Bathroom October 2009

Transcription

1 International Market Strategy Topics Croatia Europe Poland Russia Ukraine World BAUMAX Opens Two New Centres KINGFISHER's Plans Results Announced by CERSANIT ROCA to Invest 68 million in Factory PRAKTIKER Postpones Hypermarket Opening WEPLS Set for Major Upgrade HOMEBASE's Sales Show Positive Trend RAK's New Partnership Remarkable Profit Growth International strategic market research and consultancy on building product and related markets

2 Croatia: BAUMAX Opens Two New Centres The DIY retail chain BAUMAX has announced that it has opened two of its new centres in Zagreb. The sixth centre in Sesvete, is spread across 17,000 m 2 and has created 80 new jobs. The second centre opened in Jankomir, following expansion to 18,000 m 2 of land. BAUMAX's income on the Croatian market rose by 55% to 30 million in the first half of Source: Europe: KINGFISHER's Plans KINGFISHER has no plans for any new openings in either Britain or France for the second half of the current 2009/10 financial year, but is investing in the renovation of its existing stores, markets in Eastern Europe and Turkey, where expansion is set to continue with the opening of ten new outlets. Four new stores are to be launched in Poland, and three each in Russia and Turkey. In China, where the number of outlets was reduced by 15 to 48 over the first six months, there are a further six scheduled store closures. Source: Poland: Results Announced by CERSANIT During the first half of 2009, the Polish producer of ceramic tiles and sanitary fittings, CERSANIT, generated revenues of PLN 673 million ( million) and posted a net loss of almost PLN 50 million, which was caused by the weak Polish currency against the US dollar and Euro. In the second quarter of 2009, CERSANITs revenues reached PLN 369 million, which was in line with market predictions. Its operating profit totalled PLN 48 million, which is 8% more than expected by the market. Source: Esmek Russia: ROCA to Invest 68 million in Factory Spain's ROCA GROUP plans to invest 68 million in the creation of sanitary ware production in Russia's Chuvash Republic. The company plans to build an acrylic bathtub and sanitary ware plant, as well as a logistics centre. ROCA GROUP currently has over 80 branches and 53 plants. Source: Prime-Tass English-Language Business Newswire 2

3 Ukraine: PRAKTIKER Postpones Hypermarket Opening PRAKTIKER Ukraine, has postponed the opening of its Kiev hypermarket from 2009 until the first half of Alena Rossikhina, head of the marketing department, declared that the hypermarket is to be built on a site which the company has a long-term lease. The PR manager did not comment on the plans to open a hypermarket in Odessa, which was also scheduled for PRAKTIKER has three hypermarkets in Ukraine, in Makeevka in the Donetsk region and in Nikolaev and Lvov. Earlier the company planned to open three to five new stores per year to reach a total of 25. Source: Kommersant Ukraine 3

4 : WEPLS Set for Major Upgrade The BATHROOM MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION s well established WATER EFFICIENT PRODUCT LABELLING SCHEME is set to be upgradedthis autumnwith theintroductionof two new product categories, new functionality and a completely redesigned label. The scheme, which was launched two years ago, is now recognised as the method by which both consumers and professionals can seek for bathroom products which are sustainable and ecosensitive. Many Government departments now look to WEPLS as the best available guide to water saving bathroom products. To further enhance the scheme, members of the BMA have been meeting throughout the summer months to initiate improvements. From this September both grey water recycling units and shower handsets have been added to the WEPLS product categories. Grey water recycling is fast becoming the new must have technology in modern homes and commercial buildings. Most recycling systems collect and treat wastewater from showers, baths and wash basins and treat it before re-use to flush toilets, watering gardens and to feed washing machines. Grey water recycling systems can be installed in new or existing buildings and have the potential to meet a significant proportion of domestic demand for water. In the building of new homes, where Part G of the Building Regulations become a legal requirement on 1 st October 2009, grey water recycling will help the house builder to achieve the required level of water consumption. It will also help the builder to gain points towards the Code for Sustainable Homes scheme. Some shower handsets can reduce water consumption by up to 75% without affecting performance. These are eco friendly, reducing both the usage of water and the energy required to heat the sanitary hot water. This new WEPLS category will show a range of available products and help the user choose the best for a particular situation. Alongside the new categories, new user-friendly product labels will be introduced. The label will have a familiar feel, looking rather similar to the current grading label used on electrical white goods. Clear text and bold graphics make product choice simple. Bathroom manufacturers, whether they are members of the BMA or not, who have succeeded in having their products listed within the scheme will be encouraged to apply the label to show its water saving credentials. Source: 4

5 : HOMEBASE's Sales Show Positive Trend The UK DIY chain HOMEBASE reported sales of É401 million in the second quarter of 2009, equating to growth of 3% compared with the same period in Two new store openings brought the total number of HOMEBASE outlets to 350 at the end of the quarter. HOMEBASE s parent company, the HOME RETAIL GROUP, saw sales growing by 4.4% to É866 million for its DIY stores in the first half of Source: : RAK's New Partnership RAK CERAMICS' high vitreous china WCs are currently with an unrivalled flushing action, due to a recent partnership with GEBERIT to supplier water inlet and flushing valves for the company's range of 6/3 litre and 4/2.7 flush WCs. GEBERIT fittings allow the cistern lid to be removed easily without the need to unscrew any parts or damage any connecting cables or tubes. Each WC in the RAK CERAMICS range now also features an innovative seat fixing system, ensuring the seat stays in place and do not come loose. Whether a soft-close or standard urea toilet seat is chosen, it is held into the pan from a top fixing, making it simple to install. A toggle bolt secures the seat in place, embedding itself into the body of the pan to ensure it remains firmly in place. Source: World: Remarkable Profit Growth KINGFISHER has announced the figures for the first half of the group s 2009/10 financial year. These reveal a sales rise of 1.4% to É5.5 billion, which contrasts with a figure of minus 2.1% in same period of However, the group succeeded in increasing pre-tax profit by 34.6% to É288 million. Sales in Britain and Ireland were 0.3% below last year s figure. B&Q saw especially positive development with a 1.4% sales increase compared to last year. In France, sales went down by 3.5% in Sales in Poland made positive progress (+2.1%), as they did in Russia (+3.1%). By contrast, negative figures were reported from China (-17.7%) and Turkey (-3.9%). Source: 5