Life as a Decorator: DIY Boom

There’s little doubt the last six months have been strange for all of us. For episode four of the Dulux Academy Podcast, we take a look at how things have changed with the big DIY Boom.

Tony Pearson-Young is joined by Fiona Hall, Head of Insights at AkzoNobel, and Ross Burlington, a Dulux Select Decorator, to ask one important question:

"If homeowners are doing it all themselves, and there’s a buoyant home improvement market… is there still a need for a professional decorator?"

The rise of 'Do It Yourself'

Fiona kicks things off by diving deep into how customers are using Dulux paint, drawing on the countless surveys and interviews her team regularly conduct.

Unsurprisingly, the last six months have seen lots of DIY painting with a 30% rise in shoppers buying retail paint. And the reasons are fairly obvious too:

The need for a dedicated space to work from home
More time on our hands during lockdown
The search for a new hobby

But has this rise in DIY painting affected professional decorators? Ross doesn’t think so.

"I was initially really worried during lockdown, going out on my bike every day and seeing people painting outside themselves, but I think it was mostly just fences in the end!"

While homeowners may have taken advantage of the nice weather and more time on their hands to paint, Ross hasn’t seen a big impact on external painting or internal decorating. He’s still getting lots of enquiries from those who want a professional finish.

Because customers still want quality.

As Ross adds:

"There will always be the DIYers, and always be those who want a professional finish".

Indeed, 5% of DIYs haven’t achieved the finish they hoped for and needed a professional to come in and fix "their more enthusiastic paint jobs," as Tony diplomatically puts it.

Ross also points out that lots of his customers thought about a DIY project, but then after seeking advice or trying one small area, decided to get a professional in.

The Impact on the trade

That’s been reflected in the data too.

Fiona explains how a survey in April highlighted a very worrying picture for the professional trade, with nine out of ten jobs cancelled, worries over social distancing and no idea when work would start again.

But by October, the industry had built back, with some professionals turning down work as they’re so busy and many reporting feelings of optimism.

It seems as the DIY demand increased, so too has the need for professional painters and decorators.

"The pool of potential customers for the professional decorator is growing,"

says Fiona

The fall in competition

But that rise in demand could be a problem too.

There’s the threat of Brexit in early 2021, with data indicating a number of painters and decorators may leave the UK as a result of new changes coming into force.

The challenges of 2021

The challenges for next year are clear then, for both Fiona and her insight team, and Ross with his feet on the ground.

More demand, less labour.

Ross reports his books are full till Christmas and he has new enquiries every other day.

"There needs to be more painters and decorators out there,"

says Ross,

"and they need to be good at what they do."

Fiona adds that

"botch jobs won’t do the reputation of the industry any good either."

That’s where the Dulux Academy can help.

Ross explains how it’s helped him and his team through lockdown, learning new skills and always having fellow decorators to talk to on the Facebook forum.

It’s made sure he’s not too worried about the future. He knows how to manage demand, and he knows people will wait for jobs to be done properly, with the right, top quality products.

By focusing on the customer experience, from the first point of contact to a thank you gift when his team is finished, he knows his customers get the perfect, professional results they want.

Listen to the full podcast to hear more about the challenges of 2021, the support of technology and the shifts in DIY behaviour.

But don’t worry too much.

As Tony points out: