INDUSTRYNEWS
FROMTHEEDITOR
BORIS SAYS ‘RELAX’
(A BIT MORE)
It’s a brand new month and a brand
new normal, especially for many
businesses and brands. From a
professional point of view, the relief
to see fenestration factories up and
running again, and companies slowly
returning back to work is huge. I’ve
really enjoyed hearing from those
that have, and been intrigued to see
what they are doing differently from
the BC years (before Coronavirus).
» THERE’S A LONG WAY TO GO TO RECOVER
completely; from schools to shops, businesses to bars,
holidays to house parties, and it can seem that the places
which are offered more freedom, or are allowed to reopen
(whether they feel ready or not) further highlights
the difference between the rest that can’t or won’t, but I
am not one to get political and for the most part; progress
is positive.
From a publishing point of view, we haven’t been short of
stories throughout the lockdown, even if we were scared at
first that we’d struggle. To keep going with magazines, for us,
was a ‘no-brainer. There had never been a more important
time keep everyone in the supply chain in con-tact with
each other. I wrongly assumed that many submissions
would simply say ‘we’re closed for now’, yet there were so
many stories about manufacturers turning their hands to
PPE, installers at Nightingale hospitals, suppliers sending
out hardware and equipment, and innovative and imaginative
ways to work remotely, from software to help keep
colleagues in touch with one another, to apps to help
fitters quote a job at not just a 2-metre distance from the
customer, but miles away.
From a personal point of view, so much has changed and
so much will still have to change before ‘normal’ happens,
and I’m sure it will never be the same again. Maybe that’s
a good thing. Taking more time to just do nothing some
days seemed impossible to me before all of this but I am
cer-tainly appreciating it now, and being able to take onger
over things that I would’ve just rushed through in the past
(from walking the dogs to sitting down to a ‘proper lunch’)
has been a pleas-ure. I haven’t really missed Sunday dinner
at the in-laws either, but as I say, I don’t get political.
Looking forward to hearing about your ‘new
normal’ and I’ll see you next time,
Gemma, Editor
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
‘A new normal’
When we emerge from this crisis, the
world will be different. When things ‘get
back to normal’, it will be a new normal.
» THE CRISIS WILL
accelerate polarisation between
the top and bottom, the addedvalue
premium and the rest of
the market, because those buying
premium will be less affected by
economic downturn.
Even if house prices fall in the
short term they are falling from a
very high base. The Haves already
HAVE their money, and will have
when the crisis is over. And they
want to continue upgrading their
homes and enjoying them.
That’s good news for fabricators
and installers selling premium
product in the upper third of the
market, but competition will be a
lot tougher everywhere.
Fabricators and installers
will need a sharper competitive
edge and they’ll have to adapt
to survive – some are already
doing so. They’re moving to
remote selling, and selling more
professionally. Those who haven’t
embraced colour will have to,
quickly. The trend to colour has
been very strong, but after the
coronavirus people will want
their spirits lifting, and a brighter
Britain.
They’ll have to choose their
suppliers carefully. If we learned
one thing from the coronavirus
crisis: it’s the importance of
supply chains. In a recent FMB
survey of small builders and
tradesmen 80% of those who
stopped work said they had to
because their supplier couldn’t
provide them with products or
materials.
Deceuninck’s foundations
are built on giving customers
beautiful windows and doors; and
the service and support to sell at
the top end of the market. They’ll
be in a strong position when
normal business resumes. Our
vast warehouse is kept stocked to
the brim with profile and colour
because ‘A bird in the hand is
worth two in the bush’, as the old
saying goes. That’s something
the NHS and people in the front
line have learned in this crisis:
product made in Britain, and
safely in a warehouse in Britain,
is worth two products made to
order or supplied from far-away
places. This ‘make for stock, not
make to order’ policy underpins
our strategy of helping customers
sell more. I believe it’s the edge
fabricators and installers need in
a more competitive post-Covid
market - see our latest video on
Linkedin (Deceuninck UK).
Rob McGlennon
Managing Director, Deceuninck
4 » JUN 2020 » CLEARVIEW-UK.COM