The cleanzine (www.cleanzine.com) reports that, ‘Confidence is sweeping back into the UK commercial cleaning industry. Yet, latest figures show that just under half of all firms are increasing sales and improving profits.’
It adds that Plimsoll’s latest 2014 market report suggests that commercial cleaning firms may well be putting security ahead of growth.
Bucking this trend, however, is a group of 40 firms that are delivering growth rates of up to 8 percent, their marketshare jumping from 9 to 11 percent in just two years.
Plimsoll’s findings concluded:
* 40 firms have seen their sales increase by more than 8 percent
* These 40 firms now sell on average 11 million pounds per year, up from 7 million pounds two years ago
* Of the 786 firms analysed, the average sales increase is only 4.8 percent
* However, only 388 companies have increased their sales
“It really is essential that businesses look for areas of growth in the market and see how they can keep up with the leaders,” says David Pattison, Plimsoll’s senior analyst.
“These 40 trailblazing firms are heading-up the new direction of the market and the other companies must take notice of those 40. With salaries up and gross margins down, it’s clear as costs grow then sales need to increase to pay for it.”