Ready for 4th July?

Next Thursday, 4th July, will mark one of the most highly anticipated events of 2024. There will be celebrations, there will be jubilant scenes, we could see firm favourites overtaken in the final furlong and rank outsiders coming from nowhere to claim a stunning victory.

There will also be plenty of betting, although hopefully nothing too scandalous…

That’s right, it’s the Glass Times Race Day at Haydock Park, easily one of the industry’s best loved social and networking events, alongside the Epsom Downs ‘southern Race Day’ which is scheduled for later this year on 12th September.

I look forward to seeing you there.

The 2024 Race Day at Haydock does of course coincide with a much less exciting, and far more predictable day of voting for the next PM – and we have some comment in this week’s newsletter, focusing on new housing policy, on how that might impact our industry in the medium to long term.

In the short term, consumer confidence will have a big part to play in the fortunes of the home improvement market in the second half of 2024, and that will all depend on interest and tax rates, and any other new incentives to stimulate the sector.

All things considered, it may be optimistic to expect a significant upturn in replacement window, door and conservatory sales from the summer onwards, despite the latest data from Leads 2 Trade which shows a 23% increase in double glazing lead volumes so far this year, compared to 2023, which it says is driven by homeowners wanting to invest in more energy efficient products.

That means that fabricators and installers should continue to ensure they are equipped to service the higher end of the market, which remains relatively resilient to broader economic conditions, with a premium product offer.

As the latest findings from Keystone Market Research confirm, homeowners currently rank quality, security and energy efficiency as the most important factors when looking at new windows and doors, above price and lead times.

You can read a more detailed report on these findings in the July issue of Glass Times magazine.