Banju Boutique brings with it a mission – that of being committed to supply the highest levels of service and the best selection of quality brands and products, devotedly to its fields of expertise.
Since its foundation in 1962 Banju Boutique has grown to become one of Malta’s largest bathroom centres. Charmaine Zammit, Director and daughter of founder Paul Tabone, gives an insight as to how Banju Boutique achieved its well-deserved success.
B anju Boutique was incepted in 1962 in Zejtun by the late Paul Tabone and his wife Ina. The business is now run by their children – Mark Anthony the elder brother, and the twin sisters, Lorraine and Charmaine. The rationale behind the unusual name was first and foremost a nod to the family’s Maltese heritage – Banju meaning “bath” in Maltese, whilst “boutique” emphasizes the vast product selection one could image behind bathroom supplies.
Charmaine explained that forty years ago, her father used to manufacture all the bathtubs in fibreglass material, in all colours, styles and sizes. As a young child, Charmaine vividly remembers the consignment of sanitary ware to their showroom. All packed in straw – with the typical pungent smell of humidity – all piled up on top of each other, as packaging used to be done in those days.
Family businesses tend to be trusted more than non-family business and clients are generally attracted to working with them due to the strength to culture and values that often exist. Quite often, you will find that there is longevity of service of staff, and staff are incredibly loyal. Growing up in that environment, Charmaine speaks fondly of the team of employees, most of which have been with the company for over two decades. These are the stalwarts of the company – they know the brands inside out. They treat the company with a passion that is generally reserved for business owners and they are eager to champion their area of expertise when and wherever possible.
Banju Boutique is a living workshop of ideas and a catalogue of unique concepts ideal for all parts of one’s living space
Four years ago, Banju Boutique restructured their large showroom in Paola on one single groundfloor “for the convenience of our visitors”, and its refurbishment, as described by Charmaine, is a seamless fusion of affordable luxury combined with innovation, style and comfort. Though currently the Marsa junction project has created a bit of an inconvenience, Charmaine is looking forward to its completion as “its location will enjoy very good exposure, as well as extend the parking spaces in the immediate vicinities surrounding the showroom!”
The feel of the new corporate image was to change to a more modern look. The choice of the vibrant colour red was not only to stand out but also to portray and young and playful image. More importantly, the change in corporate image was to eradicate the misconception that Banju Boutique is all about bathrooms.
Charmaine explains that Banju Boutique is not just limited to bathrooms, but they also supply large format flooring as well as mosaics for swimming pools and special tiles to compliment a whole pool area. In addition to that they also have a good selection of feature wall tiles to cover all interiors, kitchen, living and outdoors. Over the years they have also built a strong portfolio of residential projects as well as catering for medium to large projects which include a number of large and smaller boutique hotels.
The bathroom, in particular, is a very private space that extends beyond the simple provision of sanitary facilities. The wellness aspect has been given due importance to create an atmosphere of well-being and mental relaxation
When it comes to pricing, Charmaine is very clear that Banju Boutique is not known for its cheap prices but rather for the value for money that one will benefit from choosing their products and services – including any after sales assistance. Banju Boutique has also made a name for itself with architects and individual clients as a very flexible company – they are affectionately known as the Problem Solvers as they have created the ability to provide solutions for the most difficult of space situations resulting in producing elegant and modern environments.
Product Portfolio
Banju Boutique is not just about bathrooms. Its product portfolio includes tiles, bathroom units, bathroom furnishings, mixers and fixtures & fittings, pool tiles and flooring: a wide-ranging mix that complements each other. All are designed to be functional and practical.
Like everything else, technology for bathrooms too is evolving. The advancement of technologies has seen homes getting smarter day by day. Nowadays, we have connected products for every space in the home, even for the bathrooms. “An example of the progression in technology and fashion of our product portfolio is the ‘Riva Toilet Shower’, which is on display and completely functional,” Charmaine proudly observed.
Though expensive, smart technologies have piqued the interest of clients. Banju Boutique clients tend to appreciate simplicity – there is a lot of technology behind simplicity, Charmaine stresses. Whilst technology is nice to have, Charmaine believes that the quality of craftsmanship is most essential to support such evolving technology.
