The South-Tyrolean family business is among the biggest window suppliers in Europe. The company recently opened its Finstral Studio Borehamwood in north London, launching its appeal to resellers in the UK. We asked Andreas Simmer, Head of Finstral UK, about his plans and ambitions.
Mr. Simmer, Finstral is another supplier of continental windows that has decided to come to the UK. Can you tell us why and what your company has to offer the UK market?
I would say it was about time. On one hand UK has a strong premium segment for high-quality building goods, which makes it an attractive market for Finstral. And on the other, anyone who is familiar with continental window suppliers knows that Finstral undoubtedly offers one of the most sophisticated window systems in Europe. Since I started talking to UK dealers and architects about our products, the feedback I keep getting is that this wide range of possibilities in terms of functionality and aesthetics has not been seen before. So this is the pitch.
What makes the Finstral product range so special? What are the brands unique selling propositions?
Windows are often still seen as a commodity. But in reality, they are an investment for decades. It is therefore worth opting for a better and more beautiful product. Finstral really masters this offer, thanks to its consistently modular product range, its uncompromising material, construction and installation quality and its sense of aesthetics. After all, the strongest sales factor is ultimately beauty. And with Finstral, beautiful windows are really good business.
In addition to the products, Finstral attaches great importance to the “Finstral Studio” showroom concept. What is it all about?
If you want to sell good and beautiful windows and convince customers to opt for added value … you have to make sure that they experience windows anew. This is why the Studio concept is an important pillar of the Finstral sales strategy. Let’s make a simple comparison: no customer would buy a kitchen without visiting a kitchen studio first. The same applies to new bathrooms: no one would choose the elements without at least visiting one sanitary showroom. But when it comes to window sales, it is still not common to visit a showroom – and there are only a few high-quality and convincing showrooms on the market. That’s what Finstral is addressing with the Studio concept which they’ve been developing and nurturing for over eight years now. Since 2016, they have opened dozens of Finstral Studios and partner Studios every year, up to now 350+ across Europe. And that’s why it was clear to us that we would start our market entry in the UK with the opening of our own Finstral Studio.
And what can visitors of the Finstral Studio Borehamwood expect to see?
Our first British Finstral Studio doesn’t aim for end customers, but mainly for dealers or other professionals who want to inform themselves about the Finstral product range and our premium sales strategy. On 230 square meters (or 2500 square feet) you find a large exhibition of our windows, front doors and glass wall offerings. As well as our famous Finstral Planner Desks with a simple planning concept, which makes it easy even for non-experts to understand all the possibilities of modern windows. We explain all the functional and aesthetic options of Finstral elements from the outside, i.e. the façade side; the center, i.e. the core of the window; the inside, i.e. the living side; and all around, i.e. the service around the window. At Finstral, this principle runs through the entire consultation, from the website to the catalogue to the item text in the offer. The best option is to visit finstral.com/borehamwood or make an appointment with us directly in the Studio.
Are there specific goals you have set yourself for the UK? How many retailers do you want to attract, how much turnover are you aiming for?
Our long-term goal is to establish ourselves here in the UK. That will take time, but we have it. After all, we are serious about building truly sustainable partnerships. We are already attracting a lot of interest in the window industry. Many dealers are looking for proven, high-margin products with a high potential for differentiation from the competition. And this is exactly where we can be an attractive option with our consistent premium range.
Thanks for the interview.
The Finstral company
Founded in 1969, Finstral is now one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of windows, entry doors and glass walls. Diverse, functionally innovative and aesthetically compelling: the unique product range of this South Tyrolean family business permits the customized composition of windows, entry doors and glass walls, all thanks to their consistently modular design. Almost anything can be combined with anything else, mainly because Finstral, with its 1,650 employees and 14 plants, realizes almost everything by itself: from the development of profiles to its in-house production and detailed installation specifications – this South Tyrolean company always supplies everything from a single source.
Finstral sells its products in 15 European countries: whether in partnership with over 900 selected dealers or via a number of direct sales areas. To permit perfect planning, since 2016 the company has offered some 300 Finstral Studios and Finstral Partner Studios, where clients and planners can experience windows, entry doors and glass walls completely anew. The headquarters of the company, now run by the second generation of the family, are to this day located in the heart of South Tyrol, at Unterinn on the Ritten plateau above Bozen/Bolzano.
