Between DIY store and bazaar
In Romania, it is not the plumbers but the end customers who make the decisions when fitting out the bathroom. Consequently, DIY business is important.
30%
of overall sales
This is the share generated by DIY business at the Geberit sales company Romania.
The Romanian do-it-yourself (DIY) chain Dedeman is a meeting point for fans of home improvements. Over 80,000 products can be found here, including sanitary equipment.
“In the Romanian sanitary business, end customers are the main decision-makers,” explains Geberit sales consultant Liviu Bulea. His boss Paul Blajan adds: “The DIY business generates around 30 percent of our overall sales.”
A sea of toilets and price tags
The pair skilfully negotiates the aisles in the DIY store in Bucharest, flanked on both sides by towering shelves packed with building products. Once in the sanitary department, they both almost vanish in the jungle of ceramic appliances – including toilets, washbasins and cisterns.
In Romania, end customers make the decisions when planning the bathroom.
Battered is good
The Geberit sets with rimless WC, Duofix installation element, cistern and actuator plate are popular, as is also demonstrated by the rather battered display items. “A good sign,” comments Liviu Bulea, before pointing at a product from a competitor with a smile: “Museum exhibits like this one here that are still pristine show that it isn’t selling well.”
At the sanitary bazaar
However, as the next stop shows, business in Romania not only focuses on the major providers. Here, specialist providers are lined up next to each other. Ceramic appliances, bathroom furniture and bathtubs are strewn around the tight space between mountains of boxes, with visitors browsing, getting advice and bartering like on a faraway marketplace. “We call it the bazaar,” explains Liviu Bulea. “The staff here know our products like the back of their hand. They are a very important sales partner for us.”