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Raising the bar
Stricter regulations are not a burden, but a catalyst for driving better standards in hardware says Sam Nuckey, managing director of Window...
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Value: - the market's challenge
It is clear that neither consumers nor businesses have budgets that feel particularly generous right now, and the current instability around the globe will be having an impact, with the potential long-term effect still unknown. Window ware commercial director Richard Bryant writes
Cost pressures remain firmly in place, and it does not appear that government policy will create meaningful opportunities for growth in our market in the short term. If anything, continuing to burden businesses with additional cost and legislation only makes it harder to invest, innovate and ultimately deliver the growth that is so badly needed to ease those pressures.
That reality means that, as an industry, we must create opportunities ourselves and focus on adding more value to the sales process and helping our products stand out against other high-ticket items. They have to inspire confidence, justify investment and, crucially, create desire.
New and re-engineered fenestration products will therefore be essential to driving sales. Design-led choice, differentiation and kerb appeal continue to be powerful decision-making factors, and that applies just as much to hardware as it does to frames and glass. The right hardware can turn an installation from functional to aspirational.
A great example of this is our Knurled range, which we launched last year and which has proved hugely popular. Its success reinforces the simple truth that products that combine distinctive design with quality engineering and strong finishes will continue to thrive, not just this year but well into the future.
Wide choice will also be critical, including standard PVC-U, Residence Collection style options, quality composite doors, aluminium and timber. Hardware must keep pace with those changing demands, trends in design and the need for differentiation across every material sector.
At Window Ware, we are responding by re-engineering existing products, designing new ones and expanding our ranges. That means more architectural-style furniture, greater choice of finishes across standard ranges, and new and improved tools and consumables.
Our Window Ware brands also have new products launching later this year, which we will be fully behind as we collaboratively drive improved products, stronger stock holdings and broader options for fabricators and resellers. Our recent partnership with BJ Waller is a key strategic decision in that journey, strengthening our ability to meet the wider demands of the fenestration industry with expertise in hardware design, supply chain resilience and next-day service across everyday components.
Both ends of the market matter. We need design-led products that drive desire, but also smarter, re-engineered solutions that help customers hit performance targets efficiently. Hardware has to support both.
Article written by John Roper
20th July 2026