One year after the opening of Royal & Company's ‘Royal Lounge,’ the company's bathroom platform business is gaining momentum.
Since its founding in 1970, Royal has led the bathroom industry by developing innovative products such as the nation's first bidet and automatic faucet. Last October, the company opened ‘Royal Lounge’ in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul, marking the launch of the first bathroom platform business in Korea's bathroom industry.
This was followed in March by ‘Royal Bath Mall,’ an online mall featuring a variety of bathroom brands, and in April by ‘Royal Bath Outlet,’ a premium bathroom outlet in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, spanning 7,932㎡ (2,400 pyeong)—the first and largest of its kind in Korea. With these successive openings, the company has completed a comprehensive online and offline bathroom platform.
Aiming for a platform where consumers, bathroom companies, and interior businesses all win, Royal offers a one-stop total bathroom service by providing not only its own bathroom and construction products but also some 3,000 varieties of bathroom items, tiles, and living accessories through partnerships with more than 200 domestic and international bathroom and living brands.
Consumers can browse and shop for trustworthy bathroom products all in one place, saving both time and money, while suppliers can reach more consumers through Royal's large multi-shop-style online and offline platform, growing together with Royal in a mutually beneficial relationship. Small and mid-sized interior companies, which have been gradually losing ground as large corporations enter the interior market, can also purchase a wide range of Royal-verified bathroom interior products in one place at competitive prices, driving a steady increase in membership.
As Royal's differentiated strategy has won a favorable response from the industry, the total number of items sold on the Royal platform has expanded fivefold over the one-year period from the October opening of Royal Lounge to this October, with sales growing 300%. Royal explained that word of mouth—that ‘Royal Lounge’ and ‘Royal Bath Outlet’ offer an at-a-glance look at bathroom interior trends—has firmly established them as must-visit destinations for bathroom remodeling among interior businesses and consumers alike.
Meanwhile, Royal is strengthening cultural content through ‘Royal Lounge’ and ‘Royal Bath Outlet’ to connect more closely with consumers. At Royal Lounge, a renowned landmark on the Nonhyeon-dong furniture street, visitors can enjoy not only the bathroom showroom but also a library, academy, gallery, and café.
In particular, Gallery Royal is currently hosting a special exhibition by contemporary ceramic sculptor Yoo Eui-jeong titled <Treasures: Precious Things Found in Everyday Life>. Royal Hwaseong Center, home to ‘Royal Bath Outlet,’ features a variety of complex cultural facilities for employees and visitors, including an art house, gallery, performance hall, and gymnasium.