Trail Blazers

Victoria & Albert Baths has dropped anchor at Chelsea Harbour’s Design Centre, home to some of the best interiors showrooms in the world and now, to its luxurious bath collection.

There are around 80 showrooms in London’s premier interior design centre at Chelsea Harbour, and among the fabrics, furniture, carpets, tiles and lighting, Victoria & Albert Baths has set up home, opening a smart 88 sq m show­room at the heart of the development. “It’s predominantly a specification showroom,” explains group sales director Edward Taylor.
 “We want to get closer to architects and designers, and that’s the focus of this move.” Taylor insists the new showroom is designed to support his dealer network. “We don’t sell from here,” he says. Instead, enquiries from architects, interior designers and other visitors, including private customers, are referred to Victoria & Albert’s nearest dealers. Marketing manager Jonathan Carter adds:  “The showroom is designed to show a wider audience what we can do – and the location is an excellent one for attracting members of the design community. Our aim is to support the brand and our retailers, who will benefit from enquiries generated here.” Appointments can be booked with show­room manager Eva Kazmierska, and there’s even a room for meetings and training sessions. “This has to be a place that our dealers can confidently send their customers,” says Taylor.
On display in the new showroom are five baths, including the first display in London of the new Ravello bath complete with matching Ravello 60 basin, and the new Tubo collection of bath fillers. The layout is spacious and the look luxurious, each tub resplendent against a large wall panel of beautiful natural stone, supplied by Lapicida.
Although it must have been tempting to squeeze more bath models into the space – there are now 20 in the V&A collection, all made from its exclusive Quarrycast volcanic limestone material – Taylor explains the decision to focus on quality not quantity was deliberate. “We needed to make sure the space was appropriate to the location,” he says of the showroom’s elegant presentation.
V&A has 1500 -1600 dealers around the globe, of which about 350 are in the UK. Part of the company’s current strategy is to consolidate its display base, with a reduction in UK dealer numbers, explains Taylor. “We think the right number is 250 -300. For us, it’s all about profile and commitment: some of our best dealers are relatively small showrooms in obscure locations, but because of their commitment they may outsell on orders taken by a less committed dealer,”
he says. “We’re trying to make sure the consumer’s experience of using an independent dealer is a good one.”
As well as this new showroom, which represents a £¼m commitment for the company, V&A is also supporting its dealers in an internet development. “We are the first UK bathroom brand to adopt the Shopatron online sales system,” explains Carter. “This means that sales made on our website are connected to our Premium dealers around the country. The internet is not going to go away, so we need to find a way of embracing it, and this technology allows us to ensure our dealers are financially rewarded.”
Things at V&A are looking good. “We’ve continued to grow in all markets,” says Taylor, who’s especially proud of selling British-designed baths into the country he describes as the  “heart of design”, Italy, as well as into other countries in Europe. Hot on the heels of its new Barcelona office, another sales office will open shortly, this time in France. Even in a very tough American market, with tub sales down some 40 -50%, things are on the up. “We’ve benefited from the trend there towards bigger shower areas, with less space for a huge tub. Our freestanding models offer more design opportunities while meeting that trend,” he says. It has given V&A the confidence to now press the button on building a second factory, close to its first, in Worcester, South Africa.
With plenty of traditional-style products arriving from China, Taylor is convinced that design-led contemporary collections keep V&A ahead of the game. “Our continued focus is on premium products,” he says. Next on the production line is a “modern classic bateau bath”, Toulouse, which is due to launch in July. And the distinctly upmarket Design Centre at Chelsea Harbour is the perfect place to launch it. “Our aim is to support our dealers and reach the architectural and design community,” says Taylor.
 “The final stage will be about getting the brand name known to high-end consumers, and this showroom is a step towards that.”