Brand Representation
Thorough research goes into the selection of a brand or product that will eventually be displayed in their showroom. The brands, which are synonymous with excellence and are exclusively represented by Banju Boutique, all hail from Europe – mostly from Spain, Italy, France. The choice of supplier is a conscious decision defined by the brand’s capabilities, the technology used and the product’s brand positioning. Another important aspect of supplier choice is the location, logistical support and transition times for delivery. Charmaine however also stressed that “a commitment to hold stock of spare parts as much as possible – even of discontinued models – is a high matter of importance too in our selection process.” These are the reasons which support Banju Boutique’s long lasting relations – often surpassing a 35 year period – with their supply partners. If one is looking at Italian design, what should first come to mind is Fratelli Frattini. This firm has been consistently producing high quality sanitary fittings since 1958.
Our clients have high expectations and are well versed with the quality and choice of design European suppliers can offer. This is always kept in mind when choosing our brands
Innovation and aesthetics have been their foundations for production, resulting in constant advancements in the co-existence of functionality and design. Fincibec Group has been the company’s main Italian supplier for nearly three decades and caters for a beautiful range of wall and floor tiles – available also in large formats and special pieces for pool areas. When looking at German technology, Hansa has for the past twenty two years catered for their customer’s needs and can be found in many local projects. Similarly, Kessel have been devoting their efforts to developing new and innovative products and solutions for indoor and outdoor drainage systems.
Swiss precision too is brought by Banju Boutique to our shores in the form of Laufen – known for their symbiosis of design, quality and functionality. Their core competence is its knowledge in the area of sanitary ware manufacturing and a high degree of practicality. Spain’s Tau Cerámica offers integral ceramic solutions, capable of covering architectural structures in various formats using materials such as wood, marble, stone and metals. This manufacturing firm will actually be the first collaborating company in the ceramic sector to support Valencia as the Design Capital of the World 2022.
In addition to these brands, Banju Boutique has also been instrumental in supplying accessible bathrooms, as well as furniture from Mobilario Royo and pioneering storage systems in acron material by Aquabella both from Spain; to outstanding material in solid wood teak or oak, sourced from renewable forests in Europe, from LineArt in France. Charmaine highlights the fact that all brands use the latest approved and certified raw materials, following European and international regulation.
Featured Projects
The list of projects that Banju Boutique has been part of is vast, and it takes Charmaine some time to whittle down the projects they were involved in to a mere few.
The Rosselli – AX Privilege Five Star hotel in Valletta is a historical palazzo that has been transformed into a luxurious boutique hotel centred around historical detail. The newly launched hotel was furnished with Flaminia sanitary ware.
On similar lines was the provision of sanitary ware to The Barrister Hotel, another charming boutique hotel in the heart of Malta’s capital city. And on a larger scale, Charmaine is particularly proud of their involvement in the twenty one-roomed Cugó Gran Macina Grand Harbour Hotel, another historical landmark structure revived by renowned perit Edwin Mintoff and complemented by products from the Banju Boutique portfolio.
covid-19
The consequences of the Covid-19 outbreak were unprecedented and like all other businesses, Banju Boutique had to navigate through the financial and operational challenges of the pandemic whilst addressing the needs of their people, customers and suppliers. On the other hand, their brand suppliers were doing their best to be prevalent following the crisis, and were thus paying even more attention to their needs. Clients were understanding of the situation and were pleasantly surprised at how readily Banju Boutiqe was in serving their expectations even during such times.
The quality of our work was more important than ever during this time. We learnt how to further improve our operational efficiency – working this way prepares you for any eventuality
Thankfully, a well-stocked warehouse meant that Banju Boutique was able to meet its commitments with their clients, whilst with others, they stored their stock until their developments restarted. Although problems within the industry were encountered, Banju Boutique continued to work as normally as possible under the circumstances, whilst paying tribute to the importance of their relationships with their residential and commercial customers alike.
The Future
To many, the phrase “family business” connotes a small or mid-sized company with a local focus and a familiar set of problems, such as squabbles over succession. But when the economy slumps, family firms tend to, more often than not, far outshine their peers.
Academic articles on family businesses describe the performance edge family businesses have over their non-family business counterparts as “a result of their dogged pursuit of operational excellence.” Charmaine subscribes to this view. “When our family business was created by our father Paul, it was created for the long-term. We have had our challenges, familial complexities but time has shown us that we could outride any storms that might hit our islands.”
Banju Boutique has displayed resilience, character, passion for quality and operational efficiency, and devotion to their clients throughout their extensive history to become one of Malta’s top suppliers and experts within this field which quite literally forms the base of Malta’s property industry.
Throughout the years, the company’s strategy has been the consolidation of its strengths rather than being lured to diversifying. Charmaine and her siblings are steadfast in their belief to continue on the same path,
The wisdom, ethos and moral compass imparted by their father Paul has been handed over to this new generation and from the looks of it will keep being passed on to the next.
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