Established in December 2003, Better Bathrooms is a bathroom retailer based in the UK. It is a private limited company retailing bathroom suites, fittings, accessories and showers directly to consumers via its website.
History
Better Bathrooms Ltd was founded by Colin Stevens. Before Better Bathrooms, Stevens sold golf equipment and clothing on eBay. He then sold bathroom taps, before expanding to a wider range of bathroom equipment. Stevens Left the business in Nov 2017 and sold his shares in April 2018, Stevens retired as Director of the company and was replaced by George Mills Bramston Adam In Nov 2017. The business was then 100% owned by BGF business growth fund. The business was acquired by Roxor Group also owned by BGF in October 2018, before then entering into administration in February 2019. In March 2019, the Better Bathrooms brand was acquired by Buy It Direct Ltd. Upon Buy It Direct taking over ownership of the Better Bathrooms brand, Buy It Direct's Nick Glynne became Managing Director.
Expansion
Stevens launched the website betterbathrooms.com in 2001. Four years after the website launch, the first Better Bathrooms showroom was launched in Wigan, Greater Manchester. This was followed by two more showrooms in the North West, with stores in Warrington in 2007 and Manchester in 2010. A fourth showroom was launched in Leicester in December 2013, and a fifth was opened in Slough in 2014. Their first Scottish showroom was opened in Edinburgh in December 2015. On Boxing Day 2015, a 35,000 sq. ft showroom opened in Birmingham. The latter was the largest showroom to be owned by the bathroom retailer.
Investment
In 2013, private equity firm BGF paid £10m to acquire a 30 per cent stake in Better Bathrooms. This was part of BGF’s £30 million investment in the North of England and generated 100 jobs across the country for Better Bathrooms. In July 2016, they awarded a £4m follow-on fund to the retailer, bringing the total investment to £14 million. They proceeded to manage the entire Stevens family out of the business and ran the company to huge losses. They subsequently did a paper transaction and sold the business to another business they also own the roxor group. The business quickly went into administration. Stevens was asked to come back as chief executive but declined due to lack of cash and unrealistic Growth plans set by the Previous management team that was the BGF and George Adams.
Awards
Stevens was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2012 National Business Awards. 2015 Employer of the year at the National Business awards. In the same year, the company earned itself a place in The Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 after sales hit £36 million. In 2013, the bathroom retailer beat Victoria Plumb, Just Fabrics and World Stores to claim the Best Home and Garden Retailer award at the eCommerce Awards for Excellence. In 2015, they were shortlisted for the National Business Awards for the second time. In 2018, Better Bathrooms was nominated in the UKTI Growth Business of the Year category and in the Employer of the Year category.
Media
In October 2017, the Advertising Standards Authority challenged Better Bathrooms for using ‘misleading’ advertisements. The ruling related to four email advertisements, two website advertisements and two TV commercials. Competing bathroom retailer, Victoria Plum, were first to raise the advertisements to the ASA. They noted that the ‘up to 70% off’ discount was only applicable to a few Better Bathrooms products. Another claim stated that their ‘Sale must end on the 31st of January’ website banner and TV ad were untrue, as it was reported that their sale extended into February 2017.
