Luxury bathroom brand sees 50% revenue increase in lockdown

The Lap of Luxury

Since the beginning of the lockdown, the luxury bespoke bathroom retailer has seen a 30% spike in clients looking for high quality materials to furnish their bathrooms with that 5 star feel. With a recent study indicating that 85% of UK residents have undertaken home improvement activities during the lockdown period, many are looking to turn their own home into a stylish, luxury retreat and make upgrades across gardens, kitchens and bathrooms.

Sarah Watson, Balineum’s owner, says: “At only six months into the year we’ve hit £650,000 worth of sales; our sales from the entirety of 2019 totalled just over £700,000 so we are dealing with a much larger volume of transactions. Brightpearl has taken the additional demand in its stride, easily handling the increased sales volume and giving us the ability to check in at any stage of the order.”

5 Star Service 

With many brands incurring delays and problems with their supply chain due to Covid-19, this sudden increase in orders could have resulted in operational issues that would lead to dissatisfied customers, but Balineum was adamant that it would not compromise its stellar customer service.

“It’s always been important to us that we provide a quality of service that reflects the quality of our product, and with the emergence of Covid -19, negative customer experiences could have been a major worry,” says Watson.

Trade customers and homeowners alike have turned to Balineum for the refined and elegant materials required to make their dream bathrooms a reality. Indeed, in the absence of big ticket items like long haul holidays, many consumers are opting to invest in their own home, and Balineum is a popular choice for those who are looking for something a little bit special.

“Between April and June we saw a 50% increase in revenue,” says Watson. “While such an increase is always welcome, we did worry that a higher order volume might lead to delays, particularly given the circumstances of Covid-19. Fortunately, with Brightpearl as our operations hub, we’re as efficient as ever and we’re still processing this higher level of orders at the same, lightning fast rate that our clients have become accustomed to.”

Little things make big things happen

Balineum’s best selling products continue to be its extensive ranges of tiles and surfaces, which it is now selling more of than ever before, and Watson has some thoughts on why.

“Sometimes the smallest of tweaks can bring massive benefits. We have a custom field in Brightpearl which allows us to include imagery on all our client quotes and supplier purchase orders. This has been integral in helping clients understand what they are ordering and converting customers. It also means we have very few incorrect supplier deliveries turning up as it’s easier for quality control and shipping to check and receive these deliveries.”

The brand also cited its ability to easily switch to a work from home model as a major contributing factor to its success over the course of the lockdown.