With buyers at the higher end of the market relatively more cushioned against the cost-of-living crisis, it’s hardly surprising that retail demand for aspirational aluminium window and door products is so far holding up better than it is for PVC-U.
For companies who are used to supplying and fitting in PVC-U though – and are familiar with the easy quoting and buying processes, the fast lead times and the competitive pricing – adding aluminium to their product options can still sometimes feel like too much hassle.
One supplier tackling those concerns head on is AluFold Direct, which has structured its entire operation so that the buying experience for customers closely mirrors what they are used to in PVC-U. It says that it has effectively taken away all the barriers which are still stopping some merchants, developers and installers from using aluminium to give themselves a better chance in the current market conditions.
Russell Yates, AluFold Direct’s Managing Director and a familiar face in the aluminium industry having previously been MD of systems company AluK, explained the company’s approach: “Since I joined in 2020, our aim has been to give traditional PVC-U buyers the same level of convenience and efficiency in aluminium that they can already get in PVC-U, ensuring that they can easily supply the two options side-by-side.
“There’s a reassuring familiarity for them in how we operate – and for those who are already buying aluminium from elsewhere probably a refreshing focus on making life easy for them. For instance, we use exactly the same cloud-based pricing and ordering software that many companies already use for PVC-U windows and doors. There’s no waiting for your aluminium supplier to price every job for you, no weeks of waiting for your delivery, and no questions about quality or consistency. We have teams of customer service advisors on the phone to help everyone get started and an impressive package of support, including training.”
The Blackburn based business is easily one of the UK’s largest exclusively aluminium fabricators, with a vast, highly automated factory, reliably and consistently turning out high volumes of top-quality frames every week on 7- or 14-day lead times, (depending on whether they are glazed or unglazed). There are dedicated lines for sliding patios and bi-fold doors and even a lantern roof so that it can offer a one-stop shop option for the aspirational orangery/extension market.
The speed of the operation and the fast lead times means that customers can comfortably place orders with AluFold Direct using measured sizes, rather than off-plan, knowing that they can have their doors delivered direct to a site – and avoiding the risk of costly errors when frames are ordered before the space exists and they end up being the wrong size.
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The sheer scale of the AluFold Direct factory and the fact that merchants, developers and installers are buying direct from the manufacturer means prices are competitive and there are even a range of price points on different product options so that customers can be confident of winning business in aluminium with strong and sustainable margins. It also means the company has sufficient capacity to take on new customers and help them grow. Key to that is the large stockholding, which buffers its customers against the supply chain challenges which have hit the whole of the window and door sector over recent years, in a way that smaller, local aluminium suppliers can’t match.
Russell Yates added: “As the PVC-U market becomes increasingly price sensitive and margins start to be hit, the answer for companies who find themselves under pressure is to look at new opportunities with higher-end products where revenues are bigger, and margins are more sustainable. A recession doesn’t have to mean all bad news. With the right supply partner, it could even be just the opportunity they need to aim higher for their businesses and make the leap into aluminium they have long been considering.”
All the details on AluFold Direct’s products and package of support are at https://www.alufolddirect.co.uk/.
