The entire world has been encountering several threats, whether the unprecedented outbreaks of COVID that have persisted for three years, the Russo-Ukrainian war that continues to rage or global economic sluggishness that directly and indirectly affects various markets.
At the same time, the world’s population continues to increase, resulting in more challenges that are inevitable to cope with, among which include urbanisation, water consumption, and energy demands, health & hygiene, etc. LIXIL, a global manufacturer of water and housing products and an industry leader, is thus at the forefront of tackling these challenges by delivering pioneering products that solve real-life, everyday challenges for our consumers and communities.
Serving the shifted demands in a smart way
In order to grasp the trend deeply, LIXIL analysed consumer behaviour in the Asia-Pacific region and found interesting data that could connect the dots and be built on to introduce more product designs. “The Health & Wellbeing and Urbanisation trends lead to a rise in demands towards sanitaryware and accessories equipped with advanced technologies and those that change lifestyles of humans. With most of the APAC consumers seeking smart home solutions or touchless products, LIXIL has responded to these trends with its existing products while also developing more to keep pace with the needs of consumers from all over the world. The reason for this is that we are passionate about creating designs, enhancing the consumer experience, and pushing the boundaries of innovation. We consider that, with these concerns and awareness in maintaining hygiene and health, our readiness will further create lucrative growth opportunities for the market,” Satoshi Konagai, Leader, LIXIL Water Technology (LWT), APAC says.
The response to the resale housing and renovation trends
Satoshi Konagai adds that, “In addition to the Smart Toilet trend that is prone to high growth potential, the New Normal lifestyles have brought more stay-at-home activities. Consumers in Asia-Pacific have decided to improve or renovate their own houses, especially the interior improvements, working
space, living and bedroom and kitchen improvements, to change the atmosphere and create a new environment – moving their life from outside into home. Though the “bathroom” is not prioritised first in developing plan, it is a plus to enhance the sharing spaces in houses by equipping with new quality sanitaryware to ensure a space of happiness and uplift hygiene to another level for everyone in the family.”
“At the same time, when looking into the current real estate market, it is found that we have benefited from the resale housing market that gains more popularity due to the economic slowdowns. As a result, LIXIL products play an important role in the renovation market, covering the B2B segment (contractors) and the B2C segment (DIY customers), by providing a wide range of affordable products and different brand portfolios to choose from based on consumer lifestyles.”
“The growing demand for the renovation or upgradation of old buildings is benefiting market revenues. This is especially for urban dwellings which offer relatively limited space. LIXIL believes in path-breaking design concepts that make even limited spaces offer infinite potential. We provide a range of solutions that combine cutting-edge design concepts with world-class technologies to create highly personalised solutions for our consumers redefining the boundaries of living. The products are such as American Standard City Bathroom range-the integrated washbasins, multipurpose cabinets, toilets with integrated storage; GROHE Rainshower SmartActive hand shower which can be seamlessly connected to the standard shower hose; GROHE Shower System that simply replaces your existing fixtures and works well with the existing plumbing behind walls, etc.”
Making better homes a reality for everyone, everywhere
“Let the bathroom of every home be a space to unwind and uplift your confidence, as we’re all spending more time in our homes and the bathroom is no longer a space purely dedicated to the everyday function of hygiene, but it indeed has become a private retreat from the outside world – an oasis of wellbeing to find peace of mind. With consumers taking better care of their health and well-being, LIXIL’s idea of providing a hygienic bathroom as a spa or wellness area has accelerated.”
“We offer touchless products for the full bathroom that minimise the risk of spreading germs and cross-contamination. To overcome the common hygiene challenges in a bathroom, we have introduced the HygieneClean system - a technology that offers powerful flushing, anti-stain, and anti-bacterial technologies. Our products with innovations such as Aqua Ceramic and ComfortClean – demonstrate that the utmost care has been taken in all-around product design and development, ensuring consumer safety. Our products from GROHE, including GROHE AquaCeiling – modular ceiling shower that offers consumers the freedom of choice when planning unique shower experiences and GROHE Allure – bathroom collection that offers a spa-like experience allowing everyone to simply enjoy the ‘Moment of Bliss’ at their own home.”
“Today, LIXIL continues to move forward, improving the quality of people's lives, not only by delivering safe and comfortable products and services but also through making responsible and sustainable innovations. We are well on our sustainability journey and leading the industry. Keeping sustainability at the heart of our business. We have set an Environmental Vision for 2050 – to achieve net-zero carbon emissions from housing and lifestyle solutions as well as operations by 2050,” Satoshi Konagai concludes.