Commercial offer key in potential downturn
By Scott Yates, area sales manager, Aluk.
The latest UK growth figures and industry specific forecasts from the likes of the CPA (Construction Products Association) suggest a fairly flat outlook for much of this sector over the coming year or so.
It does now seem likely that the UK will avoid a full-blown recession though and this, along with lower energy prices and gradually slowing inflation, is already leading to a gradual renewal of consumer confidence.
Over time, that will obviously translate into more robust demand but, in the meantime, what can fabricators do to protect themselves from difficult conditions in the retail market in particular?
I would argue that now is the perfect time to look at adding commercial products to your range and proactively going after those opportunities which undoubtedly do still exist outside of mainstream window and door products.
Have a look at the CPA report and it specifically mentions investments to come in office and retail refurbishments as landlords look to attract new tenants and in private leisure and healthcare facilities, along with major cap ex in the university sector in both teaching and learning buildings and student accommodation.
Aldi and Lidl are on the expansion path and Asda, Sainsburys and Waitrose have all announced plans for new convenience stores. There is also the much heralded £4.8bn levelling up fund supporting council-led mixed use and retail regeneration projects in towns like of Bury, Barrow-in-Furness and Ellesmere Port.
Aluk’s GT55 commercial door and ground floor treatment system gives fabricators an easy route into these sorts of commercial applications because it is ideal for shopfronts, schools, multi-occupancy buildings and healthcare and leisure facilities. It’s no surprise that we’re already seeing growing numbers of our customers starting to fabricate a system which has long been an unsung hero in our range.
The GT55 comes in both thermally broken (GT55TB) and non-insulated (GT55NI) options depending on the requirements of the job. As well as the door itself, the ground floor treatment system allows for screening, fanlights and side lights to cover all the requirements of a project.
The GT55 TB achieves U-Values as low as 1.6 W/m2K (Ug: 0.7 W/m2K) comfortably complying with Part L 2 of the building regulations. If it’s being used for internal partitioning in retail units within shopping malls though, then the GT55NI can be used as a cost-effective alternative.
The whole system can be PAS 24 and SBD accredited in a variety of configurations including single and double doors, side and fan lights and screening. Aluk offers a range of PAS 24 hardware including panic bars, mechanical and electromechanical locking.
There are also additional features available such as Part M compliant thresholds, hinged and anti-finger trap stile options, and a 55mm sightline for increased glazing and improved light transmission. It can be bead or pocket glazed, and the system is designed in a ladder frame construction to allow for quick and easy installation.
Of course, there are the usual broad options when it comes to colour choices, single and dual colour, textured and anodised finishes, and they are all available on impressive lead times so customers don’t need to worry about tying up their vital cash in stock.
I think product diversification will be a key tool for navigating the market in 2023 and beyond. An important point to make for Aluk customers is that we make it easy for them, because we have an extensive, established range of diverse products that are already tested, tried and trusted in the UK. Not every niche supplier in the aluminium sector can say the same.