Times are hard.
It’s a fact that none of us can get away from right now. Whether we are wearing our commercial or consumer ‘hats’, 2008 has not got off to a great start financially. Tales of gloom and woe fill the news stands and TV reports and whilst the picture looks bleak for the immediate future, there are many ways that companies can help to stimulate the market to ensure a brighter future.
As always, the key to success is knowing your market and understanding exactly what the needs are of the prospective consumers you are trying to reach. The glass and glazing industry is populated by many veterans and characters claiming to know the market inside out. Such knowledge is undoubtedly invaluable, but is also important to accept that consumers are constantly evolving in terms of their needs, their spending habits and their drivers, and so long standing knowledge should regularly be supplemented with up-to-date market research.
For many years conservatories were thought of as a place of solace and relaxation, a place to enjoy tranquil views of the garden and were ‘traditionally’ bought by empty nesters who had long dreamed about adding a conservatory to their home and were not restricted by budget. Over the last 5 years or so, so-called ‘utility buyers’ have been a fast growing market segment. These tend to be young families with a growing need for space that can be added to their home as cost effectively as possible.
Ultraframe have recently commissioned a well respected market research agency to carry out research with consumers who have either fitted a conservatory or home extension, or are considering doing so. The research aimed to find out some of the key drivers and decisions that would affect a consumer embarking on this buying process. The research took place in several locations across the UK and comprised of a mix of focus groups, where a group of people are interviewed in a discussion type format, and in-depth interviews with consumers in their own homes.
Some consumers who took part in the focus groups seemed to have a set image in their minds of conservatories as “white plastic boxes that all look the same, filled with wicker furniture”. Others did not realise that each and every conservatory is designed as a bespoke project and so the design choices are infinitely more varied than perceived by consumers. The innovative Orangery system, recently introduced by Ultraframe is a prime example of what many consumers involved in the research would like to add to their homes, but did not realise was possible using `conservatory system’ technology.
Educating consumers about how conservatories can now be a room for all seasons is also vital. The research found that many consumers are keen to improve their existing homes, rather than move for a variety of reasons, including:
• Increase the value of their existing property before selling in the future
• Lack of funds to move to a larger property – but a need for more space
• Members of the family settled in schools/jobs etc
• The chance to personalise their home and create something uniquely different to what their neighbours may have.
Of course, for conservatory installation companies this is great news, as conservatories meet these needs – they are cheaper than a brick built extension, are usually not bound up in any `red tape`, add value to a property and despite the misconceptions of some consumers – they do offer the chance to create a unique new living space.
Retailers need to not just focus on selling the dream but also on communicating practical nuggets of information too.
An example of a `nugget’ relates to the actual installation process, a potential ‘grey’ area for consumers who are considering home improvement work. Ultraframe research found that for many consumers the conservatory/extension process can be a confusing and daunting process if information and guidance is not available to them. To this end, Ultraframe produces many consumer friendly documents like the recently re - published `step by step guide’ to conservatory construction.
Whilst many of these findings reinforced what was already perceived about potential conservatory buyers there were some interesting findings that provide food for thought, with the good news being that conservatoires offer more, not less than what these consumers believed. Market Research proves that no matter how long you have been in the glass and glazing industry there is always room for supplementing your current understanding of the consumer and that this is key to succeeding in what is undoubtedly a very tough market right now. Mark Hanson, Marketing Manager at Ultraframe and Chairman of the GGF`s Conservatory Association commented, “It’s vital that the many and varied benefits of conservatory ownership are stressed during the selling process – relying on the same hackneyed `pitch’ is underselling the product at a time when consumers are reconsidering every pound of spend.”
