The great outdoors
By Stuart Dantzic, managing director, Caribbean Blinds UK.
If the global pandemic and multiple national lockdowns taught us anything, it’s the importance and value of our outdoor spaces. For UK homeowners, it reignited our love for the great outdoors, creating a ‘holiday at home’ culture that’s expected to continue to flourish.
According to research, approximately 87% of British homes have gardens – with 7 out of 8 households having access to either a private or shared garden – equalling around 23 million outdoor spaces.
Here at Caribbean Blinds, we have witnessed first-hand how people are spending more time at home now than before the pandemic. We saw the demand for our range of high-quality weather-proof awnings, external blinds and louvered roof pergolas rise by 161% during the pandemic – a figure that has continued to rise ever since.
Combine this with a home improvement sector that’s ripe for continued growth, and the scope for additional extended living solutions is huge.
Whether it’s in the form of a freestanding structure or as an extension of the property, a modern pergola with a rotating or retracting roof provides a dedicated outdoor ‘room’ in any garden. Suited to both classic and contemporary properties, a bioclimatic pergola extends the use of any outdoor space by providing instant shelter from both the rain and sun, whilst permitting you to play with light and shade – if using a rotating louvered roof.
Although the UK isn’t renowned for its hot weather, the past few summers have been an exception with long spells of uncomfortable heat, causing the nation to question whether they’re prepared for the warmer weather and likely heatwaves the country is predicted to experience over the coming years.
For hospitality and commercial establishments, previous social distancing rules and restrictions meant they had to reconsider the use and functionality of their outdoor areas, and for many, this is still a priority. Today, the commercial sector continues to aim to utilise every inch of available outdoor space – with year-round flexible solutions being a popular option.
As we transition into the winter months, it’s likely that the more temporary covers such as brollies, parasols and pop-up marquees won’t stand up to the UK’s adverse weather conditions. The ideal solution to this is our highly durable louvered roof canopy – branded the Outdoor Living Pod – which offers an open-air alfresco feel when left fully open, and ensures a completely water, wind and even snow-tight roof when closed.
Additional features including windproof zip screens, LED lighting and infra-red heaters mean that we expect an increase in demand for these high-value installations which enable hospitality establishments to profit from their outdoor space, 365 days a year.
Clients looking for shading/shelter for their outdoor spaces will naturally turn towards louvered roofs as their extended living solution of choice, particularly if they are in the process of landscaping their garden or upgrading their commercial space to attract more customers.
Customers want to pay for products and solutions that not only offer the best value for money but will stand the test of time. Because of this, lead times are key. Our industry-beating two-week manufacture lead time for all our external shading systems will help our dealers win more sales, alongside our ‘Made in Britain’ guarantee, that makes us stand out from the crowd.
Installers can tap into this market with a high value, premium offering, and zero additional marketing spend. For those who are not aware of the benefits of external shading, this represents a great opportunity for upselling – with the added advantage of a higher order value, and therefore higher profits.
Through supplying the UK’s finest external shading systems to both residential and commercial clients, Caribbean Blinds is leading the market. Because of this, now is the time for those in the home improvement sector to add our louvered roof pergolas to their product portfolio and reap the rewards that this versatile shading solution has to offer.
