Timber decking is now firmly established in the UK, despite initial scepticism about its suitability for the intemperate climate and its ability to win over us cautious Brits.
Its explosive popularity to date means there is now a range of market research and statistics that indicate a stable and profitable future, but how accurate are these reports? What’s really happening with timber decking?
According to our decking product manager Catriona Houston, things are even better than the reports indicate.
“Sales of our decking range have increased by an average of 30% year-on-year and we have achieved the same growth again in 2003/2004, which is 20% more growth than that forecast by the TDA for this period,” she said. “Contributing to this growth is the clear indication that decking does not seem to be affected by ‘seasonality’ as much as was previously the case. When we introduced the range there was a finite selling period for decking from March to September. Now stockists are ordering decking as early as January and selling almost to the end of the year.”
The stockists view
Viewed in isolation, the company’s recent experiences bode well for the decking market, but is it the same for Richard Burbidge stockists? Do the people ‘at the sharp end’ think decking is profitable in the long term?
Mick Wood is buyer for Harlow Brothers, an independent Midlands timber merchant with four branches. The company, which specialises in agricultural buildings, has over 70 years’ experience in timber.
“Sales of decking have doubled since we started stocking it and we have beaten our targets each year,” said Mr Wood. “There are now only a couple of months where people don’t buy decking and it now accounts for a substantial part of our business.
“That’s not to say that we are complacent about the future; we are keeping a close eye on sales and trends to see what is going to happen next in the market.
“At the moment we are seeing more customers trying to be creative with decking, which means they are more likely to want balustrading and other accessories that will make the deck a little different. This is certainly good news for our ‘add on’ sales, especially as the price of deck boards is very competitive.”
This experience is shared by builders’ merchant chain Robert Price, which has 15 sites in south Wales. The merchant recently acquired a specialist timber company to supply its branches with some of its timber needs, and a significant part of that is deck boards.
“Decking has grown steadily over the last four to five years and we saw a 25% sales growth in 2003,” said timber product manager Mike Lewis. “This is very encouraging and at present there appear to be no signs of demand deteriorating.”
The fact that the company’s decking sales are so healthy in a region that has heavy annual rainfall indicates that the British weather is not a negative factor.
“We also experienced a 60% increase in balustrading sales last year, but that is not to say that the product flies out of our store without any effort on our part,” continued Mr Lewis. “Although many customers want decking, we often have to persuade them to purchase balustrading and the key here appears to be visibility. If we can point to one of our displays and show them the difference balustrading can make to a deck then customers are more inclined to specify it.”
One such display is at the company’s Bridgend store, which has a prominent decking display and a successful record for decking sales. Harlow Brothers also has an impressive decking display at its Derby depot featuring a combination of different types of balustrading, from traditional timber spindles through to the more contemporary metal options, such as balusters and panels. It is no surprise that the depot has a history of strong decking sales.
Catriona Houston reinforced this point: “We have found a distinct correlation between stockists that have a large and imaginative decking display and the strength of their decking sales. Those with such a display tend to sell much more than those who simply stack it on pallets and leave it to the customers to imagine how it will look.
“Our experience tells us that people are much more likely to purchase decking when they can see the result. It also works as a useful selling tool for professional installers, as they can take their customers into a local branch and show them what the finished deck will look like.”
Promotional material
In-store product presence is just one of the ways that stockists like Harlow Brothers and Robert Price are helping to drive demand for decking. Another important selling tool for both companies appears to be the availability of literature.
Mick Wood and Mike Lewis agree on the importance of having decking brochures and product information easily accessible to customers. In fact Robert Price goes one step further and produces a glossy landscape and garden brochure detailing all its outdoor products. This is available in-store and mailed out to its customer base just prior to the start of the ‘outdoor season’. Needless to say, decking is a prominent feature in the publication.
So what is the verdict on the decking market from those involved in it? In summary it seems that things are very positive, which is balanced by the need for suppliers and stockists to study the long term changes and trends that are inevitable in this fashion-led, design conscious market.
And what does the future hold? “We see the decking market becoming more about accessories and how people can change the look of their deck,” said Catriona Houston. “However, we also recognise that there is a need for easier and quicker installation techniques, as consumers search for a convenient option and as the skills shortages put professional installers under increased pressure. We aim to meet these needs and more over the next few years and are investing resources in new decking product development to achieve this.”
