The death of the showroom
Jon Vanstone, chair of Certass TA, argues that showrooms have become a vanity project in a digital age.
As we head into 2025, a trend in the glazing and home improvement sector is becoming increasingly clear: the traditional showroom is on its last legs.
Once an essential tool for customer engagement, the showroom is beginning to look more like an expensive relic than a practical asset. In a time where digital communities thrive and customers are more knowledgeable than ever, it’s worth asking: is the showroom just a vanity project?
There was a time when showrooms were the backbone of customer engagement. If you were looking for a new kitchen or premium windows, you’d visit a showroom to see the options up close and experience the products firsthand. Today, that experience has now largely shifted online. Customers aren’t just browsing – they’re researching, comparing, and sharing ideas in digital communities before a visit to a showroom, or contacting a tradesperson. By the time a customer is in front of you, they often know exactly what they want.
In theory, this shift should lead to higher conversion rates for showrooms, as the customers who do visit are informed and serious about purchasing. However, the reality is more complicated.
Showrooms face a unique challenge: they can only display a limited selection of products. If you don’t have the latest trend that a customer saw on Pinterest or Instagram, you’re out of luck. What was once a place to inspire is now constrained by its own walls – quite literally.
The rise of digital trends and micro-communities has only amplified this issue. Customers no longer need to visit a showroom to see how a product might look in a real home; they’re getting that information online. Social media platforms are flooded with photos and videos of home transformations, often shared by actual homeowners. This ‘before and after’ content is far more persuasive than any showroom display because they’re authentic, relatable, and accessible.
Beyond this, micro-communities have sprung up in neighbourhood groups, community forums, and ‘street email lists,’ where homeowners share renovation experiences, advice, and recommendations. These groups are incredibly influential because they nurture a sense of trust. People would rather ask their neighbours or like-minded community members than rely on a salesperson. In essence, a recommendation from a fellow homeowner is worth far more than a well-polished showroom tour.
The pandemic accelerated this trend as people became more accustomed to online interactions and came to rely on digital networks for recommendations. Showrooms, once thought of as places to begin research and gather ideas, have lost much of their appeal to these trusted online communities.
While digital influence is powerful, the shift away from showrooms isn’t entirely universal. There may still be exceptions, particularly in certain geographic areas or for showrooms with enough space to feature multiple styles and trends. However, even these exceptions come with their own set of challenges. Large showrooms catering to a variety of tastes must constantly update displays to keep up with evolving trends. This is an expensive way to do business, and smaller showrooms simply don’t have the resources to compete in this way.
For those trying to keep pace, it’s not just about adding a new product line – it’s about capturing the latest trend in real-time. This is nearly impossible because trends vary not only over time but also across regions. Preferences can shift dramatically between communities, and what’s popular in one area may be old news in another. For showrooms, this creates an unsustainable cycle of updating, refreshing, and, ultimately, chasing trends rather than setting them.
So, if the traditional showroom is becoming obsolete, what’s the alternative? Increasingly, companies are turning to social media to fill the gap. Video content, in particular, is quickly emerging as the ‘digital showroom’. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube allow businesses to showcase products in real homes, provide a narrative around installations, and engage with viewers in real-time.
Video tours, time-lapse renovations, and creative before-and-after content are not only cost-effective but also far more dynamic than any showroom display. These platforms allow companies to keep up with trends, refresh content regularly and connect with customers on a personal level.
Does this mean showrooms are entirely dead? Not necessarily. There may be a place for showrooms, particularly for high-end or unique products that customers want to experience in person. But for most, the showroom has become a vanity project. The future is digital, and the sooner our industry embraces that, the better equipped we’ll be to meet the demands of the modern customer.