Currently the largest upholstery manufacturer in Belgium, ROM was founded in 1961 and has always strived to meet the demands of a dynamic and fast-changing market. Victoria Noakes speaks to Luc Embrecht, ROM’s sales manager, to discover more about the philosophy of the business ...
ROM supplies the market with individual, made-to-measure sofas, combining both form and function to create sofas which fit customers’ exact specifications.
The company moves with modern styles and trends, embracing new technologies and adapting to its customers’ needs and tastes. Through its passion and creativity, ROM aims to provide its customers with high-quality design and adaptability, constantly changing and developing, introducing new concepts, lines and innovations.
“When it comes to our furniture, our commitment to providing our customers with the greatest choice and flexibility is what sets us apart. Our philosophy is simple, and has remained the same for over 50 years – we adapt to your needs, whatever they may be,” says Luc.
“At ROM, we’re passionate about what we do. We’re passionate about our products and strive to be the best upholstery manufacturer. Our inspiration ultimately comes from a desire to add value to our customers’ lives through our products and innovative and pioneering solutions.”
All ROM sofas and corner groups are available in a vast range of fabrics and in width increments of 20cm, with seemingly endless configuration options, and the business is always introducing new intelligent integrated systems to offer optimum comfort and individuality.
The company’s latest innovation, for instance – the Aladin Cosy Control app – allows users to set up to five favourite combinations of seat depth, headrest and footrest positions, and incorporates heating and sound integration, simply through the control of a smart device. What’s more, the iROM app enables the retailer to configure the customer’s sofa to exact specifications with a 360-degree view.
“We like to say that our aim is to never have to say no to our customers. We want to be able to provide them with an individual product that’s unique to them, and as a result, we need to be able to offer them whatever they need to make their ideal sofa a reality,” Luc states.
“We go by a saying – ‘to be your preferred supplier’. Living up to this takes a lot of organisation and dedication from a number of different teams, from purchasing and manufacturing to transport and after-care, and this is something we take into consideration with every decision we make.”
ROM’s furniture has gained impressive popularity in France, Germany, Benelux and Switzerland over the years, and now the manufacturer wants to continue its success story in the UK. As a result, this year ROM is creating a path in the UK market by implementing a comprehensive marketing strategy. ROM’s 20cm collection is adapted to the UK market, and the company has launched new products and fabrics with this particular market in mind.
Most recently, ROM has noted a leaning towards classic modern design within the UK market, with generously-sized sofas incorporating round detailing and a hint of contemporary style becoming increasingly popular. In order to respond to these trends, the business has developed two new models – Jupiter and Fortuna – with the UK customer in mind.
To support ROM’s push in the UK market, it has launched a brand new, fully-responsive dedicated UK website, which includes a ‘find my local retailer’ function to support its group of retailers. ROM is also investing in new photography as well as new supporting PoS materials created especially for the UK.
“Our goal is not to have the highest number of sales points in the UK as we feel this would only lead to unsatisfied suppliers and potential price wars. What we want to have is a supplier within a 45-minute drive from any consumer who might want to buy a ROM product,” explains Luc.
“Our UK sales team is extremely dynamic, and is keen to meet the customer right where they are. This is why we offer the perfect sales aids to each individual seller – depending on the amount and value of sales – in order to become even more successful. Each customer sees different advantages and can be convinced by different staging methods. With increasing sales, we also adapt our sales aids.”
ROM tries to create the best conditions possible for its retailers to increase their sales. All of the company’s models are noted in its general price list, but each distributor is able to decide their own sale prices for the models based on ROM’s recommendations, allowing some flexibility within a constantly-changing market. The company also offers its customers territorial protection and exclusivity on certain products to avoid discount battles.
Looking ahead, ROM’s aim is to continue to deliver some of the best in upholstered design, both in style and practicality. In addition, the business wants to help its customers become even more successful through the sales of its products by introducing innovative sales tools and exceptional services, and grow along with them.
