50 | Sector Focus: Mouldings & Moulders
He also raised the continuing growth of e-commerce driving consumer demand for more moulding options.
“Following Covid, people are more comfortable shopping online,” said Mr Wilson. “They suddenly understood the world of choice is huge – you don’t just accept what you see in front of you. They want something different and know that, if you dig deep enough online, you’ll find it.”
Top: SAM has significantly increased its profile offer and its range available ex-stock
Centre: Cheshire Mouldings’ new System TM finger-jointing line
Above: Dresser has continued to invest in latest technology
TTJ | March/April 2024 |
www.ttjonline.com
◄ SAM sales director Gerard Wilson acknowledged that current economic conditions have put the company on its mettle. “Among customers, the strategic element has taken a back seat as they steer through choppy waters,” he said. “In the light of economic and general market conditions there has been caution around spending generally and stock levels. In the construction sector, commercial and contract projects have been delayed and house buyers are waiting to see what they can afford. With interest rates predicted to decrease, why buy now rather than six to eight months’ time?” The RMI sector, he added, has not been great, but nor has it been a disaster and, despite the economic picture, there’s no sign of customers opting for lower price points. Part of the company’s strategy to drive sales has been to increase customer options. “We’ve retained our presence in the traditional market but expanded the range massively to give merchants a wider range of profiles to offer end users,” said Mr Wilson. SAM has also introduced the option of smaller pack sizes.
“These give merchants, whose space is at a premium, a wider selection with less risk,” said Mr Wilson. “Offering smaller packs means they can provide more choice without adding stock value.”
David Johnson, general manager at Dresser Mouldings, said the company had been impacted by the cost-of-living crisis. “There was a period of consumer trepidation, belt tightening and putting off spending until market confidence returned, but it looks to be improving, with people having some disposable income,” he said. Now, he added, Dresser is seeing an increase in enquiries coming from bar fitting and shopfitting sectors and in specification for other refurbishment projects. “The DIY market has also remained steady since a decline from the Covid home improvement boom,” said Mr Johnson, adding that Dresser too was seeing the impact of the shift to online purchasing. “We’re finding online ordering growing year-on-year, as it becomes the preferred method to purchase direct, so we’re looking of ways to improve the customer experience in this market.” Dresser has also benefited from becoming part of James Latham. “Our integration into the group has helped drive sales through having a nationwide distribution network. It’s created new opportunities to sell and add value to our timber, panel, and solid surface offering.” Like SAM, Dresser has not seen customers migrating to lower price points.
“There aren’t cheaper comparable products to our product offering able to meet that requirement in renovation for the Victorian/ period aesthetic,” said Mr Johnson. “It’s difficult for bar and shopfitting sectors too to locate the period-style products customers specify and, as we also have the ability to produce bespoke mouldings, we can be sure to be on spec as required.”
Cheshire Mouldings reports 2023 as a fair
year, despite the home improvement surge working its way out of the market. “Of course, we’d all be riding high from the Covid years boom, and 2023 was the first year since 2020 when we didn’t get a spur from it, so it wasn’t as strong as the previous two years, but sales were still robust,” said national sales manager Jacquie Capper.
Moulding sales are still on the up with the growing trend to panel walls in the home. The consumer trend in a slower property market is to ‘improve not move’.
“In the current climate people may not be going for the bigger ticket items, like a new staircase for instance. But with our mouldings and panel kits, for a few hundred pounds they
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