Staff at Ireland’s premier Villeroy & Boch retailer are primed to support ambitious growth plans after a comprehensive set of training sessions.
Lukas Staretzek, our Group Product Manager for Shower Toilets, made the journey from Germany to head up some of the specialised areas of the sessions, alongside Key Account Manager Eamon Marrinan and Training Manager Chris Pearson.
Delivered at Ideal Bathrooms in Dublin, the training covered a range of new V&B launches, including Skyla, Vea, Easybox, Universal Synergy showering and the Tivo and Supreo shower toilets.
Chris said: “The sessions focused on giving the team a clear understanding of each product’s features, benefits and real-world applications.
“By strengthening product knowledge at retail level, the training helps ensure staff are well equipped to confidently recommend solutions to customers, designers and architects, supporting specification and driving sales across the range.
Ideal Bathrooms are the UK and Ireland’s largest single displayer of Villeroy & Boch products. Of the 100+ showroom displays in their two-storey building in Ballymount, Dublin, more than 70% are Villeroy & Boch.
They have all the current ranges in V&B on display, which include ceramics, showers, taps, furniture units, mirrors, accessories, whirlpool baths and working shower/bidet toilets.
Ireland Channel Director Gerard Crane took over the account in January 2025 and, after a successful first year with 40% growth in the Villeroy & Boch brand, they have even bigger plans to grow the account to a possible €2m in sales by the end of 2026.
To help achieve this, specialised training on Villeroy & Boch and Ideal Standard products has been developed for the entire Ideal Bathrooms workforce.
More than half the Ideal Bathrooms showroom is dedicated to Villeroy & Boch.
Chris presented on all the changes coming in the brassware and furniture portfolios and Lukas provided an in-depth introduction to our new Vi-Clean ranges, TiVo and Supreo, which they have in working displays installed in their showroom.
Feedback from all the staff was very positive, to the extent that we are current pricing the TiVo for a luxury housing development with a view to having them installed in all 19 houses as the standard WC option.
They are particularly happy with the changes coming in the shower valves and are excited to see all the new taps coming, especially the new Vea range which they expect to be very popular.
As a follow up, Gerard has organised for our experienced Retail Sales Manager Matt Bell to also visit the premises today (Friday) to bolster the visit from Chris and Lukas.
Eamon said: “This all makes perfect sense – providing a first class service to a first class customer that operates in a luxury market selling world renowned luxury bathrooms. Thank you to everyone involved for their support.”
Gerard added: “We have all the tools, people, products and expertise to accomplish anything. It’s just a matter of putting these all together to provide the excellent service the brand portrays.”
Pictured, top, are Chris (left) and Lukas.