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Ciaran Quinn Joins VitrA as Digital Marketing Assistant

Ciaran Quinn joins VitrA UK

International bathroom manufacturer VitrA has expanded its UK marketing team with the appointment of Ciaran Quinn as Digital Marketing Assistant, based at the company’s head office in Oxfordshire.

Rebecca Slater, Senior Digital Marketing Executive for VitrA, explains “We are delighted to welcome Ciaran to the team.  He joins us at a particularly exciting time with the future opening of our showroom, and I have no doubt he will make a valuable contribution to expanding our presence further.”

Ciaran, who also has experience in photography and videography joins VitrA from the telecoms industry.  Ciaran says “I am excited to be working for a well-known brand that has such a respected reputation with both trade and end-users.   VitrA has the entire bathroom covered under one roof with huge plans for the coming months.  Communicating these initiatives digitally will be exciting and challenging.”

About VitrA

VitrA is part of the Eczacıbaşı Group, one of Turkey’s most prominent industrial groups. Founded in 1958, VitrA is a leading bathroom manufacturer, which in recent years has expanded into international markets with over 70 per cent of VitrA’s total output now being sold outside of Turkey. From 13 production facilities in Turkey, Germany, France and Russia, VitrA produces a full range of bathroom products including over 5.6 million pieces of sanitaryware a year along with complementary bathroom furniture, brassware and accessories ranges, which are distributed to over 75 countries on five continents.

VitrA UK, based in Oxfordshire, has been supplying the UK bathroom market for over 25 years and is an active member of the Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA) and the British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI).  Coming Soon VitrA will open a flagship showroom in Clerkenwell, London – a creative hub for architects, designers, and thinkers with dedicated areas for product specification, events and workshops.

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New Executive for Virtual Worlds Design Hub

Virtual Worlds Design Hub

As the Virtual Worlds Design Hub gains momentum, Lianne Hornby joins the team in the role of Design Executive.

In this newly created role, Lianne will use her knowledge of interior design to assist with various design projects relating to the Design Hub umbrella of services.

Launched earlier this year, the Design Hub offers a bathroom and kitchen design service for retail showrooms who are in need of temporary support to cover holiday or illness or to plug an immediate skills gap.

Having been with Logicom for six years, Lianne is already very familiar with the Virtual Worlds software, working first as part of the Customer Service Support team and latterly as a Quality Assurer. This experience, along with her involvement in creating marketing images and training for the role for the past two years means Lianne is well placed for this new position.

Joining the Design Hub as demand for the service continues to gather pace, Lianne will work under the guidance of Head Designer Lauren Sutton, assisting with a range of projects, including a new lead generation campaign targeted at consumers to drive leads into showrooms, collating feedback and analytics on their 4D experience.

Lauren comments: “It is our mission to build a team of experienced and passionate designers to better support our retail network. Each design created is intended to be inspirational and is quality-approved by myself to ensure the best chance for the retailer to convert their opportunities into sales.”

Commenting on her new role, Lianne said: “Design is always something I have been passionate about since I started at Virtual Worlds and I am looking forward to using my new qualifications in interior design. I’m excited to be given the opportunity to progress and help within a newly formed area of the business, helping showrooms and manufacturers with their designs.”

For more information on Virtual Worlds call  01908 663 848 or visit www.virtualworlds.co.uk

About Virtual Worlds

Virtual Worlds is the UK market leader in innovation-led CAD technology for the KBB market.  Since launching in 1998, it has broken boundaries in virtual technology innovation – being the first company to develop 3D design software for KBB retailers and, most recently, launching its new 4D Showroom Technology. Virtual Worlds is a division of Logicom Computer Services (UK) Ltd

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Unidrain introduce new faster installation Outlet Unit

Outlet Unit Unidrain

The latest Outlet Unit from Unidrain promises an efficient and cost-effective building solution. The new Outlet Unit is easy to install and reduces not only the number of materials needed but the time it takes to complete the building process, and according to Unidrain is destined to be in high demand thanks to Unidrain’s award-winning reputation for excellence.

Unidrain has expanded their range; to include a newly developed outlet unit with an extra-low installation height – just 69 mm. The solution includes a brand new water trap with a height of 50 mm. This new outlet unit is almost 20 mm lower than the manufacturer’s existing outlet units.

