The plumbing and heating division of Travis Perkins Group plc has announced a major programme that is transforming the way its two merchant brands, City Plumbing Supplies (CPS) and Plumbing Trade Supplies (PTS), serve customers.

Both companies are placing considerable investment in delivering market-leading levels of service, while catering for the specific needs of customers in domestic and contract sectors.


This new focus will see the brands take a more targeted approach, building on the strength of both teams. For CPS this means focusing on small- and medium-sized installers, while PTS extends the service it offers to large contracts and commercial relationships.


The investment has been placed in numerous areas of the business, including the transition of PTS branches to new CPS branches, complete with bathroom showrooms and counters for City Heating Spares. CPS and PTS branches that are in close proximity of each other have been merged in certain locations to create a stronger combined offering, while dedicated service centres have been launched to support PTS' contract customers.


The restructure will result in 90 specialist PTS contract branches, supported by seven customer support centres, and 400 CPS branches nationwide. Most CPS branches will now include a bathroom showroom for installers to find the perfect suite, or to inspire their own customers. CPS customers will benefit from bathroom showrooms, an extended spares offering and a service dedicated to the small and medium installer, backed by an industry-leading supply chain. Tailored to large contracts, PTS customers will have access to a dedicated account team, and benefit from an unrivalled supply chain.


The transition began in 2014, and will be completed by the end of 2015.


Paul Tallentire, CEO of the plumbing and heating division for the Travis Perkins Group, said: "Behind this significant investment is a simple concept for customers of both PTS and CPS. The PTS business is focusing on what it does best - world class delivery to our large contract customers. CPS has been vastly expanded to maximise our reach for the domestic installer and to provide them with an unrivalled range of services and product choice. These changes reflect a massive investment in our customers and their experience at the trade counter. We are proud to offer a service that is tailored to their needs; whether that's a domestic installer that wants face-to-face advice and access to in- stock items or those working on large contracts who demand reliable service and availability."


The Travis Perkins Group said that new job positions have been created, and no employee has lost their role as a result of the changes.


John Frost, managing director of CPS, said: "The refurbishment of the majority of our network, plus other benefits such the creation of bathroom showrooms, the wider availability of spares, and further improvements to product availability and choice, mean that our customers will have access to much more than ever before. This is an incredibly exciting time; we're confident that our customers will be extremely happy with all the new initiatives that have been put in place."


Matthew Mycock, managing director of PTS, added: "PTS is superb at handling the very complex logistics of contracts so the strategy of building on this strength is incredibly positive news for our customers. The development of dedicated branches and support centres puts the focus on service and allows PTS to provide an industry-leading offering for the unique requirements of large projects."