KBzine: the original kitchen and bathroom industry e-news - since 2002
10th August 2018
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 International News
Products Abajo - a space-saving, subtle extraction system from Blanco
This system is perfect for open-plan living where sightlines should be kept clear. The Abajo sits flush to the worktop and siphons steam and cooking odours away leaving the room's atmosphere crystal clear. Survey reveals safety managers' confidence with workplace eyewash stations
New superslim worktops - a real innovation in laminate
Crosswater's Svelte bathroom furniture collection now offered inn Storm Grey
Franke's new Atmos hood aims to make condensation a thing of the past
Streamlined and elegant: Rangemaster launches two new kitchen taps
New VitrA Signature Collection offers retailers that little extra
The award-winning shower toilet; V-care Essential, is also included to provide retail partners with a competitively priced solution in this rapidly growing market segment. New mineral cast basins for VitrA Ecora Infinit furniture range for that millenial vibe
Multi-compartment bin from Binopolis make recycling quicker and easier
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Transport Focus has released its 2018 report into the best and worst of England's 111 motorway services, following its survey of 9,600 motorists on their experiences. One purpose of the survey was to identify which aspects of the visitor experience most influence overall satisfaction and of course washroom facilities and their cleanliness have had a big impact, bearing in mind that the vast majority of respondents cited the need to visit the toilet as the main reason for visiting services in the first place, since the fuel is prohibitively expensive. The reason I mention this, is that the independent transport user watchdog carried out its first large-scale survey in 2017 and has compared this year's results with those findings, identifying which facilities listened to their customers and made improvements. Those that made improvements have seen a massive rise in rankings. Motorway services areas need to make money; the more visitors they have, the more money they're likely to make. Almost half of the survey's respondents (45%) said they plan beforehand to stop at a particular services, which shows that there's no room for complacency with regard to the facilities. When it came to the quality of fixtures, only 50% said they were very happy both years; 33% said they were fairly happy in 2017 and in 2018 this figure had dropped to 31%. That's not really very good, is it? Clearly, refurbishment is called for in some of these establishments if they're going to continue to attract visitors. I know you may be involved in the manufacture and supply of high end bathroom products, but even if you are, just imagine being able to market them by having hundreds of thousands of customers use them every year, who may like what they see and remember your brand when they come to refurbish their own hotels, pubs, restaurants etc, as well as their homes! I'm not just talking toilets, basins and furniture, but showers for long distance drivers and facilities for the disabled, too. "Toilets rated highly for cleanliness and the number available, but the quality of fixtures scores somewhat lower," said Jeff Halliwell, chair, of Transport Focus. "However, there were plenty of comments noting and appreciating where improvement works had been carried out and new facilities provided. Investment is recognised and welcomed." Knowing you can help these facilities make money while advertising your brand, surely warrants a phone call or few then? Yours,
 This Week's News
Hotpoint takes fresh thinking for forgotten food on the road
From the end of July, the Hotpoint Fresh Thinking Mobile Kitchen has showcased simple and effective tips that help to reduce and prevent food waste. Pitching-up at five different locations across the UK, Hotpoint has been demonstrating recipes that utilise ingredients that are wasted the most in the UK. These include bread, dairy items and fruit and vegetables. Traditionally modern design for your kitchen
The secret ingredient for a modern kitchen
Jean Pierre opened his latest destination, Meltemi, in Northern Italy in early 2016. Named after and inspired by the northern winds of the Aegean Sea, there he sets himself apart from the local competition by offering a menu comprised strictly of seafood dishes. A contrast to traditional cuisine of Parma, which is very meat and dairy heavy, his playfully unusual offering has been welcomed in the area. Kartell by Laufen presents 'Dim Sum'
Ludovica + Roberto Palomba, the creative minds of the Kartell by Laufen project, continue their experimentation and innovation in the bathroom sector. Kartell by Laufen will be presenting an engaging, exploratory and conceptual exercise on washbasins that combines design and research, as part of this year's Festival.
The brand has reported a 70% sales increase of patterned floor tile in retail channels over the last year (2017 to 2018) with its feature floor and designer collections proving a surefire hit with consumers. Petite proportions with Roper Rhodes' small but perfectly formed bathroom solutions
Compact, wall hung sanitaryware can help create the illusion of a larger space. The versatile Note sanitaryware range includes a compact 450mm basin, which can be wall hung with a chrome bottle trap, making it the perfect choice for cloakrooms or en suites. Hoover launches next generation AI dishwasher
Boasting 16 place settings and A+++ energy credentials, it has a host of user-friendly features, combined with AI, make it a truly innovative addition to the market. Colour blocking perfection with new shades from Masterclass
Available on many of the company's best-selling ranges, including Hampton, Marlborough and Roma, Farringdon Grey is a subtle shade of grey that acts as a neutral canvas to be combined with a wide choice of colours and materials. Mereway sales & marketing director leaves company
Richard Norris, joint managing director at Mereway wished Graham well as he continues in his career and thanked him for his contribution in helping to make Mereway one of the foremost suppliers to the independent kitchen, bathroom and bedroom studio market. Ripples of a different kind...
As the company's Summer Sale continues, the invitation will encourage potential customers to take a close look at what's on offer, allowing sales staff to engage them as they enjoy their drinks. Ice lollies are on offer too, for children and, perhaps, those doing the driving... New brochure makes specifying the perfect sink and tap combination a breeze
Offering retailers significant savings on pack pricing compared to purchasing separately, the literature includes a comprehensive range of Abode sinks, which features a wide range of undermount and inset options. 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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KitchenAid supports retailers with bespoke training opportunities
Stylishly arranged over two floors, the venue offers retail partners valuable and bespoke training on the vast array of KitchenAid appliances. New FTA events to provide road map for new international logistics landscape
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More needs to be done to protect workers' lives
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