LIXIL picks Thailand for best practice business-model transformation
A senior executive at Japan-based LIXIL Corp said the company – which focuses on housing and water projects – is testing a new, more “consumer-centric” business model in Thailand.
Satoshi Konagai, its Leader, LWT Asia Pacific, told The Nation: “Thailand is the best platform for transformation of a business model.”
Thailand offers a wide variety of consumers with different lifestyles, and this allows the company to ensure its products are diverse enough to reach different segments, he said.
LIXIL was established in 2011 through a merger of five Japanese building materials and housing companies to focus on water and housing products. Two years later it bought American Standard and has been rapidly expanding since.
Since its purchase by LIXIL, sales of American Standard products have risen between 10% and 20%, Satoshi said. He puts this success down to a new brand identity for the 150-year-old American Standard called “LIFE. LOVE. HOME” that makes it more appealing globally.
LIXIL also adheres to Japan’s Monozukuri manufacturing philosophy, which ensures consistent quality, Satoshi said.
He said the company’s engineers and designers have been collaborating more closely since the pandemic to better understand and meet the changing expectations and needs of consumers.
Hygiene and innovation are critical now, Satoshi said.
He pointed to a new product called the DuoSTiX Hygiene Spray which can be used for both personal and bathroom cleaning. Its EasyFlo faucet optimises water flow while minimising wastage, he added.
As water technology is connected to environmental issues, American Standard products aim for sustainable use of water with innovative faucets and circular showers, Satoshi said.
As the younger generation is becoming more global in its thinking, the company is working to ensure its products improve well-being, are sustainable and innovative, and compact to make them suitable in urban settings, Satoshi said.
LIXIL’s expansion in Thailand includes making its Bangkok showroom more futuristic and functional, expanding collaboration with retail partners, and taking a more data-driven approach to sales, he said.
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