After the kitchen, the bathroom is the place that French homeowners have traditionally invested the most. The market is currently enjoying strong growth. The bathroom equipment market, from sinks to tiles to lighting to sophisticated jet-baths, is estimated at €2Bn in 2005. Over the last 2-3 years, the budget for bathrooms has overtaken that of kitchens in France, driven mainly by the French adding a second bath or shower room to their homes. An estimated 72% of a homeowner’s budget for his bathroom will be spent on DIY: a budget that has grown by 30% over the last decade.
Over 90% of French homes have a bathroom; 16% have two and 2% have more than two. These numbers confirm that the French are far behind most of their European neighbours in having several bathrooms per house but the trend is clearly in that direction. Last year, 78% of bathrooms had a bathtub but only 20% had a shower, although demand for showers is growing at about 7% per annum. Hydro-massage showers are seeing growth of about 10% per annum. More sophisticated hydro-therapy baths are also seeing strong demand, helped by lower prices.
Reflecting the DIY trends for bathroom investment, a new retail concept is opening this year. Named Aquamondo, the pilot store opened just outside Paris and has 2,000sq meters of retail space dedicated to bathrooms.
