Parryware announces group strategy to push growth

Parryware, the mass-premium brand of Spanish sanitaryware giant Roca, is eyeing massive growth in the Indian market on the back of a multi-pronged strategy.

The brand currently holds a market share of 37% in the mass-premium segment, and contributes Rs 800 crore of the Roca group’s India revenues of Rs 1,000 crore. “We are moving Parryware from a mere product company to an experience,” Roca Bathroom Products MD K E Ranganathan said.

Explaining the group’s strategy for Parryware, Ranganathan said, “In order to push our products, we have noticed three trending platforms, namely water saving, design appeal and hygiene, on which work is underway at Roca’s R&D centre in Barcelona.”

The brand, for instance, has innovated water closets, which use as less as 4.5 litres of water per flush, besides applying anti-microbial properties so as to make closets more hygienic.   
 
Parryware sells four million ceramic pieces annually, which are sold across India by 7,000 retailers. In a bid to improve the buying experience among consumers, 10 Parryware Studios are being planned across the country.  Today, Parryware derives over 2% of its revenues from exports — to the US, South Africa, and some Middle Eastern countries.

The overall bathroom industry in India is to the tune of Rs 30,000 crore in value, with the sanitaryware segment holding Rs 3,000 crore. Within this, the mass-premium segment contributes Rs 1,500 crore.

Roca Bathroom Products operates four sanitaryware factories of one million units-capacity each, in India. Goaded by its strategy, Roca is aiming to grow 15% in the branded segment, as it also looks to export from India.

“We have started making a few (premium) Roca brand products here, which will be exported. India is the only country where the group owns factories to produce plastic components for sanitaryware, which makes it opportune for us to export these products as well,” Ranganathan said.

In all, the group invests Rs 150 core in India annually towards factory enhancements, innovations, and marketing initiatives, and 70% of its business are from retail sales, while the remaining 30% are from institutional sales.