California Shutters Avoid Price Increases

The California Company announced today that they will not be following suit with other shutter companies and will keep prices of their wooden shutters at the same level as they enter 2009. California Company Director Murray Clark explains….

“2008 has been a challenging year for most industries, and the shutters business has been no exception. Cost of raw material have increased significantly, along with labour costs and general manufacturing processes. We have always been able to sell our shutters at highly competitive prices, as compared to the UK, our costs manufacturing shutters in China, are lower. However, we sell the vast majority of our shutters here in the UK which means being paid in UK pounds. We’ve therefore been hit very hard by the devaluation of the Pound and are to a large extend, being squeezed from all sides.

We’ve also invested significantly in new processes both at our factory and here in the UK. We felt in early 2008 that the winds of change were starting to blow through our economy and put in place a plan to streamline our operation and make sure we were well placed to weather a storm. We reviewed all areas of our business and now have reinvigorated our operation to run smoothly, efficiently, and cost effectively, throughout what we believe will be a difficult 2009.

We’re fortunate in that we believe our cost streamlining across our operation will ensure we can offset the external cost pressures that have been forced upon our business. Our customers love our shutters and the quality inherent in the product. While quality speaks volumes, so do peoples budgets and we don’t want to place any more pressures already overstretched finances. We are therefore taking the decision to retain our prices at their current level which enables our customers to but premium quality wood shutters from £88.”

This price level retention applies to all California Co Shutters. California Co shutters can be bought via B&Q’s online shutter shop at www.diy.com/shutters. All shutters sold are made from fully FSC certified hardwoods. The California Company is the UK’s only online DIY Shutters retailer selling a fully FSC certified wood shutters product.

For more information about the partnership between The California Company and B&Q, please visit www.diy.com/shutters