Beyond the bargain basement

The window and door price war hurts us all, says Laura Richardson, Director of major North East uPVC and aluminium fabricator TWR Group – and it has gone on too long.

Open any industry trade magazine and what do you see? A cacophony of “unbeatable deals!” and “lowest prices guaranteed!” plastered across uPVC and aluminium windows and doors.

It’s enough to make your head spin. Are we, as window and door manufacturers and suppliers, in a race to the bottom, vying for the fleeting crown of “cheapest in town?”

There’s too much tendency in our industry towards the race to the bottom, and I, for one, am tired of this race.

It’s a race that benefits no one, not the industry, and certainly not the consumers. In this mad dash for a few extra quid, we’re sacrificing the very things that make uPVC and aluminium windows and doors so valuable: quality, craftsmanship, and sustainability.

Let’s be honest, the “cheapest” rarely equates to the “best.” It often means cutting corners and churning out mass-produced products. We all know the frustration of a window or door not performing how it should just months after installation and these shortcuts chip away at the long-term value of the products and ultimately eroding consumer trust in them.

Here’s the harsh truth; this race to the bottom is unsustainable and it is eroding quality. Everybody wants the cheapest, the quickest and the best product, but you can’t have all three and it is the quality that ultimately suffers.

It’s time we, as an industry, break free from this race and embark on a different race, forge a new path. We need to champion the value of quality and craftsmanship. Let’s talk about the expertise that goes into crafting a beautiful, durable aluminium window, the years of experience behind every perfect weld, the dedication to sustainable practices that ensure our products stand the test of time.

The journey beyond the bargain basement won’t be easy and will require a shift in mindset and a willingness to educate consumers about the true value of quality. But I believe it’s a journey worth taking, a journey that will lead us towards excellence and to a stronger, brighter future for our industry.

TWR Group manufactures and supplies aluminium doors and windows using profiles from Smart Systems and Cortizo, and the full range of uPVC products made with the Logik system from Eurocell. Products are manufactured in-house across two dedicated factories and then delivered nationwide. For more information, call 0191 565 2200 or email sales@twrgroup.co.uk.