What is said to be the first narrative analysis of the fenestration industry for four years has been published by the GGF Group as a forerunner to an in-depth on-demand data service due for launch next year.

Using combined data with its commercial arms, Fensa and the BFRC, the report is said to be a long overdue resource, filling a gap left by bodies such as Palmer, to provide a factual and statistical insight into the state of the industry.

The organisation says: ”This initial report has been designed following extensive discussions with a number of industry partners, which established the key criteria for the project. The industry consultation shaped what will be covered in future reports as well as the expansion of the Fensa Knowledge Hub to become a subscription service that will enable the analysis of key industry data, covering other aspects of the supply chain, and with ‘real time’ data access.

“FENSA has a unique status in the industry. As the largest competent persons scheme in the UK with more than 6,300 Approved Installers, it notifies over 77% of installations registered in England and Wales, and now with a recently established presence in Scotland.  As such, the data presented in this report provides a thorough and accurate representation of the industry’s most recent performance, with data provided from installations completed during the past three and a half years, from January 2018 to June 2021.

“The BFRC data provides a breakdown of live licences for windows and doors and also analysis of products by energy rating. When combined with FENSA data, this provides a wide-reaching indication of product trends across the country, both currently and historically. 

“The GGF provides a broader backdrop of the sector, with combined input from manufacturing, fabrication, installation and also political and social issues impacting on the industry.

“The report contains analysis on the Wider Economic Backdrop, offering a narrative on key political, economic and social influences to have affected the market during the past two years. A further section, The Grey Market, considers the crucial issue and impact of window and door installations that are carried out outside of any competent persons schemes. Industry Performance & Circumstances provides a narrative derived from internal and external reports and data which, together with anecdotal evidence and observations, offers a market overview.”

The section entitled Fensa Installation Dataprovides recorded statistics on the replacement of domestic windows and doors from January 2018 through to June 2021, the first time such information has been made publicly available. The breakdown includes numbers of windows, doors, installations, windows per installation and doors per installation. Drawn from installations logged by more than 6,300 FENSA Approved Installers, these statistics alone provide the most comprehensive factual picture possible of the domestic replacement market during the past three and a half years. 

FENSA Regional Data provides geographical data on installations, whilst Local Authority Performance (by installations) provides an insight into the top 10 performing local authorities whilst also offering a breakdown of average cost per job and cost per unit across the period covered. RISA Assessment Ratings is drawn from 40,000 assessments carried out on FENSA Approved Installers by RISA, the GGF inspection organisation. This data ranks installations seen between 1 and 5 (the higher the better). 

Window Licence Overview provides data recorded by BFRC and offers a glimpse of the uptake in technological advancements and innovations in the design and production of increasingly energy efficient windows and doors.

The report is the precursor to the Fensa Knowledge Hub, a service that will be launched early in 2022 that will give access to this and other data in the future, in near real time and on demand. As examples, the information may be relevant to installers seeking to gauge their performance against others in their area regarding the number and average cost of installations; and manufacturers on the number and type of products being installed and against a geographical breakdown. 

The service will be supplemented by bi-annual Key Knowledge Reports which, whilst summarising the data will also provide analysis and commentary on the state of the industry as a whole. All data provided is ‘blind’, with all sources remaining strictly anonymous.

GGF MD John Agnew says the availability of such data is expected to revolutionise the field of market data and intelligence for the UK window and door replacement sector.

He said: “The home improvement sector of the UK window and door market has not seen the publication of any meaningful industry insights since 2017 and consequently, companies at all levels within the window and door industry are basing key strategic planning initiatives using old data and forecasts, and educated guesses.

“The GGF Market Knowledge Report and the Fensa Knowledge Hub that will be launched in 2022, not only redress this information ‘vacuum’, they provide factual data that has simply never been previously available.”

Anda Gregory, Chief Development Officer for GGF Group says that the Market Knowledge Report and, from 2022, Fensa Knowledge Hub, will advance window and door industry research and data analysis to a level that has not previously been possible: “The information that we are making available using FENSA and BFRC data, is the most comprehensive and detailed available for the English and Welsh home improvement sectors. Combined with insights and analysis provided by the most experienced and knowledgeable minds in the industry, it provides invaluable insight to our industry. 

“When available from next year,” she added, “the online tool will provide factual information with the minutest detail within days of installations being completed. Supplemented by BFRC product licencing data, companies will be able to manage their businesses – installers, component and materials suppliers and manufacturers – in ways that have previously not been possible.”

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