It’s a common household issue: you want to remodel a bathroom or a kitchen but you’re on a budget. You can do most of the work yourself but some of the prices on replacement sinks and showers can get out of control. A Canadian company is streamlining the business model for popular products such as showers and sinks and in the process, it’s keeping costs low. If you have a little know-how and like your décor to have clean lines and a modern style, Artika may have just what you need.
This 17-year old company based in Montreal is able to sell a ready-to-install glass and steel shower called Atlantis for $599 when a similar product might retail for three or four times as much, perhaps more. Its beautiful hand-crafted square sink in stainless steel or composite granite retails for a couple of hundred dollars when a comparable one is a thousand. Artika President Marc Couture says they find tremendous savings in their logistics through a long-term agreement with Costco that began 4 years ago.
“First, we mass-produce it. We make thousands and thousands which makes it much more affordable. Most companies will only ship one or two at a time to a specific store but through our deal with Costco we mass ship as well. Then Costco retails it at a very, very competitive price.”
With a laugh, Couture notes that he sees first-hand that retail prices don’t always have to be as high as they often are. “We’re on the same production line in the factory as some of these high-end brand names. There’s our stuff and there’s their stuff and we’re one quarter of the price. Especially in a difficult economy it helps to just be reasonable and find a way to offer things at a lower price. It helps the customer and it helps us too.”
You won’t find Artika’s products listed on Costco’s website. Only items available for online purchase are featured at www.costco.ca so you need to go in-store to see it. This approach means sales are dependent on shoppers walking past it. Couture says this is a deliberate approach.
“It’s harder to replicate the model into online because then we would have to ship it to the customer directly. It would make it much more expensive. So for us part of the strategy is that it’s cash and carry.”
Couture says keeping the cost of installation down is something they also try to do by offering guides written in plain language.
“We provide very clear instructions so the buyer can install it themselves. When you figure the cost of a new sink or shower, it’s often the installation that can drive up the price. A contractor has to be hired and it can take a lot of time. Everything we make is designed for easy installation. Your average uncle can do it.”
Artika’s product lines also include office solutions, home décor and stunning mosaic sheets and tile. Many installation directions are found on their website, www.artikaworld.com along with beautiful visuals and information about the materials they use. Their most popular item, the Atlantis pro series kitchen , is “zero radius”. It’s square and made by hand as opposed to being molded. Couture works closely with his in-house design team and says his philosophy is, “it doesn’t cost more to design a good product than it does to design a bad one.”
“We use a lot of stainless steel and glass. Sometimes we use wood, some plastic and porcelain. Whatever is best for the product.”
Couture laughs again when he’s asked if he has any Artika products in his own home.
“I have just about everything except the Altantis shower. And that’s only because it’s so new.”