VIEWPOINT
BECOMING A ONE-STOP-SHOP FOR INSULATION
Matt Neary, national sales manager at Knauf Insulation
MERCHANTS ARE OFTEN the ‘go to’ choice for their most loyal customers, who value the expertise, advice and range of products available for their projects. This loyalty can also be fostered by focusing on specific products and applications. Insulation doesn’t exist in a vacuum – customers need a full range of building components to meet the required thermal, fire and acoustic performance in their construction.
That’s why, in this column, we will look at how merchants can become a ‘one-stop-shop’ for insulation, providing not just the right products, but the tools, fixings, accessories, and expertise.
Why offer the full service?
With ever-tightening regulations and the gradual shift towards closing the gap between designed and real performance, contractors are looking for suppliers that offer more than just the right materials. They want expert advice and a full range of products that help them complete the job to the highest possible standard. The full-service approach can help merchants to improve the customer experience, encourage repeat business, and empower contractors to enhance the quality of their projects. Taking the full-service approach also gives merchants commercial advantages by helping to increase the value of transactions and opening opportunities for cross and up-selling.
What should an insulation one-stop- shop include?
Merchants should aim to stock everything a customer might need for their project – from core insulation products to tools and
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accessories. By core insulation products, I mean those products used in the most common applications – cavity wall, loft, roof and internal partition walls. Stocking a variety of materials from different manufacturers can help to ensure the right product for the application is available. For example, if your customer was insulating a pitched roof at rafter level and space was limited, it might be appropriate to use glass mineral wool between the rafters and then use a thinner layer of rigid PIR for the second layer.
Membranes, cavity barriers and fixings Many typical insulation applications require a system for vapour control or additional airtightness. This is where Vapour Control Layers (VCLs) and breather membranes are crucial products to stock. VCLs are installed on the warm side of the insulation, while breather membranes are installed on the cold side, to protect the superstructure and allow moisture laden air to pass through. Cavity barriers are another essential product, used to resist the passage of fire in concealed voids such as wall cavities. These come in many types and are
important for meeting compliance with Part B of the Building Regulations.
Finally, having the full range of appropriate fixings for products at different thicknesses will help ensure your customers have everything they need to hand.
Sealing the deal Whether your customers are installing loft roll or cavity wall insulation, a range of smaller accessories and tools can ensure an easy, high-quality installation. Even relatively simple applications such as loft insulation will require the loft roll itself, walking boards, a good quality insulation knife, PPE, sealant and tape for closing any gaps or cracks in the ceiling. Some products such as rigid PIR boards require additional tapes or adhesives for installation.
Offering the full package
With the right stock in place, the final step is to bring this together in a way that combines your product offering with the added value of expertise and advice. Staff training will be key here, so that they can advise customers on the right product for the application, best
practices, building regulations and complementary products. This gives merchants the opportunity to use bundling discounts and project-based packages to add value for the customer and increase the value of transactions. Upselling can also be an effective strategy. For example, offering customers the choice to upgrade from rigid PIR boards to a non-combustible, low-carbon insulation product such as glass mineral wool.
The value of the one-stop-shop By positioning themselves as a true one-stop-shop for insulation, merchants can strengthen customer loyalty, increase sales, and support contractors in delivering high-performing, compliant projects. Merchants who proactively train their staff to become insulation experts will stand out from the competition and reinforce their reputation as a trusted partner. BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net April 2025
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