Short-Term Gains Cause Long-Term Pain

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The window industry has a vast range of quality, stylish products to sell, says Alex Page, a director of fabricator Stedek, who argues that price cutting undermines premium brands and hurts everyone in the long run.

The level on offer is something my dad could’ve only dreamed of when he started Stedek thirty years ago – a time when you could have a product in any colour you liked, as long as it was white.

We’re extremely lucky that systems companies have invested millions in achieving higher quality, better performance and more stylish aesthetics.

Premium brands

Some of that investment has gone into the actual process of product design and manufacture. Some of it has gone into creating premium brands that homeowners want to buy. It’s created lucrative opportunities to sell premium products that have helped thousands of businesses thrive and grow.

That’s why it’s hugely important we don’t take any of this for granted or undermine everything these suppliers have worked so hard to achieve.

Boom followed by slowdown

During the pandemic, home improvement was in the very lucky position to be in one of the few sectors where business boomed. Last year, for the first time since the arrival of Covid, demand significantly slowed. It meant 2023 was a harder year than the sector has experienced in a while.

With the government announcing we’re officially now in recession, it’s likely 2024 will be just as challenging, if not more so.

Race to the bottom

In tougher times, there will always be a temptation to race to the bottom on price. Those that choose that strategy may even find it benefits them in the short-term.

However, that approach harms everyone in the long run. When manufacturers start selling premium products at rock bottom prices, it risks destroying those brands and companies’ ability to benefit from them.

I hope fabricators throughout the industry remember that in the months ahead.

Picture: Alex Page says short-term gains by cutting prices will lead to long-term pain for everyone in the window industry.

www.stedek.co.uk

Article written by Cathryn Ellis
22nd March 2024

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