PAINTING AND DECORATING
PAINTING A NEW PICTURE: ADAPTING TO A DIFFERENT KIND OF CUSTOMER
With so many still spending more time at home than ever, it’s no surprise that the demand for paint and other home improvement supplies has seen a large rise in 2020.
T
he increased amount of paint bought this year has been widely reported and even as lockdown restrictions generally continue to be eased, the trend shows no signs of slowing down as people continue to want to refresh their homes. Ronni Lang, account brand manager at leading paint manufacturer Crown Paints, says that this industry change will continue to impact builders’ merchants, who will need to ensure they’re catering to all customers – both old and new.
An extended customer base “Spending longer hours in their houses has given homeowners the chance to to think of what they’d like to improve – and with more spare time on their hands, there’s been an increase in people turning to DIY projects for home improvement,” Lang says. “ At Crown Paints, we’re hearing of more keen DIYers confidently buying supplies directly from their local builders’ merchant; something which they’re likely to continue to do even as lockdown measures continue to be lifted. And it’s not just amateurs who are turning to builders’ merchants for supplies: we’re also seeing a growing trend of multi-skilled tradespeople buying paint to complete projects, instead of leaving this element of a job to decorators.”
This growing trend for non-professional painters and decorators purchasing paint directly from builders’ merchants is unlikely to slow down, Lang believes, even as things return to normal, meaning that merchants must adapt to the increased demand for paint – and specifically the wide range of paints being sought after by both homeowners and tradespeople.
A quality choice
She says: “With both expert amateurs and multi-skilled tradespeople wanting to complete paint projects to a professional standard, it’s important for builders’ merchants to supply the products that will aid this. In other words, merchants must keep up with the increased
demand for paint from non-professional decorators through stocking a wide range of quality paints in order to suit all demands.” People involved in painting projects for their homes will likely want a stylish paint which doesn’t compromise on trade quality, which is where luxury paint ranges such as ELLE Decoration by Crown are useful to have in stock. Lang says that lines like this are primarily aimed at the premium retail market and provide a combination of sophisticated colours and finishes with trade-quality durability. “And it’s not just a breadth of paint brands and finishes that merchants should be supplying in order to encourage repeat business from a new kind of paint buyer: it’s also a wide range of shades to choose from,” she adds.
“We’ve seen that while many people have been forced to work from home, they’re wanting to create the ideal space within their homes to do this – and colour plays a huge role in this, whether it’s through the use of neutral shades to create a calming environment or bold colour combinations and configurations to alter spatial perception.”
September 2020
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
The new normal
Builders’ merchants – along with other businesses across many industries – will need to adapt in order to continue to thrive. For the paint industry, including those who sell paint products, it’s important to continue catering for the new type of customer to ensure repeat business.
Lang says: “With those who have become keen DIYers throughout the lockdown period likely to continue working on projects even as restrictions continue to be lifted, it’s important that they’re not forgotten about by builders’ merchants as professional painters and decorating businesses also return to normal levels of work.”
She adds: “That’s why at Crown Paints we’ll be launching a solution bay which will cater specifically to experienced DIYers and those who are buying paint as a secondary material for a project – and it’s certainly worth builders and decorators’ merchant businesses looking into ways they can continue to provide services for both professionals and experienced amateurs, without compromising the other. BMJ
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