With an influx of budget products from hitherto unknown names hitting the UK electrical accessories market, Marie Parry, the Group Marketing Director at Scolmore, outlines the value of investing in a trusted brand.
wiring accessories market growth
According to AMA Research, the UK wiring accessories market is expected to be worth £1.8bn by the end of 2018, while the market for home automation products, including intelligent wiring accessories, is described as a rapidly growing market that has benefitted from the spread of wireless and app-based technologies, and is forecast to nearly double in value by 2021.
The opportunities that this growth and expansion promises can be evidenced in the influx of products onto the market in recent years, from unknown names from outside the market.
the appeal of a lower-priced product
Can contractors afford to put themselves in a position where a product may fail to meet the requirements?
As a sector, Scolmore is only too familiar with the pressures of tight margins and the need to complete projects on time, to shorter programs, and within restricted budgets.
Within these constraints, the appeal of a lower-priced product may make sense in the short term, but can contractors afford to put themselves in a position where a product may fail to meet the requirements for which it has been specified, resulting in time lost, delays on-site and additional expenditure on labor?
electrical products growth
The growth in online sales of electrical products is also having an impact. The market for online distribution of electrical products was estimated to be worth £1.3 billion in 2017 according to a report by AMA Research, having grown by almost 300% since 2012.
Whilst the largest distribution channels for the sales of electrical products are direct from manufacturers and via electrical wholesalers, in terms of online sales, the most significant distributors are ‘internet only’ distributors, with around 42% of the market.
Drivers for online growth
Users should be embarking on a whole process or journey that, as well delivering the tangible products
One of the key drivers for the growth of the online channel in recent years has been the widening of product ranges by large internet retailers (such as Amazon and eBay) where access to lesser-known brands is more likely.
When users procure products from an established brand with a trusted reputation, the purchase doesn’t start and end at the point when the products are ordered and received.
Users should be embarking on a whole process or journey that, as well as delivering the tangible products, allows them to take advantage of the considerable knowledge and expertise that a trustworthy manufacturer has built up over many years of successful trading and collaborative partnerships.
Partnership benefits
Working with a reputable brand will allow access to an unrivaled range of products, services, facilities, and expertise, helping customers keep up to date with the very latest products, technologies, and regulation changes. A dedicated technical support team and customer service department will be trained to provide the right level of support whether it is product-related or more general advice seeking.
Such is the pace of development in this industry with more smart systems becoming available it can prove difficult to keep up with the raft of new products and solutions that are coming on board. It is a manufacturer’s responsibility to provide customers with the opportunity to be educated on how these new products work.
training and development
Scolmore offers a range of training opportunities designed to keep customers up to date with the latest products
As a group, Scolmore has always put great emphasis on the importance of training and development as part of the service to customers.
Having invested time and money to harness the latest technologies to develop cutting-edge products, Scolmore wants to ensure that their customers are given every opportunity to understand how the products work and how they can be utilized to the best advantage on a project.
faster installation, reliable service
Scolmore offers a range of training opportunities designed to keep customers up to date with the latest products, technologies, and legislation, including a course aimed at contractors and wholesalers looking to expand their knowledge of home automation.
With contractors under increasing pressure to complete projects within tight deadlines and budgets, it is more important than ever that they have the security of knowing the brands they are working with are rigorously tested, fully compliant, will help deliver faster installation, and are backed up with reliable customer support service.
