Pochin

What Pochin does

Pochin, operating as Robert Pochin Limited, is a UK plumbers merchant founded in 1861 and headquartered in Leicester. The company supplies plumbing and heating products to trade professionals (plumbers, heating engineers, and installers) through a network of 32+ trade counter branches concentrated in the Midlands and extending into Lincolnshire, the West Midlands, and the South West. It also operates 10 dedicated bathroom showrooms offering luxury bathroom and designer heating products to consumers, supported by an in-house CAD design service for bathroom visualization and planning.

The product portfolio is organized under the Instinct brand family, comprising the consumer-facing Instinct Bathroom Collection and the trade-focused Instinct Pro Bathroom Collection and Instinct Pro Plumbing & Heating Collection, with supplementary ranges including underfloor heating and UPress plumbing systems. In 2025, Pochin launched the Clean Heat Ready umbrella scheme, allowing installers to operate under its MCS certification and access Boiler Upgrade Scheme government grants for heat pump installations, extending its service offering into the renewable heating segment.

The business model combines physical distribution (trade counters and showrooms) with an e-commerce account platform (myaccount.pochin.com) built on nopCommerce. Trade customers operate monthly credit accounts, pay on month-end terms, and accumulate points through the Pochin Points loyalty program. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales across both trade and consumer channels, with no disclosed subscription, licensing, or recurring service fees beyond the credit account relationship.

Name

Pochin

Legal name

Robert Pochin Limited

Website

https://pochin.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1861

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Pochin is a UK plumbers merchant founded in 1861, operating 32+ trade counter branches and 10 bathroom showrooms across England. It supplies plumbing and heating products to trade professionals and consumers, and offers MCS-certified heat pump installations through its Clean Heat Ready scheme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices31 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Plumbing & Heating Product Sales: Pochin generates revenue through the sale of plumbing and heating supplies to trade customers and consumers. Products include bathroom suites, radiators, heating products, tiles, and related accessories. Trade customers can open credit accounts with payment due monthly.
2. Heat Pump Installation Umbrella Scheme: Clean Heat Ready scheme providing MCS-certified heat pump installations, accessing government grants (Boiler Upgrade Scheme), and providing insurance-backed guarantees. Revenue generated through heat pump and installation product sales.
3. Trade Credit Accounts: Credit accounts may be opened for trade customers subject to satisfactory credit references. Payment for goods supplied on a credit account is due not later than the last day of the month following the month of delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pochin is a plumbers merchant established in 1861 supplying plumbing and heating products to trade professionals (plumbers, heating engineers) through a network of 32+ trade counter branches across the Midlands and England, alongside 10 bathroom showrooms offering luxury bathroom suites, designer radiators, tiles, and CAD-based bathroom design services for consumers. The business also runs the Clean Heat Ready umbrella scheme giving installers MCS-certified access to government Boiler Upgrade Scheme grants for heat pump installations, and offers trade credit accounts and a Pochin Points loyalty program.

