CAD Software > Ashley Bathrooms - The Last of the British Sanitaryware Firms

Ashley Bathrooms - The Last of the British Sanitaryware Firms

A major trend in global manufacturing and distribution seems to be outsourcing labour and production tasks to companies based in the far east- China, India, Taiwan, and Korea. This global trend cuts costs, increasing profits and is also leading to an eventual reduction in the price of the goods being produced.

This outsourcing effect ripples through the economy, taking its toll on local manufacturers and suppliers in industries where outsourcing has become common. Sanitaryware, as it seems, is one of those industries. A major player in the industry, Ashley Bathrooms, has had to make one-third of its staff redundant, facing competitive pressure from other firms that have outsourced their manufacturing and distribution channels to the east.

Ashley Bathrooms prides themselves on being the 'last' British sanitaryware company that has all aspects of the product � inception, design, construction, and distribution � located within the UK. This has allowed Ashley bathrooms to maintain complete creative and intellectual control over their products, allowing them to ensure that the quality of their sanitaryware remains consistently high. It has also forced them to maintain a premium price point over their outsourced competitors- a move that, according to Leslie Smith (the owner of family run Ashley Bathrooms), is causing sales to steadily decline.

Smith argues that there isn't a lot of desire for Brits to support a British company. "We didn't really get the support of the retailers," alleges Smith, "we found ourselves too often at the back of the showroom". This lack of support for local businesses is disheartening in the very least, and perhaps even damaging to the long term economic goals of the residents in and around the UK.

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