EYG BREAKS ITS OWN RETAIL SECTOR RECORDS
Hull-based independent glazing specialists, the EYG Group, have smashed their own records of sales to the public.
In the first 12 weeks of the current trading year, sales of conservatories were up by a massive 60 per cent, while February's retail (public) sales have been the best for five years.
Over one seven day period in February, the company set a new retail sales record for one week of almost £400,000.
A key factor behind this success, according to EYG's Marketing Director Frank Saunders, is the fact that people are not moving house while the housing sector remains flat. They are instead staying put and spending more on improvements.
He added: "The past few weeks and months have been unusual to say the least. While the commercial sector remains tough, basically because companies have not had the budget to go ahead with major new-build projects or refurbishments, homeowners have taken advantage of some very attractive deals to improve or extend their homes.
"This year, the EYG Group celebrates its 40th anniversary and feedback from our customers shows that in these quite difficult times, when cash is relatively hard to come by, they prefer to buy from companies they know and can trust and who have been around for a long time. For example, they know the EYG 10-year guarantee will still be here and valid in 10 years time."
EYG, one of the largest independent glazing specialists in the country, has a turnover in excess of £20m and employs more than 300 people, mostly at its Wiltshire Road, Hull, headquarters.
In the past 18 months, while the glazing industry generally has been in decline by as much as 30 per cent nationally, EYG has introduced a number of new products, including orangeries and garage conversions, which have also contributed to the new sales peaks.
Frank Saunders said: "We've been able to tap into the growing trend of consumers improving their home rather than moving. For example, orangeries provide additional living space at a fraction of the cost of building an extension and add real value to the property, while so many new houses come with integral garages perhaps not big enough for the car but certainly big enough to be converted into a new study, playroom or bedroom.
"Homeowners generally have had to be more careful with their budgets over the past couple of years so it's fair to say that EYG has in this area benefited from the recession. Now, with the recession officially over, if only just, we must hope to see some new life injected into the commercial sector."