If we could have warned our 2019 selves what to expect in 2020, it is unlikely that any of us would have genuinely believed what was to come.
Following major disruption in every sector, government restrictions are easing into a ‘new normal’. And this ‘new normal’ is currently offering some unique sales opportunities for wholesalers.” These are the words of Gavin Williams, Sales & Marketing Director at Hamilton. I think we can all agree that the events taken place this year have been unexpected, to say the least. However, every cloud has a silver lining, so they say!
The sliver of shiny outline I am referring to in this case is that there appears to be a renewed focus for many on refurbishing and retrofitting.
With budgets slashed, salaries taking a nosedive and savings not quite what they used to be, many are looking inward to improving what they already have. In residential properties, this includes sprucing up interiors due to spending more time than ever indoors, and commercially the hospitality market is looking to improve its offering in order to capitalise on so called ‘staycations’ in the UK.
Social housing will benefit greatly too with a post-Covid rebuild expected in order to provide adequate housing for those most in need.
This is likely to provide more energy efficient properties that ensure people are housed in safe, warm environments that also provide cost savings for housing providers over the long term.
In the smart technology feature, FireAngel explores what this means for the fire safety market and how the wholesaler can provide real time monitoring. It looks likely that we are going to be living with this virus for a while, so the ability to provide your customer with solutions that allow for the removal of face to face contact, whilst still providing all the necessary safety checks, will be another retrofitting solution that you can have at your disposal.
Elsewhere in this issue we look at the latest trends in the ever growing smart technology world, including more contactless solutions as well as the most up to date smart controls to truly bring houses into the modern era.
In the electrical accessories feature we take a look at some of the antiviral products that are helping fight off infections in schools and hospitals. There is also a look deeper into the options available from Hamilton for retrofit projects including bespoke services that will allow companies to stand out from the crowd and bring in that all important business.
