Brands – What you need to know…
As many of you know, you pay for what you get. Weather its toilet paper, cake or Blinds.
So how do you know which brand is right for you? How do you even know which Brand/s certain companies offer and where they are positioned in the market… Well, you ask. It’s as easy as that…
As the end user, it’s imperative that you can identify quality products and how to tell the difference.
So I’ve just googled it and I’m not allowed to mention any Brand names as such, but I can tell you what to look out for…
So all the brands rate themselves as the best, so it’s hard to go to their website and click around and get a true value gauge. The proof is in the pudding or samples swatches… LOL.
If you would like to know brand names, give me a call and I’ll tell you over the phone.
(082 301 2445)
The Honest Truth…
There are some great brands out there that we do not offer as its not affordable for the general Durban Market, then there is the middle of the road, acceptable brands that are Ideal for most people’s taste and affordability and then there are the chance takers, in my opinion, that price themselves “Right” but really can’t back their product with much in terms of warranty and after sales service…
Here’s what to look out for…
- Always look at how presentable the sample swatches are, are they cut straight, / square, held together with quality binders, or are they just loose and held together with chain or string. Are the edges cut nicely, finished off perfectly? or do they have rough edges and raw material showing at the end. Presentation is key as how the samples are displayed, so will the end product be (YOUR Blinds).
- Are they in a nice display box or cover, or are they open and exposed to being bashed around in the Agents vehicle.
- Are they Uniform across the different blind types, brand name on each, pictures of the final product, pictures of any accessories available… etc.
- How extensive is the range, all plain and very little to choose from or is there a wide range with lots of Fancy designs? Larger ranges usually indicate a need to satisfy a larger audience, especially when there are some elaborate designs within those ranges. Smaller ranges indicate that the brand is trying to satisfy only a niche market and provide a fair quality product at a fair price. Larger ranges also costs more to store and hold stock, so those costs are generally recovered by you the end user.
- Other things to consider is does the Agent have a show room representing any particular brands? or do they operate from home… Neither is a bad thing, it just indicates market positioning and its up to you to decide where you, the end user, want to spend your money.
There, most likely, are other factors to consider but I don’t want to bore you with all of the nitty gritty.
In summary
High end brands tend to be more selective as to who they have represent them, so they will have a show room, their samples will be neat and tidy and more importantly Presentable. They will have larger ranges with some elaborate designs and lots of customizable accessories.
Medium range brands will still have presentable sample swatches but may have a smaller / more basic range, they won’t be as picky as to who represents them, and their branding may be a bit more concealed and not as noticeable on the swatches.
Low end brand samples will most of the time be slapped together, untidy and not clearly marked with any brand name. They really wouldn’t care who represents their brand as long as you’re keen and willing to sell.
This is where most people find themselves entering the market as they were approached by these brands and offered an opportunity to Sell Blinds. This is where you get for example, an Aluminum window company selling blinds as an add on, or a general maintenance company selling blinds. My advice is to stick with the experts, the agents that specialize in the product that you require… It’s like going to a mechanic for IT advice, it just doesn’t make sense.
Disclaimer…
I don’t claim to know it all, but I have spent some time in the blinds industry (13 plus years now), starting out back in 2002 at one of the Factories and eventually starting my own Supply and installations Company, hands on, installing most of these products, I’ve learned the Hardway, tried most of the brands or had enough dealings with almost all national brands to be able to give an honest review on each. If you would like to chat about what’s best for you, give me a call or fill in our contact form, link below.
Thanks
Jarred Baney
082 301 2445
