Question

Topic: Strategy

Would You Use A Heated Toilet Seat

Posted by Peter (henna gaijin) on 9/6/2011 at 12:23 PM ET 1000 Points
Doing some basic market research for a client. He has developed a heated toilet seat with a few improvements over the other products on the market.

There are players in this market,but none see to be all that large (with heated toilet seats - some are large companies, but heated toilet seats seem to be just part of these large company's business).

Standard toilet seats cost about $25-50 in North America. Heated toilet seats (without bidets/washed) run from $100-150. Those with bidet functions (which my client would not be offering) and even more functions cost $500+. These heated toilet seats are easy to retrofit onto a current toilet, though they do require plugging in to an outlet somewhere near to the toilet seat. They use a small amount of power to keep warm, so would not be expensive (maybe $0.05 per day).

So, some quick questions I was hoping you could answer so I can understand why the market is the size it is:

- have you ever tried one? (yes, I do want to know if you have never experienced one, even if this means you can't really answer the other questions)

- do you think there is a benefit to a heated toilet seat?

- what would keep you from buying a heated toilet seat?

Any thoughts would be appreciate. I have my ideas about what some of the objections are, but want to hear others thoughts to confirm.

Not quite a normal question for MarketingProfs, so I am giving this a pretty high point count to say thanks for taking a look at it.

Thanks!
To continue reading this question and the solution, sign up ... it's free!
SUBSCRIBE
Or, SIGN IN

RESPONSES

  • Posted by NovaHammer on 9/6/2011 at 5:07 PM Accepted
    In Canada I've used passivly heated toilet seats, styrofoam ones that reflect body heat almost immediately....quite a good solution. Not megabucks but very comfy when camping etc...
  • Posted by mgoodman on 9/6/2011 at 9:43 PM Accepted
    - have you ever tried one?
    No, never tried one.

    - do you think there is a benefit to a heated toilet seat?
    No, not that I can think of. Sounds like a novelty/gag item.

    - what would keep you from buying a heated toilet seat?
    Can't see any benefit/need.


    One person's opinion. If you really want good answers, you need to commission a properly designed market research study, of course.

  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 9/7/2011 at 12:50 AM Accepted
    I haven't used one, but it wouldn't surprise me if some of my other family members might enjoy it - especially those that live in cooler climates.

    From reviews on Amazon from your competitors (https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_7?url=search-alias%3Dtools&fi...) there are a lot of people who swear by their heated seats (and were initially skeptical as well).

    As for who would be interested, start by focusing on adult women 40-60 years old living in cold weather environments first.
  • Posted by timo kruskopf on 9/7/2011 at 1:09 PM Accepted
    Jay has a point there. I live in real north where proper central heating is an essence of life. No need for heated seats here because of steady conformable conditions.
    On my trips to so called mild environments they lack central heating, no proper insulation and single claced windows. Winters are real pain there. Bathrooms and toilets suffer humidity problems.
    I would consider a comfortable morning moment alone on a heated seat.
    Tried a seat like that once. Pretty nice. Generating a hygiene USP to support and focusing on mild climates with raw winter months, I see there a chance.
  • Posted by BizConsult on 9/7/2011 at 4:12 PM Accepted
    - have you ever tried one?

    Not one that was plugged in – but you sure notice the difference if someone else just got off the seat!

    - do you think there is a benefit to a heated toilet seat?

    Yes – my wife dislikes cold floors in the bathroom and has commented on the seat before too: Whether it’s cold due to it being the middle of winter or from air conditioning in the summer, cold floors and toilet seats can be a little bit of a shock to the system – especially if it’s the middle of the night and you just got out of a warm bed...

    - what would keep you from buying a heated toilet seat?

    Price/value concerns (need more research)

    Not having an outlet nearby or having a cord running all the way across the bathroom (outlets in many baths are not near the toilet…)

    Having a visible cord (make it white, beige or neutral, or, if not overly-expensive, include options that the consumer can choose from)

    Having to clean the cord (yuk, one more thing to wipe)

    Heating the seat ~99.5% of the time while using it ~0.5% of the time seems like a waste of energy – especially in the summer – therefore making energy costs (both to heat the seat, and to constantly offset the air conditioning) another concern: Have an on/off switch or better yet, the ability to unplug it from the seat to remove the cord and address the visibility/cleaning concerns

    Undoubtedly irrational fears of electrocution if the seat got wet! i.e., one hears of people getting electrocuted when urinating on a third rail / similar electrical source; What would happen if you were taking a shower and suddenly had to use the toilet – jumped out and sat down - and the water ran into the cord?

    Good luck!
BACK TO TOP

Post a Comment

Related Discussions

Community Info

Top 25 Experts
(Strategy)