Chicago, IL -- Michael Rockstroh of RB Strategy Group asserted that kitchen and bath market is in a recession during his talk at the Decorative Plumbing & Hardware Association (DPHA) breakfast during K/BIS 2008, despite reports from DPHA members that they've been holding steady through the first quarter of 2008, and despite previous reports that kitchen and bath remodeling has been holding steady in the facing of a continuing housing downturn.

He told attendees that 'it's clear to anyone in the industry that we're in a recession.' However, he advised them 'not to get bogged down in statistics,' and, instead, told them that their 'aim in a changing market is to be sustainable against competition.'

To help them do that, he outlined his competitive strategy roadmap for a changing home market, the tenets of which include market space, direct/indirect competitors, competition from within, talent/team, resources, vendors, value proposition and communication.

He emphasized the fact that 'cost-cutting is not a strategy.' Rather, he advised, look at current economic conditions and based on those conditions as they apply to individual firms, employ an effective strategy that works best for that individual firm's needs. In the end, staying competitive in such turbulent economic times is more about streamlining and efficiency than it is about simply cost-cutting across the boards.