On the 22nd February 2021, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced to the nation his ‘roadmap’ out of the third lockdown with all restrictions potentially being lifted by 12th June.
This announcement came as clarity was needed for businesses as they look forward.
The fenestration industry is one sector, however, that has continued to thrive throughout the course of the pandemic mainly due to homeowners spending more time in their homes than ever before and with greater disposable income as holidays were cancelled.
This begs the question, how will fenestration be affected once the restrictions are eased and people are able to get back to their normal lives? Will we see a fall in demand or will homeowners continue to invest in upgrading their homes?
The four steps out of lockdown
A full 68-page document was published by the UK Government giving a more in-depth insight into the ‘irreversible’ roadmap for lifting lockdown restrictions. However, the main areas and dates are shown in the infographics below:
[Image: https://www.doubleglazingblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Step-1.jpg ]
[Image: https://www.doubleglazingblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Step-2.jpg]
[Image: https://www.doubleglazingblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Step-3.jpg ]
[Image: https://www.doubleglazingblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Step-4.jpg]
What does this mean for fenestration?
Showrooms opening
One of the main things for the fenestration industry can be found in Step 2 of the rollout in which showrooms are able to open. The date set for these changes to be implemented is currently 12th April.
Whilst many businesses in the fenestration industry would prefer for this date to be sooner, this does give companies a date to aim for as they are able to utilise this area of their sales strategy.
With showrooms reopening, it may breed a separate line of demand from consumers who prefer to see a product in-person before making a final decision. We expect this to be a benefit and create some extra demand in places.
The holiday booking boom
One area in which fenestration has somewhat benefited from the lockdown restrictions is that homeowners who would usually spend their money on a Summer holiday were unable to do so and, with spending more time at home than ever before, opted to invest this money into their homes instead.
However, this may be coming to an end as once the announcements were made by PM Boris Johnson, airlines reported an enormous increase in the amount of bookings they have received. This, therefore, could suggest that once travelling becomes viable again that spending on home improvements may be put on the back burner.
On the flip side, what we may see is holiday bookings mainly for 2022, and homeowners continuing to spend on home improvements for the remainder of 2021, but we’ll have to wait and see as restrictions begin to ease and the dates become closer to have a better view of what the impact could be. Airlines have previously said that they don’t expect bookings to return to normal for a number of years, which could help lead to a more gradual change in demand for double glazing and home improvements as a whole.
All restrictions lifted
Arguably one of the most noteworthy dates of the Government announcement is 12th June. This is the date that the Government hopes to lift all restrictions in England and will ultimately have the greatest impact on not only the fenestration industry but people across the entire nation as the country aims to get back to normality.
Whilst it is unclear whether the surge in popularity of homeowners investing in their properties will remain whilst restrictions are lifted or whether we will see a decrease, one thing is for sure is that after over a year of uncertainty, these announcements will provide businesses and people alike with the clarity they need going forward.
We may find that, as job security increases, people feel more confident to use any money they’ve saved up to improve their homes, after noticing areas they would like to improve on during lockdown.
For more information about how the COVID-19 announcements will affect your business, get in touch with us and a member of our team will be happy to offer you advice.