“We’ve developed a solution where the building height is lowered by almost 20 mm, which actually means a lot in construction. The extra-low outlet unit and water trap provide several benefits on site which combine to make installation both easier and faster. It is particularly beneficial for renovation and conversion projects as they benefit from a lower drainage installation that’s easier to build into an existing floor,” says Lasse Lyck, Technical Manager at Unidrain.

A lower solution with lots of capacity
The water trap effectively guides the water out of the shower and eliminates odour; the water capacity in the new water trap is 32 litres per minute; making the solution well above the minimum requirement of 24 litres per minute. The water trap can easily be dismantled for cleaning and if a rear facing outlet is required the trap can be rotated as needed.

“We kept the height as low as possible, so the installation also ends up being very low but without compromising on either function or effectiveness. We’ve optimised the solution in terms of size whilst at the same time retained all its benefits and lots of capacity,” says Lasse Lyck.

In addition to being VA-approved, the product meets all common Danish standards, such as BR18 (including SBi Guideline 252) and DS 432. In addition, the solution meets the important European standard EN1253 and is approved in most European countries.

Unidrain: Established in 2003 this design company has gone from inventing the linear floor drain to creating a
leading international brand, spreading Danish design ethics and Nordic minimalism to the rest of the globe.
From five star hotels in the Maldives, to the Award winning Herman K in Copenhagen Unidrain products and
accessories play a key role in the look and feel of the most stylish bathrooms on the planet.

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Bushboard unveils new website with tailored features

Bushboard unveils new website

Bushboard unveils new website – the dynamic new website offers an intuitive customer journey across all sales channels for consumers, retailers and installers.

Customers are now invited to browse beautiful Bushboard case studies, an extensive gallery of real-life imagery and create a dream kitchen or bathroom space via the innovative virtual design studio.

Driven by its parent brand Wilsonart Group in response to the impact of COVID-19, changing consumer purchasing behaviours and as a means to provide additional measures of support to its trade partners, the website received a significant overhaul during the Summer months. The new platform now features comprehensive, specialised benefits for homeowner, retailer, and installer customers and supports them through four key stages of the customer journey: research, decisionmaking, installation and aftercare.

An integral part of the new design is the retailer Resource Centre. “We originally launched ‘Restart Together Club’ in July as a way for Bushboard to support kitchen and bathroom retailers in their return to business in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis,” says Holly Turnbull, Digital Communication Manager UK Worktops for Wilsonart UK. “The now rebranded ‘Resource Centre’ feature was found to be such a valuable asset to our retailer partners that this is now a permanent fixture of our new website and enables retailers to find or order everything they need at the touch of a button. It also allows them to easily access brochures, efficiently order up to 5 free samples with free shipping and be part of an interactive community supported by our customer care team, that holds their success at the centre of their work.”

Bushboard unveils new website

For installers, the new platform provides product information, installation guides, videos, and best practice tips all in one place, offering the perfect on-the-job point of reference. The website also helps put customers in touch with each other with installers and consumers able to find their nearest retailer with the help of the ‘Find a retailer’ feature.

Meanwhile, for homeowners, the platform is now an accessible, streamlined haven of inspiration featuring Bushboard’s entire collection of decors and ranges in a design that is user-optimised and intuitive to navigate.

There is also a digital visualiser tool that can help bring a consumer’s dream kitchen or bathroom design to life.

Whether the customer is researching products on a home computer or sees a Bushboard décor they
love in-store and wants to look up more information from their phone, the new website is set up to
deliver a first-class consumer journey with immediate and targeted details within seconds, in a bid to
respond to the variety of touchpoints consumers are now using to browse, learn and shop.

www.bushboard.co.uk

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KBSA confirms retailers can remain open

KBSA Bathroom showrooms to close

The Kbsa has advised members in England that they can remain open when the new lockdown comes into force at midnight tonight (04 November).

The advice follows the publication of both legislation and guidance regarding ‘non-essential’ retail.  As with the previous lockdown, the government has stated that ‘hardware stores & builders merchants‘ are classed as essential retail.

Kbsa national chair Richard Hibbert said, “We have acted swiftly to clear any confusion, around the definition of ‘non- essential’ within the new legislation, and confirmed our position with BEIS”.

“This is good news for independent retailers.  A stop-start situation during this busy period, when projects are in hand for a Christmas completion, would have caused huge complications”.

