The General Election really couldn’t have come at a more inconvenient time. Just as the Euros was getting underway, the UK was plunged into another major vote which always results in supressed business activity from the general public. One last parting gift from a Government that became ineffective and out of ideas.

Now, with the Olympics and end of the school year coming, our industry if facing a trickly few weeks and months.

Seasonal norms

Speaking personally, the first quarter of this year was very good for us. Better than we thought it might be given the constraints on public finances. However, as it became clearer that it would not be too long before the country was made to go to the poll, there was a marked slowdown which was constant through Q2. It was noticeable pretty much as soon as ex-PM Rishi Sunak announced that there would be a vote on July 4th.

The weeks that followed, as I think is generally accepted by much of the sector, saw an obvious slowdown. The latest report from Business Pilot shows a clear drop in activity. Just as the UK was heading into summer (yeah I know, rubbish weather and all that) and what is generally a busier period for the sector, those brakes were slammed on by the General Election.

Then the Euros kicked off. Sporting events I don’t think have as much as an impact as a major vote does, but it combined at the same time as the election which was just another distraction. Thankfully, at least for England fans, the distraction has been a good one as we have a final to look forward to on Sunday.

Usually after an election there is a bit of a “bounce” – especially when a new party takes over. But any bounce this time around is likely to be short lived given the poor state of the nations finances and the fact that schools are about to break up in England and Wales which marks the busiest holiday period of the year for families.

This is coming at about the most inconvenient time for the sector. Just as we were hoping for that bounce and a resumption in spending, families are about to start leaving the country for the next 6 weeks, in a time that is seasonally quiet for the sector anyway. It means the first half of this quarter is likely to remain subdued, coming off the back of a quarter that in itself wasn’t exactly lively.

The next 6 weeks could be a very trickly period, especially for installers.

Remaining visible

Our industry is now having to compete with a major sporting final, a new Government making rapid changes, the Olympics in France and now the school holiday season. Lots of reasons not to think about new windows and doors at the moment.

So what do we do as an industry, specifically if you’re an installer? In short, you have to stay as visible as possible. Marketing, if anything, has to be increased over the next 6 weeks. Social media channels have to be active, websites need to be updated, adverts need to be placed. Investing in your home isn’t suddenly less important for the next few weeks, and homeowners need to be reminded of that fact.

Withdrawing from marketing activity right now would only make things worse. We are having to compete with a lot of other distractions right now, which makes the task of getting eyes on screens even more important.

Looking ahead, the last few months of this year could actually be the bounce we are looking for. Those who are putting off spending decisions now may go back to them once the holidays are out of the way and the kids are back at school. Major sporting events will be over and the UK will have become used to the idea of Labour in power. There will be fewer distractions and as there always is in early September, the rush to get projects completed before Christmas will begin. What I am hoping is that busy period will be busier than normal given the distracted summer we are having.

To get weekly updates from DGB sent to your inbox, enter your email address in the space below to subscribe:

By subscribing you agree to DGB sending you weekly email updates with all published content on this website, as well as any major updates to the services being run on DGB. Your data is never passed on to third parties or used by external advertising companies. Your data is protected and stored on secure servers.