As homeowners increasingly demand styling flexibility and choice for their new windows and doors , it is vital that industry suppliers work harder than ever to provide installers with products that unlock the potential for sales , rather than those which could mean asking them to compromise . Ian Short , Managing Director of Uni-Blinds ® integral blinds manufacturer Morley Glass explains how his company is doing this .

Homeowners have come to expect a huge range of options when it comes to how they style their property when they embark on a redecorating project or undertake more extensive refurbishment work . And today , great variety has become the norm for doors and windows too , with numerous colours to choose from , many different framing styles and configurations that we perhaps wouldn ’ t have seen widely available 20 years ago .

As a manufacturer of integral blinds , which are IGUs ( insulating glass units ) with either a Venetian or pleated blind encapsulated within it , we ’ ve always been acutely aware that our products are more closely

linked to home décor than most other window and door products . And what we ’ ve learned since we started manufacturing integral blinds using ScreenLine ® systems in 2004 is that to succeed in this market you need to have products that not only achieve fundamental functional goals – i . e . providing shading and privacy – but meet all kinds of aesthetic tastes too .

This is one of the reasons we ’ ve collaborated closely with ScreenLine ® integral blind systems manufacturer Pellini S . p . A . over two decades and helped shape their offering to the UK market . Pellini supply products

all over the world , but we have been able to influence new product development to help ensure we can provide integral blinds that suit the most popular styling trends in UK homes .

For example , back in 2014 we introduced anthracite ( S159 ) Venetian integral blinds to our Uni-Blind ® range in response to the increasing popularity of this colour for window and door frames . And it hit the mark , with sales going from zero to over 35 % of all our Uni-Blinds ® sales in the space of just two years .

We secured exclusivity on this particular colour because we could demonstrate that we

were best placed to help Pellini introduce this variant to the UK market due to the sales and marketing support we provide to our customers . This included an extensive awareness campaign complemented by high quality brochures , samples and point of sale materials .

Fast forward to 2022 and we did this again with black ( B160 ) Venetian blinds , followed by two new exclusives last year – agate grey ( S120 ) and a dual coloured slat which is white on the inside and anthracite on the outside ( S159 / S102 ). All three of these colours were developed to respond to the current home décor preference for neutral colours , often to achieve a contemporary look – and they have all proved to be a valuable addition to our installers ’ portfolios .

But we don ’ t expect these colours to sell themselves . We ’ ve invested in a major awareness-building campaign for these

colours in the same way we did for anthracite over the last 10 years . And , even though we only market Uni-Blinds ® to installers , we do sometimes receive enquiries from homeowners , which we direct to their nearest Registered Installer .

Companies who are part of our Registered Installer scheme are able to unlock the full value of the support we offer . Our Registered Installers can benefit from expanded sales support including showroom display pods and demonstration units , as well as training and specialist technical support .

Ultimately , we are focused on ensuring installers can secure more orders for Uni-Blinds ® and this needs dedicated support . Awareness of integral blinds in general amongst UK homeowners remains relatively low , so we know that there is massive potential for these products still .

But we also recognise the importance of bringing the most ‘ on-trend ’ colours to the market and supporting installers with marketing materials that do justice to ScreenLine ® products . After all , these are the most technically superior integral blinds on the market , so that must shine through at every point of the customer journey from sales , ordering , manufacturing , installation and aftersales care .

www . morleyglass . co . uk