“Members are also being advised to ensure that they continue to operate in a Covid-19 secure manner and we have a wealth of advice and support available to assist with this”.

“We remain committed to supporting members and the wider audience of independent retailers as they negotiate their way through this challenging period.”

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Antimicrobial effect from HEWI active + eliminates risk

HEWI active + is a range of products with antimicrobial effect. According to the study “Patient safety – what matters for patients”, the risk of infection with multi-resistant germs is the greatest concern of patients in hospitals.

HEWI has developed products with an antimicrobial effect, especially for areas with the highest hygiene requirements. The products offer effective protection against bacterial contamination. Microsilver is used, which has a broad effectiveness against bacteria and fungi. This releases silver ions which inhibit the growth of bacteria and other undesirable germs and thus minimise the risk of infection for humans.

Within 24 hours, a continuous reduction of undesirable germs on the surface of the products takes place, so that 99.9% of germs are reduced within this period. The integrated antimicrobial protection of HEWI active+ effectively supports hygiene. The microsilver is evenly incorporated into the polyamide during production. The additive is thus firmly attached to the product and is therefore insensitive to UV light and cleaning processes.

Hewi active+ Microsilver products

Due to the porous surface of the microsilver, the material used has an excellent depot effect which has a permanent, reliable effect after incorporation into the polyamide. HEWI active+ does not burden the environment or the human organism. The active ingredient is ECO CERT certified and suitable for use in skin care products.

A comprehensive range of lever handles, sanitary accessories and care products is available in the classic round tube design in the colour signal white.

HEWI

HEWI active+ | Door handle

Please contact us for further information:

HEWI Heinrich Wilke GmbH

Postfach 12 60

D-34442 Bad Arolsen

Telefon +49 5691 82-0

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Space toilet from Duravit – virtual lab to space

Developing a space toilet that can work in a weightless environment and on the moon, sounds like quite a tricky task! That is why NASA offered a $35,000 prize for the three best designs – for which they received 20,000 proposals from participants around the world.

NASA announced the winners at a ceremony on October 22, 2020, and awarded third prize to Franziska Wülker, development engineer at the designer bathroom manufacturer Duravit. The two first places were awarded to teams from the United States. Franziska Wülker is the female non-American individual engineer who made it to the top 3.

Jonny Kim, the Silver Star recipient and NASA astronaut was also present at the ceremony, as he is involved in the Artemis program. This is expected to send the next male and first female astronaut to the moon in 2024.

Thomas Stammel, Chief Technical Officer at Duravit AG, was delighted, and said: “We are extremely proud
that Franziska Wülker was able to conceive and complete such an ingenious project alongside her
regular work. The third place award is a considerable achievement and is testament to our expertise in the field of toilet technology.”

Linar Loo Duuravi

The Duravit space toilet is comfortable for both male and female astronauts to use – thanks to its optimised ditting geometry. Suction is used to reliably remove all excretions from the user’s body.

Due to the absence of gravity, excretions are fed into a centrifuge, where they are accelerated and deposited in a tank via a screw conveyor.

The geometry of the design and filters guarantees that neither unpleasant odors nor bacteria can escape into the cabin of the spaceship. The toilet system is self-contained, meaning that the safety of the crew is guaranteed even in the event of a power outage, preventing exposure to a vacuum or similar.

Despite its ingenious technology, Duravit’s design comes in well below NASA’s specifications in terms of weight and energy consumption.

Duravit deploys state-of-the-art technology in all its research and development, which is enhanced by the experience of the skilled workforce in the development team. Engineers, product developers, and designers work closely on new projects. For example, they utlilise the very latest software used for research in the automotive industry, the aviation and aerospace sector and in universities. For instance this software enables the flow of water to be realistically simulated and visualized, this means that new products can be developed and optimised quickly and efficiently. The company previously used the software in the development of the Duravit Rimless® technology, this offers enhanced hygiene and cleaning comfort thanks to the open design of the flushing rim.

“When developing toilets, we pay close attention to reliable flushing performance and good hygiene. As
well as functionality and design, we are also always mindful of current issues such as water consumption.
On our toilets designed for use on earth, we are naturally assisted by gravity, which causes the excrement to fall automatically into the toilet bowl. One of the biggest challenges in the construction of the Lunar Loo was rethinking everything to ensure that the functionality also worked in a weightless environment,” said development engineer Franziska Wülker.


