2009 could see conservatory installation volumes fall to half what they were only six years ago. This is putting pressure on everyone in the supply chain, from retailers through fabricators and right on to system companies.
So, although volumes are down, around 100,000 people will still go on to buy a conservatory this year ( assuming macro economic conditions don`t worsen further).Its vital that everyone connected with a potential sale ensures that the sale and installation goes smoothly and that the consumer is delighted with his/her purchase.
Whilst I’m sure that each and every consumer enquiry is dealt with professionally by retailers its still useful to ‘sanity check’ what consumers who`ve bought a conservatory think about their experience. According to the thousands of consumers who have registered their conservatory via Ultraframe’s Certificate of Authenticity scheme, 98.6% are satisfied with their conservatory and just over 50% cited ‘recommendation’ as their primary source of research ( ie someone had recommended you to them). Moreover, 31% of those registering their conservatory had only obtained one quote, further evidence that if you do a good job you can reap the rewards by not being involved in a ‘dog eat dog’ tendering process.
Thinking now about those 100,000 people who are likely to buy a conservatory this year, our market research and insight leads us to believe that just over a half of these people will be first time buyers whilst just under half will be second/third/fourth time buyers. As a retailer reading this, do you think your sales approach to someone who has bought before should be the same as someone buying for the first time? Its clear that these two audiences will be in very different positions on the learning curve – clearly someone who has bought before should be more ‘clued up’ and may have firmer ideas of what they want to achieve this time compared to the first time they bought.
Of those 100,000 people whom we hope will buy this year, some will be older buyers, commonly known as empty nesters and some will be families looking to add space as quickly and cost effectively as possible. Again the tools and techniques needed to identify and then ‘sell’ to these two diverse audiences are at different ends of the spectrum.
Whichever audience your potential customer comes from, it’s important to deal with the enquiry professionally and in a manner that suits the consumer. One of the biggest gripes that comes back from insight sessions run by independent market researchers on our behalf is frustration with the sales techniques that are employed during the buying process. Thankfully, they love the product - it’s just that sometimes the sales process gets in the way.
The market research focus groups that Ultraframe regularly commissions consistently highlight a series of steps that the consumer goes through when making a decision. In a way it doesn’t matter whether the consumer takes up to 3 months (30% of consumers), 4-12 months (30% of consumers) or over 12 months (40% of consumers) from start to finish, they go through similar stages.
Although this is a mere snapshot of the data available to it, Ultraframe – as brand leader – shares these insights with its loyal retailers, further helping them to understand the consumer mindset. Information is gathered in a variety of ways. This is both through the hundreds of consumers who register their conservatory at our consumer call centre each month and from the anonymous and independent focus groups held on our behalf. What we have tried to demonstrate is insight into what the consumer wants and what they are collectively getting when they buy a conservatory. This information is readily and regularly shared with Ultraframe’s retail partners with the intention of helping them to grow at the expense of their local competitors.
- Ends -
March 2009
Ultraframe deliver innovative and top quality conservatory roof systems for the trade which suit all styles, all applications, all consumer types and which offer excellent value for money.
The market leading company invests heavily in research and development to provide the most technologically advanced and stylish conservatory roofing solutions, maximising light and space. Ultraframe are at the forefront of conservatory design and its systems are mainly used in the home improvement sector but also in new housing and commercial applications in the UK and Europe.
In 2006 the privately owned Latium Group, which has many interests within the glass & glazing and home improvement markets acquired Ultraframe. The Latium Group is owned by entrepreneur Brian Kennedy.
For further media information:
Mark Hanson
Ultraframe (UK) Ltd
Salthill Road
Clitheroe
Lancashire
BB7 1PE
01200 452375
mark.hanson@ultraframe.co.uk
Or visit the News section on www.ultraframe.com
