December 2020

Industry View
FUTURE'S BRIGHT FOR FENESTRATION
It’s safe to say that 2020 has been an extremely challenging year, but despite the huge
upheavals that tackling a global pandemic has brought about, Window Ware managing
director Sam Nuckey argues that 2021 is likely to be a strong year for UK glass and glazing.
This year, 2020, has probably been the
strangest, most difficult year in a generation
– but back in March, when the coronavirus
lockdown was announced, I don’t think anyone
expected that it would also turn out to be a hugely
successful one for many UK glazing businesses.
When restrictions were first eased in the summer,
firms throughout the sector cautiously started to
re-open under Covid-secure guidelines including
stringent social distancing measures, and
gradually bringing employees back from furlough.
But the big challenge was that no-one could
accurately predict business volumes; would
demand have disappeared over the long three
months of lockdown? Would homeowners really
be thinking of home improvements in a time of
national crisis?
The concern was understandable – but in
hindsight, we needn’t have worried.
When the first national lockdown ended, UK
fenestration returned to massive interest in
windows, doors and conservatories – so much
so that many businesses, Window Ware included,
went on to enjoy several record-breaking months
in a row.
So where did that huge demand come from?
Changing behaviour
In the beginning, many suspected that the rush
of orders and enquiries fenestration businesses
were receiving were just the result of pent-up
demand from the three-month lockdown.
When that backlog was cleared, they expected
business to slow significantly. In actual fact, the
demand didn’t disappear – and the summer and
autumn months went on to be some of the busiest
and most successful in the industry’s recent history.
Lockdown forced millions of people to spend more
time indoors than ever before – and it seems that
made home improvements jump up their list of
priorities. Combined with travel restrictions that
took the possibility of foreign holidays off the table,
thousands of homeowners have clearly decided to
divert their disposable income into windows, doors,
conservatories, extensions and more.
What lies ahead?
Sam Nuckey
“The concern was
understandable – but
in hindsight, we needn’t
have worried”
Now, as 2020 comes to a close, the question the
industry is asking is ‘how long will this last?’
Is it a temporary phenomenon that will start to
tail off in the early part of 2021? Or does it reflect
a permanent shift in consumer behaviour?
Personally, I think the best way of understanding
it is as an acceleration of a trend that had already
been picking up pace for years now.
Once, people looked at windows, doors and other
home improvement products in mostly practical
terms – they wanted something that was
affordable, and that worked.
Since the turn of the millennium, driven in part by
the rise of aspirational TV shows like Channel 4’s
Grand Designs, that’s changed – and now people
are much more discerning.
They want quality products that reflect their
own sense of style and the look and feel of their
homes and the surrounding areas.
In my view, coronavirus is only going to reinforce
that trend. Even when the pandemic is over, I
suspect that many more of us will be working
from home than ever before – which is only
going to increase demand for garden offices,
loft conversions, rear extensions, and, more
generally, home environments that are just
pleasant to spend time in.
Window Ware – here to help
At Window Ware, we’ve worked extremely hard to
serve our customers throughout this challenging
year – and we’ve been delighted to see so many
enjoying success after what we know has been
an extremely stressful period.
We’re confident that 2021 will be a positive
one for them and the rest of our industry – but
regardless of how it turns out, we’ll be here doing
our utmost to support the brilliant businesses we
work with.
Contact Window Ware:
01234 242724
www.windowware.co.uk
@WindowWare
16 T F DEC/JAN 2021 CONNECTING THE WINDOW, DOOR & ROOF FABRICATION SUPPLY CHAIN