Heritage appeal

I’ve previously discussed the importance of good data, and how installers and fabricators should take advantage of market reports and software tools in order to benefit from accurate information on industry trends and products.

Software provider, Tommy Trinder, which has developed next gen quotation technology for installers, is one such company that provides regular market analysis via ‘The Sketch’, which looks at data from over 530 installers nationwide.

The latest report reveals that 9% of PVC windows installed in the UK are vertical sliders, and while that’s a relatively small number, it actually translates to 22% of the PVC window market by value.

According to Tommy Trinder, the average installed selling price for VS windows is £1,178, although it’s a lot higher in Scotland (at £1,479) and relatively low in the South West, at £1,099 in Devon and Cornwall.

The Tommy Trinder Framepoint Technology allows users to create quotes for new windows on the spot, which means you can sit down with a homeowner and give them a price straight away instead of having to back to the office to work it all out – but it also allows installers to ‘upsell’ extra design features, such as astragal bars, mechanical joints and foils.

These are obviously key design elements for vertical sliders and you can see from the data how many homeowners end up specifying them for their properties.

Astragal bars are chosen for 53% of installations, 46% want a foiled finish and 27% have opted for mechanical jointing in order to give that authentic ‘timber’ aesthetic.

Of all the installers using Tommy Trinder’s software, 85% have a vertical slider in their product portfolio, which means 15% are missing out on valuable sales opportunities at the higher end of the home improvement market.

All of which means that if you don’t have access to a decent VS, should you be asking yourself ‘why not’?