By
Cabot’s Premium Woodcare Brands
CobaltNiche Design
Description
The Cabot's Deck Hand is a multi-function bucket designed specifically for tradespeople and DIY enthusiasts, applying protective decking oil to outdoor timber decking and other timber structures. A world first, this single product accommodates the complete range of tasks necessary for regular decking maintenance; from preparation and cleaning through to application of decking oils and stains. An articulating, dual function drainage tray accommodates user requirements during the two key phases of a decking job; preparation, and application.
Key Features
and/or Benefits
The Cabot’s Deck Hand is the first product of its kind in the world, a product designed specifically for use in applying decking oil to timber decks and outdoor timber furniture. Australia’s unique weather patterns and harsh sun mean that regular application of decking oil is essential in protecting outdoor timber structures. Cabot’s research identified an unmet demand in the market, with tradespeople and DIY enthusiasts traditionally using buckets and roller trays that, due to their size, shape and disposable nature, are awkward and frustratingly inefficient when used for decking applications.
The Deck Hand incorporates numerous features to make decking maintenance easier and faster: • Large 15 litre capacity holds enough oil to coat the average Australian deck. • Wide opening allows an oil applicator pad to be fully submerged parallel with the bucket’s base. • Short stature provides a low centre of gravity, perfect for pushing the product along the deck with the designated foot hold. • Articulating drainage tray; folded down for deck preparation and folded up to drain excess oil during application. • Caddying of accessories like brushes for finer finishing, even long handled scrub brooms can be
The Deck Hand has been designed and marketed in Australia in a strategic partnership between CobaltNiche and Cabot’s. Using Cabot’s unique market insights, CobaltNiche have developed a specialised product that balances user needs, manufacturability, sustainability, marketability, and price point considerations in a well-targeted product. The fast paced design and development programme allowed Cabot’s to meet market need quickly, with the product taking only 12 months to go from first sketch to its rightful place on the shelves of mass retailer, Bunnings. The Deck Hand is manufactured in Australia by Gamsee, ensuring high product quality and supply chain responsiveness.
Designed to optimise logistics, the articulating drainage tray and the geometry of the bucket walls allow for the product to be efficiently nested. This stacking minimises the product’s packaging volume, reducing transport and warehousing costs. The product has been designed to be displayed and sold at a retail level in its nested position, eliminating the need for retailers to completely unstack the product for in-store display – reducing double handling and associated costs. Logistics benefits, efficient material usage and the elegantly simple design all support the low price point required for a product entering the competitive mass retail hardware market.
