New research conducted by Thorn Lighting has highlighted concern at internet purchasing
Thorn Lighting has conducted a survey in which over half of respondents said they were concerned by the quality of cheap lighting imports and their impact on product returns and the total cost of ownership.
In parallel,the survey found that over 63 per cent of respondents now see the internet as a vital sales channel to purchase lighting products.
The'State of the Nation'survey questioned 225 wholesalers,contractors and installers from across the UK.
The research also indicated that for contractors and installers,reliability is the most important factor when considering a product purchase,with 26 per cent of respondents offering this as their highest priority.
For wholesalers,57 per cent consider price as the most important factor when ordering products.
"While price surfaces as an important consideration,customer satisfaction and the quality of installation must be factored into the total cost of ownership.The emphasis on price is likely to have stemmed from the recent recession,which forced the market to evolve in order to survive.Low cost procurement is a risky strategy;a cheap product isn't so cheap if it requires three repeat site visits and a replacement for the customer,"commented Paul Coggins,managing director of Thorn Lighting UK and Ireland.
The research also suggested that an over reliance on online activities and the use of social media could have a negative effect on personal relationships between suppliers and customers.