The interior designer or the plumber. Who holds the key to a larger share of the decorative market? 

Highest income tier households are less sensitive to mortgage rates and continue investing in luxury kitchen and bath remodels. Only 14 percent of funding sources for kitchen and bath repair and remodel (R&R) projects were tied to rates for these households, with annual household income greater than $160,000.

When was the last time a client came up and informed you that they would never work with your showroom again because their bathroom design did not turn out as they had envisioned?

I have been on the road, and it seems that showrooms not solely focused on the ultra-high-end market have experienced a decline in business. Generally, I am hearing statements like, "We are busy but down by 10% to 15%."

Wilkinson Supply started out as a six-person operation selling plumbing supplies throughout the Triangle area of North Carolina. Bill Wilkinson, the company’s founder, established a commitment to a customer-first mentality fueled by hard work and dedication. This commitment has carried Wilkinson Supply to growth for nearly 60 years.

In the third edition of the Bath & Kitchen Pro eBook you’ll find both residential and commercial product and design trends, showroom display trends, economic indicators and more!

Every day, we receive promotional emails attempting to entice us to visit, shop and purchase branded products. Countless companies employ a "pushing, pushing, pushing" product approach, emphasizing style and price, hoping that one will motivate us to delve deeper. But, is that rare brand dive really enough? What are these mega brands are trying to “teach” us? The answer, my friends, lies at the bottom of email and on their home page. "Please visit our elegant store and let our talented design team help you create.”

Late last year, LIXIL made headlines when it announced the acquisition of Basco, a U.S.-based shower door manufacturing company. The acquisition represents an important step in LIXIL’s growth strategy in the Americas region, the company said. Recently at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, Plumbing & Mechanical Chief Editor Nicole Krawcke had a chance to sit down with Trey Northrup, leader of LIXIL Americas, to discuss the company’s outlook following the acquisition, the current labor shortage, and the pitfalls of sanitation access and LIXIL’s LPP program, a global initiative aimed at tackling America’s sanitation challenges through public and private sector partnerships.

The plumbing supply industry and our showrooms, as well as many re-distribution businesses, are run ERP systems that are based on the IBM AS/400 or DOS. Both originated in the 1980s. We are an industry that looks to shave pennies to scale and limit our operational invest. We live by “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and so we have gone for a millennia. But, the possibility of having a knowledgable consultant in our pocket might just change the way we employ computers in all facets of business.

We have all heard of Google and likely search it daily for many things…but are you using it to attract and maintain business? If your customers can’t find you online, they may wind up taking their business elsewhere. Today’s customer realizes that time is money and e-commerce trumps phoning in orders. Separately, if potential customers don’t know you exist, or can’t easily contact you, then growing your business becomes considerably harder. One of the top reasons people get frustrated with a brand is when they are unable to locate a phone number or email to get in touch.