Summer Days, Leads Drifted Away

August's Business Pilot Barometer shows conversion rates and average order values strengthening but enquiries plummeting.

The good news, that is not unusual as the summer holiday period kicked in…boding well for a September kick-start to the autumn.

Neil Cooper-Smith, Senior Analyst, Business Pilot told Installation Eye: “Fewer opportunities entered the pipeline and yet installers have continued to make good use of the enquiries they receive.

“This builds on the trend highlighted in July's Barometer, when steady sales, improving conversion rates and recovering order values pointed towards increasingly efficient sales performance.”

Good conversions

Cooper-Smith added: “August extends that picture, with conversion reaching its highest level of the three-month period (June, July, August) despite a further reduction in overall activity.”

Conversion rates edged up from 40.8% in July to 41.0% in August, building on June's 39.8%. The movement is modest, but the direction of travel remains encouraging.

As Cooper-Smith said: “Conversion has now improved for two consecutive months, suggesting installers are continuing to turn a greater proportion of enquiries into confirmed work.”

Lower leads

Lead volumes saw a more pronounced change, falling from 108.6 in July to 99.5 in August, a reduction of around 8%. This follows June's peak of 116.1 and means enquiry volumes have now eased for two consecutive months. As mentioned, seasonality is likely to play a role, with August traditionally affected by the school holidays and households spending more time away from home.

Sales followed a similar pattern, falling from 54.1 in July to 47.8 in August, a decline of around 12%. The reduction reflects the softer flow of enquiries through the market and reinforces the importance of maintaining strong conversion performance when the number of opportunities available is more limited.

Orders

Average order values provide a more encouraging signal. Having recovered from £3,666 in June to £4,000 in July, they increased again to £4,094 in August. This represents a further rise of just over 2% month-on-month and suggests that customers who are committing to home improvement projects continue to invest at relatively healthy levels.

Project turnarounds

Lead times increased slightly from 22.6 days in July to 23.5 days in August. They remain below June's 24.1 days, suggesting that businesses continue to maintain relatively efficient turnaround times despite the month-to-month movement in activity.

Inflation

Cooper-Smith said: “Taken together, August's figures highlight the growing importance of quality and conversion in the current market. Lead and sales volumes have softened through the summer, while businesses continue to convert a greater proportion of enquiries and average project values have moved higher.

The wider economic picture provides an interesting backdrop. UK CPI inflation rose to 2.9% in July, up from 2.6% in June, with housing and household services among the main contributors to the increase. The Bank of England also held interest rates at 3.75% at its July meeting, reflecting continued caution around inflation and the impact of energy prices.”

Consumer confidence

Cooper-Smith added: “At the same time, there are encouraging signs around consumer sentiment. The GfK Consumer Confidence Index rose three points to -14 in August, its highest level for two years. While confidence remains in negative territory, the improvement suggests households are becoming more optimistic about their finances and the wider economy.

“For the home improvement sector, this creates a nuanced environment. Customers remain considered in their spending decisions, yet those entering the market appear willing to commit to meaningful projects.

For installers, the ability to identify genuine opportunities, respond quickly and maintain effective follow-up becomes increasingly valuable when overall enquiry volumes are more variable.

This is where Business Pilot continues to provide valuable support. By giving installers real-time visibility across leads, conversions, order values and operational performance, it allows businesses to understand where opportunities are coming from, identify changes in customer behaviour and make informed decisions based on what is happening within their own pipelines.”

End of the holidays

As the market moves out of the summer holiday period, the coming months will provide a clearer indication of whether August's softer activity was primarily seasonal or forms part of a broader trend. What the latest figures already show is that strong conversion and healthy order values continue to provide installers with a solid foundation as market conditions evolve.

Picture: Window & door sales conversion strengthened across the market despite summer enquiry levels dropping in line with the holiday season according to the Business Pilot Barometer.

www.businesspilot.co.uk