christmas this year, I’m dreading having to make my way through the High Street tomorrow to pick up my last minute bits and pieces for Christmas, together with fresh fruit and veg from the local market, as it’s not something I tend to do on the last Saturday before Christmas. My family and close friends have avoided the pre-Christmas scrums for well over a decade, by making a pact that gifts are to be inexpensive or even home-made, which has turned out to be a real blessing. It’s kept our costs and stress levels down and has prevented the accumulation at home of unused gifts or the need to join the January returns queues. Having seen (via my computer screen) the violent scenes that erupted on Black Friday recently I shall be approaching the town with some trepidation tomorrow morning! No doubt the industry is hoping that no-one else is like my circle and that shoppers will be treating their loved ones to smart new kitchen appliances and the like – or even the promise in the New Year of a new kitchen or bathroom! One of my contacts – a supply chain maximisation expert - has suggested that the best way to make the most of your showroom is to have customer ‘wants’ at the front of the showroom and customer ‘needs’ behind the counter wherever possible. He says that the customer may come in for something they need, but walking through the showroom, they might fall in love with something they want. I hear those tills ringing as I write! Another suggestion is to turn the salesroom into a video showroom, with two or three videos playing on different monitors. Not only does this turn the showroom into an educational experience, but customers might decide to select something they see demonstrated in the video. Something worth bearing in mind perhaps? I’ll keep my fingers crossed that this season is a healthy, joyful and prosperous one for you. We’ll be back on 9th January and in the meantime we wish you a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
Yours,
 This Week's News
Swan celebrates a stellar year
Well known for developing the first heating element that could be immersed in water and producing good value small electrical appliances, Swan launched its Vintage Collection in 2013 and enjoyed a great first year, with sales doubling forecast. Franke Water Systems raises valuable funds for Cancer charities
The team shown here, (from right) Victoria Himsworth, Joanne Meadows, managing director Andy Dukelow, Mark Wilson and Andy Martin, also happen to have three nasty knee injuries between them - making the climb even more arduous. Geberit AquaClean range enhanced with new enhancement sets
Keeping installation simple and offering retailers the opportunity to upgrade sales of conventional WCs, the new sets feature a ceramic pan that is specifically designed for use with the Geberit AquaClean 4000, 5000 and 5000plus enhancement seats. Making upgrading to a shower toilet a simple process, with easy connection to the existing water and power supply, the enhancement sets are the perfect complement to the full Geberit AquaClean collection. Wirquin staff support Cash for Kids
The toys were dropped off at the local Asda supermarket and will be distributed by Santa's helpers, aka the Cash for Kids charity, to young people living in poverty to help make their Christmas morning that little bit brighter. Blanco's story of quality will be showcased at LivingKitchen
Blanco is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2015 and will be focusing on 'A Story of Quality' at the exhibition highlighting new products, innovative materials, outstanding design concepts along with the company's well established high quality products. Hotel picks Max-Top for 5* quality
"We are delighted that Max-Top Quartz has been chosen for the esteemed Alexander House Hotel," says Stephen Moss, managing director of Max-Top. "The group is very prestigious and focuses heavily on providing stylish, luxurious surroundings to its customers, so it is a great stamp of approval for Max-Top Quartz!" British Ceramic Tile brings the outdoors in with its new high definition (HD) slate collection
Launched to tap into the current design movement for organic materials and textures that typify the modern utility trend that has swept through our homes, HD slate is easy to install, hard-wearing, waterproof and requires no special sealing or maintenance unlike natural stone. KBSA warns consumers to beware the false sale! The Kitchen, Bathroom & Bedroom Specialists Association has issued a warning to consumers to research any purchase of a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom thoroughly before they buy - particularly in the months of January, February and March - when many retailers are involved in 'sale' activities. It is a well-established fact that pricing can be somewhat 'variable' due to existing legislation, and the Association suggests that consumer get at least two competitive quotes to ensure they do get real value for money. MySpa - New luxury portable and overflow spa pools
First showcased at the Cersaie exhibition in Bologna this year, the new MySpa range is suitable for both domestic and professional applications. Sustainability Award winner calls for entries
The Award is based on the foundation provided by the Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme, FISP, administered by FIRA, with a rigorous audit of members' activities. All FISP Full Members which manufacture in Great Britain are eligible to apply. Forward thinking green initiatives have an eye on the future
As part of a business-wide sustainability programme introduced eight years ago, the team at Sigma 3 are encouraged to reduce waste, improve efficiency and make cost savings, helping the company to accelerate its 96% recycling rate to 100% by the end of 2015. Ring in the New Year with the finest style and convenience from InSinkErator
InSinkErator, is in the ideal position to revolutionise the kitchen of 2015, and allow consumers to complement the latest trends without the substantial expense of a complete refit. The KBzine Archive Search We keep an extensive archive of news stories and product information that have featured in past issues of The KBzine. If you would like to run a search of the The KBzine web site using the search tool below please just go ahead by entering in the name of the person, product or company or any other key words that you are looking for. How to contact us at The KBzine:
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clicking the link above. Recent News
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 Shower market builds head of steam for 2015 A new report on the UK shower market from MTW Research has uncovered inflation busting growth returning for some sectors for the first time since 2007, with sales set to strengthen in 2015. KBB industry raises £1340 for WaterAid
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Marketing
Britannia supports independent retailers Britannia Living has announced that its Wyre range cooker collection has been repositioned to support independent retailers. The Wyre, which is one of four range cooker collections from Britannia, is characterised by its solid doors and matte finish. |
_142.jpg "Director Richard Ellis awards apprentice Patrick Madigan with his voucher (1)_142.jpg")
