Hurst: Using doors to close window sales

But as we all have to accept, the times and the customers have changed. Yes the market’s got smaller but it’s still there, replacing the original replacements, trading up, refurbishment all have their part to play.

Now a new breed of panels along with the high specification polymer composite door and easy clean internal doors are offering home improvement enterprises a new sales opportunity and a way into consumers homes to sell replacement windows, but many will have to change their attitude.

A recent independent research study carried out for one of the big D.I.Y. shed operators asked consumers where they would go to buy a new entrance door, and home improvement companies didn’t feature in the list. On the bright side, when one of the major mortgage companies asked customers what they would change first after moving into a new home, sitting alongside the expected kitchen and bathroom fixtures was a new entrance door.

Door showrooms are part of the new way

Already recognising that selling doors can be a major way of increasing customer contact and maintaining profit levels, Hurst have worked with some companies to open showrooms dedicated just to doors. Just as the new breed of customers want rounded, sculptured windows they also want to be able to choose a door with a panel that offers a choice of both traditional and contemporary glazing designs.

Hurst have always been first to invest in both new door designs and advanced glazing options and now offer the biggest choice of designs in Europe. Last year they introduced the spectacular hand crafted fused art glass to their range along with a collection of art deco Scottish designs that have both been a sales success. This continued investment into panel innovation is the driver that has, in only a short period of time taken them to market leader in many of the products they supply in this country and opened up impressive export sales around the world.

A composite door that sells itself

One of the first to see the value of a market for composite doors, Hurst Plastics came into the market when confusion and horror stories surrounded the various products being offered to a sceptical consumer. Determined to change both the quality of the product and the perception of both the home improvement companies and the consumer, Hurst mounted a single minded campaign that has seen them build and equip a dedicated state of the art factory and educate the sales teams of their customers.

‘When others were continuing to fail, we stayed focused on getting a ‘secured by design’ composite door onto the market that customers could sell with confidence’ says Mark Atkinson, Hurst’s Sales and Marketing Director. The Hurst Sterling Polymer Door is the result of their faith and has rewarded Hurst by becoming a real winner and becoming one of the best selling composite doors in both the private and public housing markets.

The jewel in the crown

‘Stunning’ is the only word that we can use to describe the next innovation to be introduced by Hurst. The Jewels Collection is a range of triple glazed units that can be fitted to both Hurst Plastics panels and polymer composite doors. Available in a combination of clear single cut bevel crystals held in deep satin lead or subtle coloured crystals in deep antique gold, these new jewels are fit to grace any stately home and are bound to be the next big thing that Hurst’s customers will be using to attack the market.

Hurst First again!

From the day they opened their doors for business Hurst have done things differently, the first to not only promise service but to deliver it, they have gone on to develop real working partnerships with their customers. ‘Our philosophy is simple’ says David Kubran, Hurst’s Managing Director. ‘By helping our customer to succeed, we succeed. Our marketing team is there solely to help customers use the UK’s favourite door panels, polymer composite doors and internal doors to get results and increase their sales’.