Business & Money | Tuesday 12 March, 2019 4:20 pm |

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 12 March 2019. Consumers are fundamentally
changing how they define and use their living spaces. GROHE has identified five mega
trends: Consumers have risen from passive consumption to taking control over the creation
of new living spaces and have become creators themselves in seeking simplicity and
intelligent product solutions. Today, more than ever, product innovation and design depend
on an empathetic understanding of these trends as consumers are inclined to choose
integrated solutions over single products. GROHE, a leading global brand for complete
bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings, gave an impressive account of its journey in
reflecting the five mega trends in its offering to consumers and customers during its keynote
event at yesterday’s start of the ISH trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany. With a record number
of 500 single new products GROHE surprised its customers and consumers with solutions
that actively shape the future of water.

3D metal-printing will revolutionize the water experience in the home
A unique formula of granules has been exclusively developed by GROHE for their 3D metal-
printers located at its Hemer manufacturing site in Germany. ”The design of our new faucets
GROHE Atrio Icon 3D and GROHE Allure Brilliant Icon 3D are beyond belief. They make the
unthinkable possible,” Michael Rauterkus, CEO GROHE AG, said. “What you see is the
future of design. For consumers, it's the future of their own creativity and ultimate

personalization. We believe that 3D metal-printing will revolutionize the water experience in
the home. It’s the ultimate blend of customization and industrial production.”
Changing requirements as consumers become creators
The boundaries between the individual living areas are becoming more blurred. The kitchen
is often part of the living room, the bathroom opens up to the bedroom and both are
becoming important living spaces instead of purely functional ones. When designing their
own living space, consumers pay much more attention to detail in the bathroom and the
kitchen than ever before. Consequently, bathroom and kitchen products have become
household furnishings that allow consumers to express their individual style and
preferences. As the first European leading sanitary brand to launch 3D metal-printed
faucets, GROHE breaks with the old principle of form following function and combines
cutting-edge technology with spectacular design. It is an impressive statement of GROHE’s
willingness and ability to shape the future of water and accompany its customers and
consumers on their journey to create the living spaces they desire. “Consumer expectations
are changing to a great extent”, said Michael Rauterkus, as he delivered his keynote speech
in front of 350 international journalists and invited guests. “GROHE is shaping the future of
water, in terms of design and innovation, both analogue and digital, giving our customers
and our consumers the building blocks they need to harness the power and the beauty of
water – as a tailored experience wherever they enjoy water.” Whilst new living spaces evolve
around the bathroom and the kitchen, consumers are often confronted with an unwanted
complexity in the creation process.

GROHE helps customers in seeking simplicity – creation without complexity
The search for simplicity in terms of easy and intuitive solutions is met with a new
minimalism to people’s homes. GROHE clearly positioned itself as a leading global brand for
complete bathroom solutions, supporting consumers in becoming creators without having to
deal with complexity. Its products combine quality with a stunning range of colors and
materials: from faucets, showers and ceramics, to kitchen faucets, sinks, accessories and
flush plates. “Nobody else offers, across the whole product range, the quality and durability
in so many colors that bathrooms and kitchens require”, emphasized Michael Rauterkus.
Essence, GROHE’s newly introduced and first ceramic line that includes bathtubs, is a
perfect showcase of the new minimalism and search for simplicity, showing beauty in its

purest form. The design line’s characteristics are its gentle organic forms that are based on
their reduction to the essentials. But minimalism by GROHE goes far beyond design, it
means also the intuitive handling and easy installation of products. The new GROHE Rapido
SmartBox provides architects, planners and installers with an infinite number of possible
solutions with just one concealed installation solution: For maximum efficiency and planning
flexibility, the concealed installation can be combined not only with the innovative shower
system GROHE SmartControl but also with thermostats and single-lever mixers, offering a
universal solution for all requirements.

A new connected eco system for water security and water management
At ISH two years ago, GROHE launched its first Internet of Things (IoT) solution, GROHE
Sense and GROHE Sense Guard. Today, GROHE is pioneering digitization in the sanitary
industry and extends its competence well beyond sanitary hardware solutions. At the ISH
2019 keynote, GROHE announced a new generation of GROHE Sense water sensors and
the launch of GROHE Sense Guard Pro, which is optimized for use in multi-family homes
and high-rise residential buildings. Installed on both the cold and hot water pipes, it offers
water security and provides accurate water consumption data directly onto mobile devices
via the GROHE Sense App. This also means that there is full visibility of water and energy
consumption, allowing consumers to take control. Moreover, with the combination GROHE
Sense Guard and Sense Guard Pro, the global brand is now able to help prevent water
damage in 90 percent of the residential market. The GROHE Sense system has created a
disruptive new business model for GROHE as well as for installers and new business
partners such as insurance and property management companies. “We are creating an
intelligent platform, the biggest ecosystem for water security and water management, which
will allow our industry partners worldwide, such as insurance companies, to implement new
business models”, said Michael Rauterkus.

Biggest innovation push of GROHE to date at ISH
Overall GROHE introduced a record number of innovations and more than 500 single new
products that address the five mega trends ‘new living spaces’, ‘consumers become
creators’, ‘simplicity seekers – the search for simplicity’, ‘taking control’, and ‘intelligent life
management’. It is the biggest innovation push of GROHE so far – tailored to the needs of

consumers as well as professional partners such as architects, installers, insurers and smart
home experts. “As GROHE stands for Water, Intelligence, and Enjoyment, we are creating
intelligent water solutions that transform lives for the better”, highlighted Michael Rauterkus.
“Most importantly, we are transforming the experience of water itself”.