How Beyond Retail is transforming the kitchen and bathroom online marketplace for good
Beyond Retail is an online retailer offering more than 20,000 product lines across bathroom, kitchen, and heating products to a range of trade and private customers. This industry is historically a brick-and-mortar sector, with people preferring to visit showrooms, but Beyond Retail is transforming the way customers shop for these products.
Across three managed websites – Drench, Tap Warehouse and Only Radiators – Beyond Retail brings class-leading functionality and targeted expert service to this traditionally offline marketplace. Through fast filtering and search functions, detailed product descriptions and specifications, and well-positioned, relevant content, the company caters to a wide range of customer requirements and preferences.
Beyond Retail’s portfolio also includes its own label brands: Butler & Rose, Vellamo, Harbour, Brenton, Drench, and Elite Heat. To learn more about the company’s evolution and its current successes, we speak to Alison Nieuwoudt, Finance & Operations Director. “Beyond Retail was established in 2011 and began by selling bathroom and kitchen taps via our first website, Tap Warehouse,” Alison begins. “The site gradually evolved to sell additional products like kitchen sinks, affordable bathrooms, and accessories like mirrors, toilet roll holders, and extra finishes that make a bathroom aesthetically pleasing.
“In 2016, we launched the Drench website, which has more of a design-led feel with gorgeous imagery and an abundance of ideas and inspiration. We have over 10,000 products on the site, many of which are available for next-day delivery, which consumers are increasingly demanding. Above all, the Drench brand prides itself on offering luxury products at affordable prices.
“Also in 2016, we launched our third website, Only Radiators, which sells heating products like radiators and heated towel rails. However, it’s not just about selling high-quality, functional products, but understanding these items have aesthetic benefits and should be made as beautiful as possible. Again, we offer a wide selection of options that cater to a range of individual styles and tastes, adding to the look and feel of our customers’ homes.”
As Alison explains, Beyond Retail emerged in 2011 at a transitionary time for the market in terms of products becoming available to order online. The company continues to provide shopping experiences more akin to the expert service of a showroom, yet from the comfort and convenience of the customer’s home. Whereas many people were hesitant to purchase big-ticket items like bathroom suites online, consumer behavior is constantly changing as the concepts of immediacy and convenience become ever-more important. Also, developments in the realm of technology have made it easier to view a product in-depth than ever before. High-quality images, 360-degree simulations, video content, online reviews, and augmented reality are helping to break down traditional barriers.
“While it has become a lot easier to buy things like bathroom and kitchen products online over the last decade or so, the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated this type of consumer behavior,” Alison confirms. “The pandemic made us all realize the comfort and safety of our homes, and people came to appreciate the value of the bathroom, especially for wellbeing and relaxation.
“People now feel much more comfortable buying these products online, and so for us, we must ensure we’re offering a wide selection of products, finishes, and custom options to suit any personality or style. We help customers to make their bathrooms a beautiful space, providing all this support from the comfort of their home rather than them having to visit showrooms.”
New outlet
Turning to her own career journey, Alison explains how the company’s success during the pandemic accelerated the need for a finance director. “I joined Beyond Retail in 2021 following a particularly successful period for the business,” she confirms. “Having almost doubled its turnover during the pandemic, the leadership team decided it was time to bring in a finance director.
“I have a fashion-based background and worked for Burberry and then Harvey Nichols for eight years. However, as a purely online retailer, I was attracted to
Beyond Retail because I recognized that consumer behavior was changing, and I am personally a big online shopper. I loved that Beyond Retail manages three different websites, offering products that cater to all people, budgets, and preferences. I’ve been here three-and-a-half years now and never looked back!”
As our conversation continues, Alison is keen to share more details about Beyond Retail’s new 40,000-square-foot warehouse, as well as its new outlet, which is set to open in Dorset in 2025. “In early 2024, we took on a lease for a much bigger warehouse and head office space within Bournemouth Aviation Business Park,” she says. “This means we now have two large warehouses, which has enabled us to increase our stock through direct sourcing and bulk purchasing, as well as supporting the growth of our own-label ranges.
“We also have an outlet opening in 2025, which will stock a range of products, including clearance items to give customers a chance to grab a bargain! We’ll also stock a full-price range called ‘everyday essentials’ to showcase our bestselling products. Not only will the outlet provide an immersive experience for local customers, especially trade ones, in Bournemouth and Poole, but it also provides huge sustainability benefits as any products that are slightly damaged can be repurposed or sold at a reduced price to eliminate waste.”
Updated offerings
Customer service is crucial to Beyond Retail’s successful operation, and there are several core beliefs that underpin the company’s approach to service; insightful, useful, and accurate sales advice; comprehensive product information; convenient and fast delivery; and competitive prices, made possible by leveraging technological efficiencies and automation.
“We’re passionate about combining technology with people, so although we’re an online business, we take showroom best practices and apply these to the ease and convenience of online shopping,” Alison explains. “We were one of the first online retailers to offer 3D design services, for instance, which allows customers to visualize what their bathroom will look like before placing an order. We’re continuously updating our websites to make them easy to use with detailed descriptions, recommended extras, and inspirational content.
“We have separate sales teams dedicated to both retail and trade customers, and we conduct regular product training so our staff can answer questions and give advice where required. For our trade customers, we launched online portals within each of our three sites to make it easy for these customers to order from us whenever they need.
“We’ve also recently launched bathroom suite bundles,” she adds. “While we’ve always sold the individual items that make up a bathroom suite, we’ve bundled some products to make it even easier for customers to shop with us. We’ve initially launched 60 options, and although it’s early days, we’re excited to see how they’re received by our customers.”
Ambitious plans
With our discussion ending, Alison turns her attention to the future. “2024 was a tough year for many businesses, especially with an election in the UK earlier in the year and the subsequent budget announcements,” she reflects. “However, by investing in our new warehouse, continued enhancement to the functionality on each of our websites, for example refining search, and reviewing our internal processes, we’ve taken the time and investment to ensure we’re ready for a busy year going into 2025.
“We’re feeling cautiously optimistic about the year ahead; the UK Government’s target to build more houses should have a positive impact on our business, inflation rates appear to be under control, and hopefully interest rates will come down, all of which helps to restore consumer confidence and drive investment in big-ticket purchases, home improvements, and refurbishments.
“Further afield, we’ve got ambitions to grow to £100 million turnover, which would see us double the current business,” Alison concludes. “It’s important to us that we don’t lose our culture along the way, as we strongly believe companies that look after their people are going to be the most successful in the long term. We believe in having fun at work, learning together, and not being afraid to make mistakes, so we’re passionate about maintaining that ethos and culture as we continue to grow.”