JUNE 2017 | 51
Review
SHIFTING TRENDS
REDEFINE INDUSTRY
Tougher second-time replacement sells and the
shift away from home ownership are driving long-
term change in the window and door industry.
The analysis was deliv-
ered by Robert Palmer,
Palmer Market Research
during The FIT Show semi-
nar programme.
He said first time window
and door replacements
had dropped from 80% in
2000 to less than 30% in
2015, with ‘replacement of
replacement’ installations
now accounting for 70% of
all installations.
He argued that this was
driving increased focus on
aesthetics: “Homeowners
want something that is
tangibly different and the
appearance of windows is
increasingly important in
the market”, he said.
“That in turn is driving
innovation in the industry
and the shift to premium
finishes and foils in retail
markets.
“While there will always
be a place for standard
budget white PVC, there
has been definite shift in
consumer expectation.
“The industry has re-
sponded with foils and
premium finishes as well as
the very substantial growth
that we’re seeing in demand
for aluminium.”
To this end he forecast
that aluminium is on course
to reach a 17-year high
by 2020, topping 220,000
frames by the end of the
three-year period.
This he said would be
delivered by significant
growth in the bi-fold
market, which he forecast
was set for growth of 30%
through to 2020 in all ma-
terial types to 55,000 door
sets. Of these predicted that
aluminium would take the
lion’s share of the market at
35,000 units.
Palmer cited ‘exponen-
tial growth’ in the solid
roof conservatory market
as a second key area of
opportunity. According to
The Window, Door and
Conservatory Markets in
Housing in Great Britain,
(October 2016) the market
for replacement conserva-
tory roofs was up 62% in
2015 to 11,200 installations
and is forecast for contin-
uing growth through to
2020.
He also forecast continu-
ing if steady growth in the
composite door market,
which he said would in-
crease to around 850,000
door sets per annum in the
next three years.
But while citing size-
able areas of growth, he
tempered forecasts with
predictions of continuing
challenge.
Alongside the shift to
tougher second-time re-
placement sells, Palmer said
that the long-term decline
in homeownership was also
driving a long-term change
in the market.
This according to figures
has dropped from a peak
of 14.8million in 2005 to
below 14.3million last year.
Conversely the private
rental sector was up from
around 2million properties
in 2005 to 4.5million.
“The private rental mar-
ket tends to be again, that
little bit tougher and price
driven. There are howev-
er incentives - or perhaps
more accurately disincen-
tives for not doing so – to
improve the energy effi-
ciency of their properties.
“MEES or Minimum
Energy Efficiency standards
give landlords just a year to
bring the energy perfor-
mance certificate (EPC)
rating of their properties
to no lower than E for new
tenants and to all existing
tenancies from 01 April
2020”, said Palmer.
For more information, visit
www.palmermarketresearch.
co.uk email info@
palmermarketresearch.
co.uk or call 020 83908131
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