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KEY AREAS

WINDOW & DOOR MARKET

• Window market - volume (units), recent trends, split between new housing, home improvement and non-housing; Factors influencing each sector and future prospects. Frame materials - growth of PVC-U as dominant materials, shares within sector. Window styles - casement, tilt ‘n’ turn, reversibles.
• Hinged Doors - External/Internal market sizes - New Housing/Home Improvement mix - areas of growth/decline. Public/private sector mix. Frame materials - growth of PVC-U and composites, dominance of timber, hardware purchasing procedures, implications for choice of fittings.
• Sliding Doors - New Housing/Home Improvement mix. Frame materials – Aluminium / PVC-U/Timber mix, trends in new build and home improvement sector, future prospects.
• Fittings market - Total market size, trends, reasons for growth in key sectors (rising crime, higher specification products etc), sales mix of major product groups.

LOCKS

• Market size, values, trends, reasons for growth, effects of current climate.
• Product segmentation - rim, mortice, espagnolette, multi-point etc - market shares, changing trends to high security locking, growth of shoot-bolts in window market, influence of frame materials on volume of espagnolette/multi-point locks by products - future product developments.
• Suppliers - Major suppliers by sector - retail, commercial, direct sell replacement market. Different market structures, influences and suppliers. Role of distributors.
• Distribution - Major channels - Merchant/DIY/Independents/Architectural Ironmongers/Door & Window Systems and Fabricators/Locksmiths - trends, reasons for change, strengths and weaknesses.

HANDLES

• Market Size - domestic and non-domestic sectors, door/window mix, new build & replacement market, recent trends and future prospects.
• Door and Window Handle Markets - influences of frame materials (rapid growth of PVC-U in new build), window designs (casement, tilt ‘n’ turn). Direct Sell market review.
• New Build and Replacement Markets - different purchasing criteria, product standards etc.
• Channels of Distribution - wide diversity, recent changes, growth of direct sell and DIY Multiples, range of suppliers, influence of frame materials on suppliers and distribution methods, own brand/branded in different sectors. Product strengths by channel.

HINGES / STAYS

• Market Size - Value and Volumes - butt hinges, friction & casement stays, changing market trends, growth of friction stays, future prospects.
• Friction Hinges - usage by frame material, dominance of PVC-U, growing use in timber market, new build/replacement markets.
• Channels of Distribution, market shares, influence of Systems Companies/Fabricators, role of distributors, future trends.
• Suppliers - leading suppliers, butt hinges, friction stays - different supply structure/customer base, influence of imports. Purchasing responsibility - difference between frame materials.

‘OTHER’ FITTINGS

• Market Size - door closers, ventilators, window locks, tilt ‘n’ turn/patio gearing, emergency exit hardware, balances, signs/number plates, letterplates, bolts/padlocks/chains.
• Recent Product & Market Trends - areas of growth/decline, influence of changes in building regulations, future prospects.
• Major Distribution Channels - influence of domestic/commercial applications, distribution trends.
• Suppliers within product group.

GENERAL

• Overall review of distribution structure for fittings - areas of strength/weaknesses of major distribution channels, recent developments, future trends.
• Major suppliers in market - influence of leading groups.
• Housing & Construction Review - Volumes, trends. Incomes, age distribution and influences on longer term prospects for the fittings industry.
• Future prospects - key trends, influencing factors, imports, product standards etc.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

While the UK economy has experienced relatively strong growth over the last 5 years, the market for door & window fittings has been less buoyant.

The market for fittings is currently estimated at £507m and is very fragmented in terms of product range. Major sectors include locks, handles, hinges, door closers, ventilators, PVC-U tilt `n' turn gearing, emergency exit hardware, signs/letterplates, padlocks, chains and other ancillary products.

The construction market has experienced stronger growth since 1996, which has resulted in higher demand for hardware. However, competitive pressures throughout the supply chain have depressed prices for profile, glass and hardware, resulting in low value growth. Growth was relatively strong in 1997 when real incomes were rising strongly and consumers were benefiting from building society and insurance company demutualisations. 1998 proved to be a more volatile year as consumer confidence deteriorated rapidly in the second half of the year. Overall market growth levels disguises wide variations in performance between product sectors, with locks in particular benefiting from a switch to higher specifications.