Product overview

Pochin is a single-location plumbers merchant established in 1861, operating as Robert Pochin Limited with a large branch network across the Midlands. The company offers two primary service lines: Trade Counters (wholesale plumbing and heating supplies for trade professionals) and Bathroom Showrooms (luxury bathrooms with design services for consumers and trade). The product portfolio is organized under the Instinct brand umbrella, comprising the Instinct Bathroom Collection (consumer), Instinct Pro Bathroom Collection (trade), and Instinct Pro Plumbing & Heating Collection (trade). Supporting offerings include Clean Heat Ready (MCS-certified heat pump installation scheme), UPress and underfloor heating product lines, CAD design services, Pochin Points loyalty program, and trade credit accounts. The business operates 31+ branches with showrooms in 10 locations, serving both trade and retail customers across the Midlands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trade Counters Network of 32+ trade counter branches across England stocking a full range of plumbing and heating supplies for plumbers, heating engineers, and trade professionals, with trade account facilities and credit terms.
• Bathroom Showrooms 10 bathroom showrooms across the Midlands and Grimsby offering luxury bathrooms, designer heating products, tiles, free bathroom design appointments, and CAD visualization services for consumers and trade customers.
• Clean Heat Ready Umbrella Scheme Service scheme providing MCS-certified installers with access to government grants (Boiler Upgrade Scheme), insurance-backed guarantees, comprehensive training, and dedicated technical support for heat pump installations.
• The Instinct Bathroom Collection Consumer-facing bathroom collection catalogue featuring luxury bathroom products, designer radiators, and heating solutions. Available in Spring-Summer 2026 edition.
• The Instinct Pro Bathroom Collection Professional bathroom collection catalogue for trade customers featuring premium bathroom products and designer heating. 2025/2026 edition available.
• The Instinct Pro Plumbing & Heating Collection Comprehensive plumbing and heating supplies catalogue for trade professionals covering the full range of products. 2026 edition available.
• Pochin Underfloor Heating Products Underfloor heating products and technical guidance, with a dedicated 2026 product guide available for download.
• UPress Plumbing Products Compression and press-fit plumbing systems with a dedicated product guide available for specification and installation.
• Trade Accounts Trade credit accounts for plumbing and heating professionals with monthly payment terms, credit facilities, and access to trade pricing and catalogues.
• Pochin Points Loyalty Scheme Loyalty program allowing customers to earn points on purchases each month and redeem them across a range of brands, retailers, and experiences.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme)coreTechnology or IntegrationPochin's Clean Heat Ready scheme enables installers to work under MCS certification without the cost of applying for MCS themselves. Installers gain immediate access to MCS-certified installations, providing a competitive edge in the heat pump market.
• Boiler Upgrade Scheme (Government)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Clean Heat Ready scheme provides access to government grants including the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), helping installers qualify for incentives and win more heat pump installation jobs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Huws Gray: UK builders' merchant with strong regional concentration in Wales and the North West, plus growing Midlands presence. Compares to Pochin on plumbing/heating distribution and trade customer focus, with overlapping Midlands geography.

Direct peers

• Plumbase: UK plumbing and heating merchant focused on trade customers with a national branch network. Closely comparable in product mix (plumbing, heating, bathrooms) and target customer (plumbers, heating engineers).
• City Plumbing Supplies: One of the UK's largest plumbing and heating merchants with a national branch network serving trade professionals. Operates the same core model as Pochin (trade counters + showroom) at significantly larger scale, making it the most directly comparable competitor.
• Wolseley UK (Ferguson Enterprises): UK arm of Ferguson Enterprises, one of the world's largest plumbing and heating distributors. Operates a similar trade counter model with a much larger national footprint and broader product portfolio.
• Graham Plumbers' Merchant: UK-wide plumbing and heating merchant serving trade customers with branches across the country. Directly comparable in product range, customer segment (trade professionals), and trade counter distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Screwfix: Kingfisher-owned trade and DIY retailer with 800+ UK branches and strong digital presence. Serves plumbers and heating engineers with plumbing supplies, competing with Pochin on convenience, price, and breadth rather than depth of trade expertise.
• Travis Perkins: FTSE-listed UK builders' merchant with a broad product portfolio spanning plumbing, heating, timber, and general building materials. Overlaps with Pochin on plumbing/heating distribution but at significantly larger scale and broader category coverage.
• B&Q: UK's largest home improvement retailer and Kingfisher flagship. Overlaps with Pochin's consumer bathroom showroom offering but at much greater scale and with a broader DIY product range; does not serve the trade counter segment.

Emerging players

• Victorian Plumbing: UK-listed online bathroom retailer specializing in direct-to-consumer sales of bathroom suites, furniture, and accessories. Competes with Pochin's showroom model on price and convenience for the consumer segment but does not serve trade professionals.
• Octopus Energy (Heat Pump Installation): UK energy retailer rapidly scaling its own heat pump installation business under the "Cosy" brand, supported by government grants. Represents an emerging competitive threat to Pochin's Clean Heat Ready scheme as installers gain alternative routes to Boiler Upgrade Scheme funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PochinLincoln
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pochin

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pochin