A mixed outlook?

The most recent Business Pilot Barometer report revealed an uplift in retail sales and leads of 19% for the month of October compared to September.

It will be interesting to see if this upturn in sales is carried on into November, or whether it was a ‘blip’, but it’s worth noting that Leads 2 Trade has also reported strong levels of consumer confidence year on year.

Leads 2 Trade, which provides qualified sales leads for installation companies, has seen a 29% increase in consumer enquiries and a 41% rise in appointments for its member customers.

According to Leads 2 Trade, homeowners are looking to improve the energy efficiency of their homes with new double glazed products as well as high ticket items such as conservatory roofs.

It’s a positive outlook for the industry considering the current economic position and forecast for the year ahead, but it’s also one that’s slightly at odds with the latest findings from Insight Data which show that only 26% of businesses are recording higher levels of enquiries compared to before the pandemic.

12 months ago, that figure was reported to be as high as 63%. And 21% of the companies in Insight Data’s survey expect sales to dip over the next 12 months.

The fact that demand has reduced since the home improvement boom of the pandemic, however, should come as no great surprise.

It’s clear that demand is still out there, it’s just that installers and fabricators are going to have to work harder to capitalise on it, both in terms of product and service but also marketing and lead generation.