If you read yesterday’s post you will know that Palmer Market Research has given a less than positive forecast for the UK window and door industry until 2019. Personally I don’t think it will be as negative as the report suggest, companies are more innovative and resilient that most think. But the report did also highlight a few areas to be a bit more cherry about, and it’s these areas that installers need to focus on to ensure their own growth.
Lantern roofs
One of the hidden messages in the latest PMR report was that companies are going to have to continue to diversify if they want to continue to grow and grow well.
Although this wasn’t mentioned specifically in the report, the lantern roof market is one area that is experiencing very strong growth at the moment.
Eurocell has it’s Skypod, Ultraframe has it’s UltraSKY, KAT UK has the KATpod, Atlas has their Atlas Lantern. The list goes on. The sheer number of lantern roof products has shot up in such a short space of time. The reason being the lantern roof market is one of those rare, untapped yet massive markets.
Think about the number of flat roofs in the UK. I can’t find figures online about how many there are, but I reckon it’s in the low millions. That would be a lot of rooms with roofs just waiting to be made brighter and more appealing on the eye.
They’re not massively expensive, and they’re fairly simple to installed. We’ve done a couple ourselves, and both the home owners and our fitters were pleased with the results. Money well spent.
This market is going to be easy for installers to enter, and there are plenty of high quality lantern roof products to choose from. Installers just need to decide on one, and market it away to home owners. There’s a lot of roofs to uplift out there!
Bi-folding doors
These were mentioned as an area of growth by the report, with PMR predicting that bi-folding doors were set to be the most popular patio door type by 2019. I don’t think any of us could disagree with that. And on the back of that positivity, installers really should be making the most of their popularity and filling their boots.
As with lantern roofs, there is a wide array of bi-folding door products out there, be it timber, aluminium or PVCu. The one I am most engrossed with right now is Warmcore by Synseal. It really is going to be a game changer in the bi-folding door market, and will be a very easy product for quality installers to sell. Although for those at Synseal reading, I would urge a word of caution; don’t give this to absolutely everyone. I understand that the temptation will be there to make this product available to all and sundry. But if you do, you risk losing the prestige of the product and all value out of what is a high end product will be lost by those installers undercutting each other to win the order. Just saying.
But no matter what material, bi-folding doors are here to stay and will grow strong over the coming few years. If you’re not already focusing on bi-folding doors at your installation company, then what have you been doing these last few years?!
Glazed extensions
By glazed extensions I do not mean conservatories. Conservatories are those tacky white box things plonked on to the back of people’s houses. Those died off a few years ago. No, I’m talking about proper glazed extensions, with brick or Loggia columns, with internal pelmets, with solid roofs or glass electrochromic roofs. Proper rooms that people can use 12 months a year and that look like they’ve been integrated into the rest of the house professionally.
Unfortunately PMR called them conservatories in their report. I’m sure they meant glazed extensions. Still, they predict a rise in the number of installations of the coming years so that should spell good news for installers.
And in reality, the time has never been better to have a glazed extension installed. There quality and range of products available has never been better than it has been right now. Any home owner thinking of a well built glazed extensions should be mightily impressed at how far glazed extensions have come in the last few years. Again, with these awesome products at installers’ disposal, it’s fill yer boots time if you know how to sell them.
I think diversification and thinking outside “the plastic” box that was the conservatory of the last decade is spot on. We’re experiencing sales growth in all areas relating to architectural features which extend the conservatory… I think for those prepared to embrace the new there are exciting times ahead… great article today!
Thanks for the input on DGB as always Anthony
Agree with you that those who embrace change will find the most reward. Those refusing to accept the industry is moving on will find business becoming more and more difficult.
DGB
It is certainly true that there has been increasing fragmentation of the extension market in the last few years. I think your thoughts pretty much reflect ours DGB.
We have been encouraging retailers to enter the single storey extension market – the offer of a fixed quotation and with the product installed in a matter of weeks is very appealing – particularly if we can hold the hands of the retailer with a virtual removal of red tape through our Building Regs partner Jhai.
What’s the difference between a glazed extension and an orangery?