CHARLES WHITFIELD
Hand tools:
It’s the end user that counts! By Charles Whitfield New product development manager at Carl Kammerling International.
Charles Whitfield, new product development manager atCarl Kammerling International, explains why maintaining a close relationship with the consumers and tradesmen that use hand tools is essential in the current climate.
F
igures from GfK Retail and Technology UK reveal that the hand tool category
witnessed a 5.37 per cent decline in value throughout 2010 (Jan- Oct compared with 2009) and a 14.7 per cent decline in volume. This significant volume decline has been attributed to the poor economic climate, which, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), saw house-builders react to challenging conditions in the housing market by reducing the number of new homes under construction. And from a domestic perspective, fewer people were undertaking projects around the home.
In addition, hand tools (of quality) tend to be rather durable with the potential to last a good 10 years before they need replacing – unlike power tools,
Above: a buoyant construction industry should boost the tool market in 2011.
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