A foreign model lends elegance to a high-end bathroom stall at a bath and kitchen products fair in Shanghai last year. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Like Hansgrohe, another German bathroom supplies major, Villeroy & Boch, whose products exude European style, recorded high (22 percent year-on-year) rise in sales in China last year, much higher than the 5 percent growth globally.
Similarly, Gaggenau, a German luxury kitchen appliances brand, said its sales in China increased 15 percent last year.
It's not just the local neo-rich who are driving such high sales growth rates of foreign companies in China. Even the rapidly growing middle class is chipping in with its two cents, so to speak, persuaded by media discourse on aesthetics, modern lifestyle, style and quality.
Klapproth said high-end Chinese customers are already mature in their choices, while the middle class, especially those in their 30s who are well-educated and travel abroad often, display a different taste. The latter tend to buy products that are usually found in places like luxury ocean liners, the German Chancellery and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world's tallest tower.
"They use iPhones, drive BMW cars, and wear clothes of Western brands. This is great for us as they are used to the world's first-class quality that we can guarantee as well. We believe this will be the trend in the long run," Klapproth said.
By the end of last year, Villeroy & Boch had more than 200 retail stores covering all the provincial capitals and first- and second-tier coastal cities in China. Hansgrohe has nearly 500 stores and showrooms across China.
For its part, Gaggenau said its main investments in China will be in sales and marketing. Three showrooms are planned this year. There, visitors would be invited to immerse themselves in a world of exclusive culinary culture and elements of sophisticated lifestyle.
The company said it put great efforts to spread a unique culinary culture and high-end lifestyle among the Chinese upper class. The latter, it said, have started to pay more attention to the quality of their life.
Klapproth of Hansgrohe said he does not share some businesses' pessimism on China related to slowing economic growth. The company firmly believes China will continue to grow this year, next year and in the years to come, he said.
"A year ago, we doubled our production capacity in China, so we invested a lot of money in our factory in Songjiang district in Shanghai's western suburb. Moreover, we're pouring a lot of money into logistics in the country to get our products faster to Chinese customers. We'll continue such endeavors because we'd love to grow," Klapproth said.
Last year, a designers' club for Axor, the other brand of Hansgrohe, was founded in Shanghai.
"We've experienced a sharp increase in demand from Chinese consumers for Axor products in recent years. Our goal is to work more closely with top Chinese designers to cater to consumers," said Ren Quansheng, president of Hansgrohe China.
