H & R Johnson (India)

Offering End-to-End Solutions for Flooring

Established in 1958, H & R Johnson (India) is the pioneer of ceramic tiles in India. Over the past five decades, HRJ has added various product categories to offer complete solutions to its customers.

Today, HRJ enjoys the reputation of being the only entity in India to offer end-to-end solutions of Tiles, Sanitaryware, Bath Fittings and Kitchens. HRJ along with its Joint Ventures and subsidiaries has a capacity of over 51 million m² per annum spread at its manufacturing plants across the country.

H&R Johnson (India) has consistently pioneered new innovations to keep stronghold on the market for over 50 years. Some of the innovations pioneered by the company over the years include Anti-skid Tiles for Bathrooms; Water Repellent Tiles for Bathrooms; Rectified Wall Tiles; Industrial & Pavement Tiles; Vitrified Wall Tiles; Scratch-Free Tiles; Stain-Free Tiles; Germ-Free Tiles & Sanitaryware to name a few.

During the fiscal year-ended 31st March 2012, H&R Johnson’s gross revenues crossed INR 1729 crores with total sales volume crossing over 46 million Square meters. Its pan-India distribution network is one of the largest in the industry and comprises of over 54 modern retail stores called House of Johnson & Johnson Corners besides 1,200 dealers, 15,000 sub dealers and a large network of retail franchisees.

Brands of H&R Johnson (India)

• Johnson Tiles offers glazed wall and floor tiles
• Johnson Bathrooms offers a wide portfolio of bath-fittings, sanitaryware, wellness & bathing luxuries.
• Johnson Kitchens: Johnson Kitchens is the modular kitchen business of H&R Johnson (India) offering Indian and German modular kitchens
• Johnson Woodenza offers a range of engineered wooden floors and laminated floors
• Johnson Marbonite: Johnson Marbonite is synonymous with vitrified tiles. The company offers a wide range of vitrified tiles and Slabs.
• Johnson Endura is India’s only specialized industrial tiling solutions brand. It offers specialized tiles with high load bearing capacity, anti-skid features, high abrasion and compression strength, resistant to acids/alkalis and low water absorption properties to meet industrial as well as external flooring requirements.
• Johnson Cristal offers Engineered Marble and Quartz products. It aims to bridge the gap between nature and technology by maintaining the look & feel of natural marble while eliminating inherent problems prevalent in natural products.

Built Expressions in conversation with Mr. Dinesh Vyas, Senior GM - Johnson Tiles, spoke about the marketing trends prevailing in the flooring industry.

Market Trends

The Indian market is driven by innovation with growing purchasing power in the hands of the middle class as rising aspirations for modern lifestyle increases the demand for value-added offerings.

Commenting on the recent market trends in the tile industry, Mr. Vyas says, "In the tile & bathroom product business, products that combine functional benefits with a high degree of aesthetics are in vogue. The functional benefits of ceramic tiles ensures that the cost of maintenance remains low and the trendy designs adds to the overall uber modern look that a customer aspires to have at home.

Further he adds, "The demand for Neo Digital bathroom concepts has been on the rise. Wall tiles in wood and natural stone texture are gaining preference of consumers due to their aesthetic appeal. These tiles are elegant, easy to maintain and highly durable. They are also available in wide range of shades and design variations. The Indian tile industry has been growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15% during the last few years."

Marketing Strategies

The market for flooring industry has been tremendous as the construction sector has seen an upswing rise in the recent past. Explaining about the marketing strategies adopted by H & R Johnson Mr. Vyas says, "We recently announced our One Brand Strategy to bring all our brands and product-lines under the unified entity of Johnson. Post this; the company has launched 360 degree marketing campaign to establish the unified identity in the domestic market. We have earmarked 2% to 3% of our revenues towards these marketing campaigns."

Media communication of the unified identity is communicated largely through ATL, BTL and e-Marketing initiatives including social media activations. The social media campaigns will aim to attract the new audiences through conversations and community building measures. The company also aims to tap into customer insights through its social initiatives for CRM as well as new product development.

Emerging Technology

With the change in trends and consumer choice, companies have to now look out for more innovations in which technology plays a vital role. Digital printing is one such technology that is in demand these days.

