Frontline Bathrooms has appointed Cuba Distribution as its exclusive distribution partner across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, as the bathroom supplier strengthens its presence and retailer support across the Irish market.
The partnership will have a particular focus on Frontline’s exclusive AQUA brand, with Cuba Distribution working alongside Frontline as it develops the range for the Irish market. Frontline also plans to put stock “on the ground” in Ireland as part of the partnership, strengthening its product and service proposition for the market.
The appointment builds on a longstanding relationship between Frontline Bathrooms Managing Director Darren Allison and Cuba Distribution Managing Director Declan Boylan, who have worked together for a number of years.
That longstanding relationship and the trust built between the two businesses were important factors in the appointment, alongside finding a partner that understood Frontline’s approach to protecting the exclusivity of AQUA.
Darren Allison, Managing Director of Frontline Bathrooms, said: “I’ve known Declan and worked with him for many years, so there is already a strong relationship and a great deal of trust there.
“As we looked at developing AQUA in Ireland, it was important that we found a partner who understood what we are trying to achieve with the brand. We don’t want to over-distribute AQUA. We want to work with retailers properly, giving them the support and level of exclusivity they need.
“Cuba gives us that opportunity. Just as importantly, they understand the Irish market and will be integral to our NPD programme as we look at the products we need to add to AQUA specifically for that market.”
Cuba Distribution will feed into Frontline’s ongoing new product development programme, providing market insight as the bathroom supplier considers additions to the AQUA range to meet the needs of the Irish market. Juno Public Relations Mail – Ne…
The new distribution arrangement also comes against the backdrop of the additional trading challenges between mainland Britain and Ireland following Brexit, making securing the right partner across the Irish Sea particularly important.
Darren continued: “Brexit has undoubtedly created challenges between mainland Britain and Ireland, so securing the right partner across the Irish Sea was important to us.
“Putting stock on the ground is part of that. We want to make sure the product and service proposition works for the Irish market and, by working closely with Cuba, we can build that proposition around what retailers there actually need.”
Declan Boylan, Managing Director of Cuba Distribution, said: “There’s a real opportunity for AQUA in the Irish market, but it’s important that we build the brand in the right way. Retailers want ranges that give them a point of difference, but that has to be backed up by good availability, service and support. The approach Frontline is taking with AQUA gives us the opportunity to offer exactly that.
“What makes this partnership particularly exciting for us is that we’ll have a voice in how the range develops. We know our market and we know what our customers are asking for, so being able to feed that knowledge directly into future product development means we can build an offering that genuinely reflects what Irish retailers need.
“We’ve had a strong relationship with Darren and the Frontline team for many years, so there’s already a lot of trust between us. We’re looking forward to taking that next step and developing AQUA across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.”
The partnership will also be supported through marketing and promotional activity, point-of-sale support and the development of market-specific sales materials.
