Lockdown record achieved
26th May 2020

CONSERVATORY OUTLET says retail sales figures surpassed £4m across its installer network for the seven-week lockdown period from Monday 30th March while online enquiries reached a record level with lead volumes running over 75% up on last year.

The fabricator attributes the results largely to the launch of a ‘lockdown sales competition’ for its network of sales teams to compete against each other, alongside its ‘Stay at Home Sale’ consumer campaign.

It says, despite both the factory and installer showrooms being closed for the duration, sales staff and design consultants have closed more than 200 contracts during the period while working from home, and with no face-to-face contact.

CEO Greg Kane explained “The sales results we’ve been able to achieve collectively during lockdown have blown us away and are far greater that we could ever have expected given the unprecedented circumstances.

Of the consumer campaign, he added: “When lockdown was announced, we quickly realised we would need to adapt our marketing approach to appeal to people at a very emotional, frustrating and confusing time.

“What we found in reality was that being stuck inside was the perfect time for many to explore and plan their next home improvements.  We’ve also been able to offer exclusive offers to entice customers ‘out of the market’ before the end of lockdown, which has proved highly successful.”

Steven Ormand, Managing Director at DigitalKOG which worked with CO on the consumer campaign, added: “The worst decision a business can make in challenging times is to batten down the hatches and stop investing in marketing. When the chips are down, staying visible is more important than ever - it’s as simple as that. The outstanding results seen by our proactive CO Network members are a direct result of their foresight – allowing us to help them use consistent, relevant messaging and creative marketing tactics to appeal to an active market in challenging conditions.”