Hot business: jacuzzi and sauna

The products aimed at providing relaxation after a hard day’s work – saunas and jacuzzis are in increasingly higher demand from Romanian clients, with sales expected to surge this year. Whereas saunas are usually bought by educated consumers, many people buy water massage bathtubs or shower cabins – jacuzzi, just to be fashionable rather than for health reasons.

The sales of water massage tubs and shower cabins will surge in the near future, but the clients are seeing such installations as a whim or a trend and most of them have no idea about their impact on health, explains Cristian Halmajan, marketing manager of Delta Distribution, one of the leading companies on the interior decoration market.

However, he says many buyers already know what they want so that the company is planning to broaden its offer by launching products for chromotherapy or aromatherapy. “Such products are primarily aimed at health spas, but can be fitted on regular bathtubs,” Delta Distribution’s representative explains. The company sells some 350-400 water massage tubs or shower cabins through its own retail network every year, for 270 to 3,500 euros each. The equipment is made by a factory of the Delta Group, which comprises Delta Distribution, as well.

On the other hand, Carmen Grama, marketing manager at Kasta Metal, feels the market is more educated this year than it was before. “The clients now know exactly what to ask for when they come to the store. People are looking and researching, just like they do about swimming pools. Even though there’s generally a touch of snobbishness to deluxe products, people have learnt they can very well relax by using water massage equipment. In fact, the most complex models are also the best-sellers,” she added.

Grama estimates sales of water massage tubs to go up this year.

Kasta Metal sells larger water massage tubs (for 3 to 6 people), which cost 6,000 to 16,000 euros.

bogdan.neagu@zf.ro