Duravit AG
Founded in 1817 in Hornberg in the Black Forest, Duravit AG is today a leading international
manufacturer of designer bathrooms. The company is active in more than 130 countries worldwide and
stands for innovation in the fields of signature design, comfort-enhancing technology and premium
quality. In cooperation with high-profile international designers, such as Philippe Starck, sieger design, Kurt Merki Jr., Christian Werner, Matteo Thun and Cecilie Manz, the company develops unique bathrooms that enhance quality of life for users on a sustained basis. Duravit’s product portfolio comprises sanitary ceramics, bathroom furniture, bathtubs and shower trays, wellness systems, shower-toilets, tap fittings and accessories as well as installation systems.

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Stylish QUBE brochure for Utopia’s new collection

Bushboard unveils new website

Utopia has launched a new 44 page brochure to present its recently refreshed Qube collection, now available in seven finishes together with an array of new units, accessories and brassware options.

The new brochure demonstrates the flexibility and versatility of the range through a series of striking lifestyle images, showcasing the many different looks and configurations possible using elements from the collection. High impact yet eminently practical solutions for smaller bathrooms are also explored using the space saving options. A useful step by step guide at the front of the brochure outlines the simple design process and highlights ways in which layouts can be personalised.

The new Qube brochure can be viewed online, requested as a hard copy and/or downloaded at www.utopiagroup.com.  

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New Abode showroom for training, sales & marketing

Abode showroom training space for retailers

Work on developing a new Abode showroom at Abode headquarters in south Yorkshire is now complete, with the space now ready to welcome the manufacturer’s retail network.

The perfect setting to showcase the latest products and technologies available from Abode, the showroom has been designed with the aim of providing a suitable space for retailers to access training and to understand the thinking behind new product developments. The showroom will also be accessible to Abode employees, for training and marketing purposes.

With working displays, customers are able to not only see the products in real life rather than online or in a brochure, but also to see them in action. Giving a greater understanding of how the various models work and their USPs, this aids retailers in selling the products in their own showrooms.

“As well as being important as an area to showcase our latest products or a specific customer offer, the showroom has been developed to support a number of key objectives,” explains Marketing Manager Leanne Adamson.

“Importantly, the space will help us to deliver a consistent training package, including dedicated training days in the future, for our customers and staff, enabling us to impart key messages. Key stakeholders will be able to see operational products and varied displays to help them really understand the important elements of the Abode offer.

“With a good array of kitchen sinks, taps and Pronteau product on display we are confident this new resource will be a key tool for our customers and staff moving forward. From a marketing perspective the showroom is a great resource for us to produce high quality video and photography assets, which ultimately our customers can benefit from too.”

For more information contact:

Abode                                                             

Tel:  01226 283434                                           

Fax: 01226 282434                                           

Email: info@abodedesigns.co.uk                                                        

www.abode.eu

Pinterest:  

@AbodeDesigns/

Facebook:

@AbodeHomeProducts

Twitter: @abodehome

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/abode-home-products-limited

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Quooker & KBSA offer reaches 1.2 million readers

The Kbsa and corporate member Quooker have released a consumer insert as part of its £250,000 support package for kitchen retailers, which will reach in excess of 1.2 million readers.

The full colour, two page insert encourages consumers to spend with a local business by visiting their nearest Kbsa retailer. It also includes a special offer from Quooker for a discount on installation and free CO² cylinders from participating showrooms.

National newspapers and top consumer titles will include the insert from the end of October until the first week of December, a key selling period for independent retailers.

The Kbsa and Quooker campaign began earlier this month with a full colour advert in the Daily Telegraph.   Further key positions have been secured in the national press, such as the Sunday Times and the Guardian, as well as kitchen magazines, and other well-known home interest titles such as Homes & Gardens and Ideal Home. 

Kbsa national chair Richard Hibbert said, “This national coverage is proving to be a huge boost for our members, some are already reporting increased enquiries and footfall resulting from the national promotion”.

“At a time when the high street is facing unprecedented challenges, our campaign provides significant support for all independent retailers”.

“We are immensely grateful to Quooker for kick-starting this initiative.  This is the beginning of a long – term commitment by the Kbsa to fulfil our aims of protecting, supporting and promoting independent showrooms, and the environment in which they operate.   Working together we know that can encourage people back to the high street and into independent showrooms across the country.”

www.kbsa.org.uk/

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