The growth of PVC-U has resulted in major changes over the last decade in terms of product design, suppliers and methods of distribution for the major hardware products - particularly hinges, locks and handles. The trend to PVC-U will slow down as the material is reaching saturation levels in the replacement market. However, there has been substantial growth in the new build and commercial sectors over the last 3 years. New build, in particular, has seen PVC-U grow rapidly to around 50 percent market share in 1999, as major builders rapidly switch away from timber where hardware standards are typically lower.

Handles and locks represent the largest product sectors, each accounting for an estimated 28 percent of the hardware market. The key area of growth in the locks market in recent years has been the development of multi-point locking systems which have grown from 15 percent to almost 30 percent of the locks market by value since 1991. Shoot-bolt systems have been the largest growth sector, particularly in the home improvement sector, where retail companies are looking for additional marketing features. Chubb, Yale and Union (all part of Williams Plc) are regarded as market leaders in the traditional rim and mortice lock sectors. Distribution is widely spread with Builders Merchants, Independent Hardware, DIY Multiples, Architectural Ironmongers, Locksmiths and the Direct Sell window market all accounting for substantial shares of the market. Sales of handles are around £150m in the glazing industry and incorporates a wide range of products for different market sectors. Handle distribution is widespread with Builders Merchants/Joinery Centres, DIY Multiples, Systems Companies/Fabricators and Architectural Ironmongers all taking significant shares of the market.

Hinges for door and window applications are valued at approximately £53m. Friction stays continue to increase share, stimulated by the influence of the replacement window market, and growing usage of PVC-U in new build applications. In terms of distribution, the friction stay sector is dominated by Window Fabricators/System companies, though Builders Merchants and DIY Multiples are strong in the distribution of butt hinges. Major suppliers include Nico, Crompton and Newman Tonks in the butt-hinge sector. Securistyle dominate the friction stay market, with Cotswold, Euromond, WMS, Latham and Nico also leading suppliers. Grorud and Spilka are leading suppliers in the specialist hinge sectors.

Door closers are primarily specified in the commercial and public non-housing sectors with Builders Merchants and Architectural Ironmongers the main channels of distribution. Leading suppliers include Briton, Dorma, Jebron and Perkins & Powell. Other leading sectors of the fittings market include ventilators, signs/letterplates, PVC-U tilt `n' turn gearing and emergency exit hardware.

In overall terms, the distribution of door and window fittings is divided between four major sectors. Window Fabricators and Systems Companies account for an estimated 28 percent, with Builders Merchants/Joinery Centres accounting for around 22 percent. DIY Multiples account for around 20 percent of the market, though their share of the locks and handles sector is higher. Architectural Ironmongers account for an estimated 18 percent of the market, though their share is heavily dependent on the commercial sector, which has experienced stronger recovery in the last 2-3 years. The development of these major distribution channels reflects the fragmented nature of the product range and the importance of frame materials and end-use applications influencing the source of supply. Builders Merchants are steadily losing share primarily due to the switch from timber to PVC-U in the new build market, where windows and hardware are often sourced through different distribution channels.

The supply structure is equally very fragmented for the same reasons and differs within specific product groups. Several major changes have occurred in the supply structure over the last few years. Williams Plc have emerged as a major supplier through their acquisitions of Yale, while Ingersoll Rand have acquired Newman Tonks. The Laird Group also have major interests across all sectors of the hardware market. Further rationalisation of the supply structure is anticipated as price pressures continue to dampen margins.

Despite the recovering economy, short term prospects for the door and window fittings market are likely to be difficult. Competitive pressures are likely to limit the opportunities to improve prices and margins in the short term, though volumes should be reasonably buoyant.

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Text © 1999 AMA Research

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Last updated by Paul Tucker 22th January 2000