INUS Bath, the bathroom remodeling brand of comprehensive construction and building-materials company IS Dongseo Co., Ltd. (CEO Kwon Min-seok), has opened its 100th location, INUS Bath Bundang. Since opening its directly operated Nonhyeon store in 2016, INUS Bath has secured 100 dealerships nationwide in just over three years—the fastest such expansion in the bathroom industry.
Lim Jong-gyeong, owner of the INUS Bath Bundang store, who has worked in the bathroom interior industry for more than 20 years, said that many changes have occurred since signing on with INUS Bath. A store whose main customers had been interior contractors has become a store that consumers seek out. Sales have also increased noticeably. The store owner attributed a nearly two- to threefold rise in sales of the INUS Bath products displayed in the store to the company's various forms of head-office support. The idea that a bathroom specialist who has focused solely on bathrooms for 20 years would generate great synergy by partnering with INUS Bath—a brand dedicated to bathrooms—proved to be right on the mark.
Store owner Lim Jong-gyeong said, “It hasn't been long since we opened this 100th INUS Bath store, yet many people are already visiting us,” adding, “Our goal is to provide every customer who visits the store with good service and products at reasonable prices, so they can carry out their renovations feeling satisfied.”
Meanwhile, to celebrate surpassing 100 stores, INUS Bath is running a special promotion from October 1 to December 31. During the promotion period, every customer who purchases a bathroom remodeling package will receive a random box worth 200,000 won, consisting of 8 to 9 items including products from Zone Denmark—an interior accessories brand by renowned Northern European designers—and an INUS bathroom scale. Customers who also write a purchase review will receive an additional Paris Baguette gift voucher (20,000 won).
How do you feel about opening INUS Bath's 100th dealership? I had heard that INUS Bath has strict criteria for selecting dealerships—commercial district, location conditions, scale, and so on—so I'm delighted to have cleared these demanding standards and become part of INUS Bath. There are other competitors as well, but I'm glad to be working with IS Dongseo and INUS Bath, which offer great design and excellent customer care, and I'm working hard to run things well going forward.
What did you do before opening the INUS Bath dealership? I've worked in bathroom interiors for 20 years. For the first 10 years I did small-scale wholesale and retail of bathroom interior products, tiles, ceramics, and so on, and after that I ran a bathroom interior store. Until now I had operated targeting interior contractors, but since signing with INUS Bath I've also come to serve general consumers.
What was your impression of the “INUS Bath” brand before? I thought of it as a brand that presents trend-appropriate products built on good quality. Because it produces in-house all the products used in bathroom remodeling—tiles, sanitary ware, and more—I felt that, compared with other brands, it develops and launches trend-driven new products very actively. I first came to know the INUS brand through tiles. I've long known its tiles to be a brand with the finest design and quality in Korea, and I still regard it as a brand with a good image. As for sanitary ware, even though INUS Bath entered the market as a latecomer, I believe it is far superior to other brands in both design and quality. Many consumers who visit the store choose INUS Bath products after seeing the design.
What made you choose INUS Bath? Because I've specialized solely in bathrooms for 20 years, I thought partnering with INUS Bath—a brand dedicated to bathrooms—would generate even greater synergy. Compared with other brands, it launches products in a wide variety of designs and concepts, giving a broad range of choices, and I decided to sign a dealership contract after seeing that INUS Bath takes full responsibility for everything from product manufacturing to after-sales care. Thanks to the head office's various support systems—including a nationwide construction network, an A/S network, and partner training—and the help of the Bundang store's sales representative, I've been able to work with confidence in INUS Bath. It has genuinely helped a great deal on the sales side as well. Because the head office supplies products to dealerships at appropriate prices, we can offer them to consumers at more affordable prices. Sales of the INUS Bath products displayed in the store have also risen nearly two- to threefold.
What do you think is most important when carrying out a bathroom interior installation? A bathroom is a special space that uses water, and there are many things to be mindful of—the user's environment, plumbing, electricity, wiring, and more. On top of that, it's a space with a long renovation cycle, so there isn't a single part that isn't important. If I had to single something out, it would be the installation technique and the quality of the materials used throughout the bathroom. Only by using materials of verified quality and working through highly skilled installers can you prevent tiles from cracking or lifting after installation. When it comes to bathrooms, at least, you should entrust the job to a bathroom interior specialist.
What are the unique advantages of INUS Bath Bundang? It boasts the largest scale among interior stores in Bundang. Spanning three floors, the first floor offers a variety of imported and domestic tiles, the second floor features faucets and sanitary ware, and the third floor houses a dedicated INUS Bath bathroom remodeling showroom, so you can see, touch, and experience every bathroom-related product in person. In particular, the third-floor INUS Bath specialty showroom displays a range of INUS Bath remodeling packages, allowing you to compare various bathrooms with your own eyes in a single space. We also provide free consultations and on-site measurement services, so even consumers unfamiliar with bathrooms can visit without hesitation. Since the work is carried out by INUS Bath's own installation team, you can also entrust the installation with confidence.