Clever marketeers will always try and increase their spend in a downturn so it's good to see that the KBB industry knows its stuff.

Results from the Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association 2011 Showroom & Supplier Survey, show that companies in the sector are counteracting the problems caused by the downturn, by diversifying.

Some 61% of them are now selling bathrooms, as well as kitchens, compared to the 43% that did so this time last year. The KBSA tells me that this is an increase of 40% - and as the team's maths is going to be a lot better than mine I'll trust it on that one!

Also up, but not quite as much at 30%, is the number of members selling bedrooms, as well as kitchens. That figure is 65% now, compared to 50% this time last year.

Members selling home offices & kitchens are up by 20%, with the 24% that did so last year, increasing to 35% this year. 

Whether this diversification has improved business or not, I cannot say for sure, although it would appear that it has, with the average number of kitchens sold over the past year increasing slightly from 5.1 to 5.24 per member month, while sales of bathrooms have increased from 4.0 to 4.6 per member month.

The KBSA says it's encouraged by the results and it is happy that its campaign to get members to review their strategy for business beyond this recession has been taken on board.

With the economy starting to grow slightly and interest rates being kept at their present low rate for a further month (and I'm hoping for more of the same!) this has to be encouraging news.

May we all continue to 'hang on in there'!