| Type | Private (subsidiary of Wolseley Plc) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Bathroom Retailer |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Headquarters | Watford, England, UK |
| Employees | 1,000+ (2008) |
| Parent | Wolseley Plc |
| Website | www.bathstore.com |
Bathstore.com Ltd., trading as Bathstore is a specialist bathroom retailer and is the largest in the United Kingdom.[1] Bathstore was originally started in the early 1990s[2] by Patrick Riley and Nico de Beer, with the idea to bring quality design led bathrooms into a wider retail arena. The company published one catalogue that contained all its products for the complete bathroom, with real retail prices and revolutionised the market. The ethos was to make it simple and easy for the end consumer by focusing on the home owner, rather than the trade buyer.
In 2003, Bathstore was acquired by Wolseley Plc [3], the global building materials company that owns brands such as Plumb Center and Build Center in the UK. A period of rapid store expansion followed, so that Bathstore had more than 170 showrooms throughout the United Kingdom by the end of 2007. In 2009 the warehousing and delivery operation was transferred to DHL Supply Chain at their facility at the Daventry International Railfreight Terminal near Crick.
Bathstore employs over 1,000 people across the store network. The company has also pioneered a rigorous training regime for its in store bathroom experts, focused on product knowledge and customer service.
Bathstore commissions leading European designers to create the latest look for the modern bathroom. Items are sourced worldwide on a Bathstore exclusive basis to ensure the company retains its leading edge in the market with regard to design and value. Given that all products are specified for and by Bathstore, the products are matched for colour and function, thus enabling customers to mix and match across ranges to achieve the look they want.
The quirky blue bath logo and the bold colours used in the Bathstore showroom interiors and literature make it an instantly recognisable brand. It launched its first television advertising campaign in December 2006. In November 2007 its television advertisements used cutting edge CGI technology for the first time, incorporating water animation to bring life and movement to the products being showcased. These advertisements were voiced by Spooks and Cold Feet star, Hermione Norris.[4]
The success of the brand has been recognised by Bathstore being nominated and short listed for the Retail Week Awards as the Best Specialist Retailer in 2007 and 2008.[5]