It’s the quality thunk that sells the Gerda

Consumers may be prepared to spend more on a higher quality product, but in the current market, they also want the assurance they’re getting value for money. Nothing says that more than the Gerda ‘thunk’ according to Danny Williams, director of Gerda UK.

Five years on from the start of the Covid pandemic and lockdown in the UK, there has been a noticeable shift in consumer purchasing habits, particularly when it comes to investing in new windows and doors.

The tidal wave of orders that followed lockdown, triggered by confined homeowners sitting on a vast pile of cash that would have otherwise been spent on holidays abroad or eating out, has long since subsided.

Consumer spending is now much more cautious and more considered, but while it may take longer for homeowners to hand over their cash, industry specific data shows that they are now prepared to part with more of it, for higher quality products that can demonstrate good value for money.

This, suggests Danny Williams, director of Pioneer Trading Company that distributes the Gerda residential doors in the UK, would explain the increase in demand for high performance aluminium solutions, as well as growing interest in the premium range of aluminium and steel entrance doors that he introduced to the market, following a search for a superior alternative to underperforming composites.

“The market may have contracted in terms of overall volume, but there’s plenty of evidence to support the industry reports that highlight an upturn in higher value home improvements,’ he says. “Product quality and performance – especially relating to energy efficiency – plus premium aesthetics are all now key drivers for sales.

“For the entrance door market, regular composites can look attractive at first, but we all know that they can often prove more trouble than they’re worth in the long run. They can be a nightmare for installers who have to spend valuable time on remedial work, and worse, run the risk of bad customer reviews.

“With Gerda front doors, however, they can promote a far superior door that is guaranteed not to warp or bow, delivers fantastic U values and a desirable, high-end finish – and all for a relatively modest upsell over a composite,” he continues.

The Gerda ‘thunk’

Engineered around a polyurethane core, proven as the best material for minimising heat transfer, and constructed from premium aluminium and steel, Gerda doors are available in four distinct ranges and offer U values from as low as 0.74 W/m2k, way ahead of current UK regulations for energy efficiency.

Incredibly robust, they are resistant to the warping and bowing typically associated with composites and also offer outstanding, PAS24 rated security thanks to three-bolt main locks, multi-point locks and anti-burglary vertical bolts

Gerda doors are also compatible with Tedee, a smart lock that combines advanced, and highly secure remote operation with the reassurance of traditional locking if required, presenting further, tangible options to end users.

As Danny explains though, it is not until homeowners have the opportunity to get ‘hands on’ with Gerda doors, typically in one of the growing number of installer network showrooms around the UK, that the difference in quality can be fully appreciated.

“We call it the Gerda ‘thunk’,” he says. “It’s not something that’s easily conveyed through brochures or online research, you have to physically operate the door, to appreciate the ‘weight’ and experience the ‘thunk’ of it closing.

“For Gerda trade partners, it’s proving to be a highly effective selling point, especially in a showroom environment because then you can instantly see, feel and hear the difference over a composite,” continues Danny.

“Current market conditions mean that we’re all having to work harder to win sales, and even more affluent homeowners are going to look at various options before signing on the dotted line, because they want to make sure that they’re getting the best value for their money.

“This means that, yes, you can explain the benefits and the options of a Gerda door, how it is technically better, how it will perform in terms of energy efficiency and its security credentials – but nothing gives the confidence to upsell to a higher value product than that visceral ‘thunk’. It’s the sound of quality.”