November 17, 2020 Home Improvement Businesses

5 ways lockdown has boosted the home improvement sector.

While it would be wrong to paint a global pandemic as anything which is positive, it’s interesting to note how it’s changed consumer habits.

For instance, with the usual family holidays unfortunately cancelled for many of us, lasting uncertainty about future plans, and lockdowns making us turn our hands and funds to domestic tasks, the home refurbishment and trades sectors in many nations have witnessed an unexpected surge.

Let’s take a look at five ways lockdown has boosted home improvement businesses.

1. DIY repairs

Have you found yourself hanging pictures, fixing railings, painting walls and the like this past year?

You’re not alone – British DIY chain B&Q experienced exceptional demand during the summer, with like-for-like sales during the second quarter of 2020 ending in June 21% higher than the previous year.

At the same time, accident and emergency departments voiced concerns that overly-enthusiastic DIY fans might end up clogging up resources needed to battle the pandemic.

2. Arts & crafts

If you’ve discovered that you’re dexterous with knitting, crocheting, gluing, sticking and clay modelling during lockdown, you’re in good company.

While many local businesses have sadly struggled, online sales at some arts & crafts shops have rocketed. Hobbycraft is one such example – by August 2020, this 100-store UK-wide chain reported that sales during the 12-week total lockdown had been boosted by 200%.

3. Home exteriors

Spending more time in and around your home might mean you’ve had more time to notice those little niggling flaws which pass you by during regular workaday life, such as cracks and discolorations in your home exterior.

So specialist trade firms like Direct Building Products have benefitted from buyers purchasing products like quick-drying render which restored your façade to its former glory.

If you’re handy with a trowel, you’d be surprised at the way a new coating can improve your exterior.

4. Home interiors

Amateur interior design has also witnessed a surge in popularity, with many of us turning our hands to applying transfers, murals and wallpapers, and even hanging doors.

Online outfits like Photowall also offer personalised prints and wallpapers which you can populate with anything from family portraits to landscape shots of your favourite holiday spots.

If you want to get creative, unique home interior products are definitely the way to go.

5. Gardens

In another (admittedly rare) ray of light for the British economy, garden centres and plant nurseries have also seen a surge in interest as green-fingered Brits buy everything from birdboxes to cacti and hardy perennials to home chili growing kits.

If things continue this way, at least further lockdowns could be good news for garden firms as patrons stock up on houseplants to see them through the winter and seeds to plant in spring.

And perhaps by the time we can all freely visit each other next summer, we’ll be holding our barbecue parties on perfectly manicured lawns.

As you can see, the cloud of Covid-19 has had somewhat of a silver lining for certain sectors, but let’s hope that the storm clears completely soon so that everyone get back to business!

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