Speaking about the latest technology in the tile industry Mr. Vyas says, "At Johnson, we use state-of-the-art digital printing technology in our ceramic tile products. This technology offers tremendous advantages in capturing real life-like 3D designs and images on the tile in high-resolution. Our Neo Digital Tiles collection, has designs with most sought after tonal variations and shades draws heavy influence from international art décor and intricate masterpieces inspired from in-lay art of carving."

Green Products

With the growing innovation, the flooring industry is adopting green materials which are sustainable in the long run. According to Mr. Vyas, Consumers today are moving towards economical and eco-friendly products. They are becoming more knowledgeable and conscious about their health and the environment. He says, "We at H&R Johnson wanted to keep our focus on driving leadership through innovations in the green building space. Our association with the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), a council actively involved in promoting green building in India is a testimony to this strategy. We see green standards changing the competitive landscape of businesses as well as individual players. It’s not just what you make anymore but how you make it. We undertook extensive research to adapt to green building concept. We adopted every aspect right from product development to manufacturing processes to initiate this strategy. We also have re-engineered our manufacturing operations at our plants to introduce these products."

Latest Launch

Johnson Tiles’ Disney Collection - Johnson Tiles has associated with Disney Consumer Products (India)  to launch Johnson Tiles’ Disney Collection a unique range of wall tiles include some of kid’s favourite Disney characters such as Mickey & Friends, Disney Princesses, Disney-Pixar Cars and Winnie the Pooh. This exciting range of wall tiles brings to life Disney’s most cherished stories in vibrant colours styles inspired by new as well as classic Disney characters. Johnson Tiles uses state-of-the-art digital printing technology to replicate these characters and ensuring the trueness of Disney experience on walls.

Johnson Marbonite Slim Slabs - Johnson’s Marbonite slim slab is the first ever slim product to be rolled-out in the Indian market. This slim slab is the largest vitrified product (900mm x 1800mm) in the domestic market and India's Fist Slim product offering with a thickness of 5.5mm. Johnson’s Marbonite Slim also happens to be India's first "Real" low carbon green tile. It uses 60% less raw material & 50% less energy consumption besides reduction in transport cost; reduced carbon emission during transportation, helps reduces dead-weight of building and possesses inherent fire-proof qualities.

Johnson Eco Flush - Johnson Eco Flush water saving sanitaryware is a special range of bathroom products aims at saving upto 1500 litres of water every month for every family. The water-saving USP of this special range also has a compounding effect on the power consumption of the household. H&R Johnson (India) is currently rolling out this range with 5 innovative sanitaryware products designed for uber modern look. H&R Johnson (India) sees a large demand for Eco Flush bathroom products arising from areas & localities as well as regions where there are water supply restrictions.

Johnson’s Marbonite GV Slabs combine two cutting-edge technologies – digital printing & vitrification technology to create a perfect blend of technical finesse and aesthetics. Digital technology enables replication of quintessential Italian marble designs with stunning accuracy in high definition. The monolithic elegance of these GV Slabs aims to transform the interiors into a place that exudes elegance. In line with the company’s Green outlook, Johnson’s Marbonite GV Slabs are manufactured with VOC value of Zero.

Vision

H & R Johnson has consistently pioneered new innovations to keep our stronghold on the market for over 50 years. Mr. Vyas proudly asserts, "If we have to think of any innovation, recent or past, in the Indian tile industry and chances are we have our name sealed on it. Some of the innovations we've pioneered over the years include Anti-skid Tiles for Bathrooms; Water Repellent Tiles for Bathrooms; Rectified Wall Tiles; Industrial & Pavement Tiles; Vitrified Wall Tiles; Scratch-Free Tiles; Stain-Free Tiles; Anti-bacterial Tiles to name a few."

Concluding with his future for the company in the coming years, Mr. Vyas says, "For the year 2013, we will continue to showcase a wide range of tile and bath products which will be designed keeping in mind customer preferences at the same time promote environmental friendly and promote green concepts.  Customer satisfaction and delight will always remain the hallmark of our company."

For more details: www.hrjohnsonindia.com

Contact No: 022 3064 7300/ 2654 7300