News
Read online at www. proinstaller. co. uk
AUGUST 2017 | 29
News
SEVEN TRENDS TO WATCH IN DIY RETAIL
Research from Plentific shows that nearly a quarter of homeowners are spending more this year on home improvements in at least one area of the home.
To capitalise on this, it’ s vital that DIY retailers stay ahead of changing shopper habits. Sue Benson, managing director of marketing experts The Market Creative explains:
“ Customers are demanding more from retailers and there’ s an expectation that they will be serviced and marketed to in ways that are personalised and convenient to them. It’ s important to keep ahead of the latest behavioural trends and taking inspiration from both in and out of category is also helpful.”
The Market Creative has delved into the latest shopper and retail trends to identity ways DIY retailers can better engage customers and drive sales.
On Demand
Task-rich yet time-poor customers mean retailers are pursuing new ways to make their experience ever more convenient. DIY retailers are meeting this challenge by starting to think beyond the product on offer. Re-thinking formats and services is a key opportunity for the DIY market and various brands, such as Topps Tiles smaller‘ boutique’ store format, are already proving this to be successful.
Community Culture
Fifty-five per cent of DIY consumers shop mainly online so physical stores have to evolve. This means providing added value and an experience in-store that you can’ t get online. Stores are now seen as places for people to come together, be inspired or learn something new. This trend is particularly relevant for millennials, who stated their lack of skills and confidence in this area require extra support.
Seamless Convergence
Shoppers now hop between multiple platforms and expect a superior level of customer service at each stop. The brands winning in this area are the ones that are offering a consistent and seamless shopper experience through digital, in-store and in some cases outdoor.
Knowledge Economy
A recent Poundland survey found that one in three millennial DIYers struggles with basic household tasks. It revealed that 60 % can’ t put up shelves and 39 % can’ t decorate. Educational marketing materials and workshops instore can help engage and build trust.
Customisation Culture
Customisation is shifting from simply putting a stamp on something to designing products to meet personal and unique specifications, often digitally. NikeiD offers DIY retailers fantastic out of category inspiration in this area.
Female Empowerment
Many mainstream brands are now tackling the issue of female empowerment with Sport England’ s‘ This Girl Can’ campaign being a prime example. More than half of New Zealand DIY store Mitre 10’ s customers are women and it’ s seen a soar in shoppers attending its‘ Ladies Nights’ with 600 women attending in cities like Auckland to hone their DIY skills.
Simplification
According to the Global Brand Simplicity Index, 64 % of consumers are willing to pay more for simpler experiences. Ensuring simplicity is a mandate throughout the customer experience journey is not only essential, but expected. DIY retailers seeking inspiration should look to IKEA, which lives and breathes this simpler ethos.
NEXT GENERATION SLIDING DOOR
Expansive glass and minimal profile is standard with the new COR VISION PLUS sliding door from Alumen. Following the success of‘ Roof lights by Alumen’ and‘ Bi-Folds by Alumen’, the established aluminium fabricator has launched a new sliding door. Alan Robinson, managing director of Alumen Ltd, said:“ After months of research to find the best sliding solution on the market, we are delighted to introduce what we believe is the next generation in sliding door systems.
TEN MORE COLOUR OPTIONS
PatioMaster has just announced that ten colour options in its Palette colour collection are now available from stock on a ten-day lead time. Carmen Velilla, PatioMaster’ s brand manager, said:“ Colour is very popular now and feedback from our customers told us that having the most popular colours available from stock would help them to capitalise on this.”
The ten stock colours include two new foiled options that are proving particularly popular with style conscious consumers: black brown on a dark brown substrate
“ Minimalistic and suitable for extremely large apertures, COR VISION PLUS boasts very slender sightlines with just 25mm visible profile. With the ability to totally inlay the bottom, lateral and top frames, COR VISION PLUS can deliver openings with up to 94 % glass surface for uninhibited views of external spaces. In addition, it can accommodate 54mm glass in thickness so the thermal and acoustic performance is unparalleled.”
Available as fixed frame or up to four sliding sashes, with a maximum dimension of four metres
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seamless, high quality finish that today’ s customers demand
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and anthracite grey on a dark brown substrate.
PatioMaster has also grown its colour offering in other areas, in height and width per sash, a sliding door set of up to 16 metres can be achieved without the need for a mullion coupling. The rollers are placed in the frame and reinforced with a stainless-steel channel for smoother sliding action, further assisted by motorised or manual openers. Multipoint lock systems – with or without keys – can be included as required.
Visit the showroom in Kettering, call 01536 737377 or visit: https:// www. alumen. co. uk / Products / ALU-Vision-Plus-Sliding- System. aspx
helping to enhance the seamless, high quality finish that today’ s customers demand. Its sash meeting profile is now available in the full range of foiled finishes and it has extended its range of colour-matched accessories to include options such as the interlock and bump stop.
www. patiomaster. co. uk