Bathrooms and kitchens – once viewed entirely for their utility – are now looked upon as places for quiet retreat and convenience, says Ananth Narayan, regional manager of Alshaya Trading Company, a premier commercial establishment operating in the UAE for four decades.

“Designers around the world are taking a refreshing look at them, and finding ways to incorporate the interiors of bathrooms and kitchens in the general scheme of the entire house,” he says.
In line with the trends in the market and to enhance the choice of products available to clients, Alshaya has added new variety to its repertoire of top-of-the-line products like agglomerated marble from Rover (Italy) and sanitary ware suites F-1 and Joop designed by the renowned Porsche  Design Gmbh and Joop! Living Hamburg, Germany exclusively for Keramag.
The trading division is primarily involved in the sales of sanitary ware, tiles, kitchens, wooden flooring, mixers, bathroom accessories, industrial & supermarket shelving, refrigeration equipment, commercial kitchens and laundry from world-renowned principals across Europe and US.
Continuing its move with diversification, last year the company became the exclusive Middle East franchisee for And So To Bed (London) – the first of its kind outside the UK. This high-end franchise has been set up in a separate showroom located at a prime location in Dubai for customers interested in buying premium quality beds, mattresses and linen.
Alshaya, which has seen a double-digit growth over last year, is foreseeing the trend to continue for a few years to come. “The market is segmented into consumer, retail and project sectors in this region. The latter has seen a lot of growth over the past years, thanks to the boom in the construction sector. We expect this to continue as the building pace has not slowed down and many new projects of gigantic proportions are coming up,” Narayan explains.
In its long history of operations, Alshaya has bagged a number of prestigious projects and has been associated with developments in the UAE including the Jumeirah Island, Dubai Police headquarters, Al Sari Towers, Al Yousuf Towers, Mall of Emirates, City Centre renovation project, Dubai Airport air wing facilities, Zabeel Park, Takreer Atheer headquarters and Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
“Indicators are strong for the future and we hope to be a part of the many iconic developments that are coming up all across the emirates,” Narayan says.
The company, which runs its UAE operations through its regional office in Dubai and branch office in Abu Dhabi, has three showrooms displaying an extensive product range. Alshaya has a professional sales and marketing team, which is ably supported by the in-house design and estimation cell, and logistics and service team. This combination provides Alshaya tremendous advantage in terms of project management expertise, regardless of the scale or the value of the task at hand.
The Alshaya company believes in going the extra mile in its marketing efforts through organising seminars, forum discussions and symposiums, inviting people from a variety of disciplines including consultants, interior designers, architects and contractors to discuss new developments and share its knowledge with the experts in these fields, he says.
“It’s a continuous effort to make people aware of the optimum solution which Alshaya can offer. Through these seminars, we not only manage to put our point across, but we also get the chance to hear their expert comments and share latest trends in the market,” he explains.
The group derives its strength from its recognised management quality, innovative strategies, best employer culture and substantial financial resource. “Building relations is a key word in Alshaya’s corporate philosophy as the management works hard to maintain its mutually beneficial relation with the international business partners and its valued customers,” Narayan points out.
“Customers now have an unprecedented range of options to consider in kitchens, sanitary ware, ceramic tiles and accessories,” he points out. “The expansion of the range has also made the competition tough for the companies dealing in the kitchens, ceramic and sanitary ware and accessories as they have to work hard at providing that impeccable quality demanded by present-day market.”
 “It is a hard job now to satisfy a customer. Right from the total make-over of showrooms to providing the highest possible quality of products that fit seamlessly in the interior design and yet maintain the functionality, companies have to do everything.”
“Alshaya spares no effort in satisfying its customers and is a one-stop shop for home décor. The company has world-class brands of kitchens, ceramics and sanitary ware in an extensive array of designs, shades and textures, which gives us a competitive edge over the others. Our bathroom suites and accessories, which are designed by the world’s best, provide all the right ingredients - ergonomics, technology and design,” he points out.
“Customers have their priorities and come to us with their unique requirements. Some want to immerse in exuberance of luxury and some opt for saving the space for more practical usage. Alshaya keeps pace with the fast-changing times and provide them optimum solutions to meet their own individual needs,” he adds.
Alshaya deals in a variety of tiles imported from Cooperativa Ceramica D’Imola (Italy), ABK Campeginese (Italy), Cerypsa (Spain), Monocibec (Italy), Cimic (China), Guocera (Malaysia) and Glass blocks from Vetroarredo (Italy). The company markets Adhesives from BAL (UK) and has a broad range of sanitary ware imported primarily from Keramag (Germany), Pozzi Ginori (Italy) and Caroma (Australia).
Apart from this, the company deals with shower enclosures, whirlpool steam showers and mixers from Huppe (Germany), Teuco (Italy) and Kludi (Germany) respectively; wooden kitchens from Nobilia (Germany); accessories from Keuco (Germany), washroom accessories and toilet partitions from Bobrick (US); and supermarket shelving from Kider (Spain), refrigeration equipment from Detroit (Italy), and industrial shelving from Mecalux (Spain).