Consumer Credit Solutions (CCS) achieved another record year in 2012. With £0.252 billion in approved loans, the company exceeded its quarter of a billion target by £2million. The last 3 months in 2012 saw record figures, with over £25m of loans approved in October, £23m in November and December also showing unprecedented demand. Boxing Day – always an important day for the Kitchen, Bathroom and Bedroom (KBB) market – added to December’s success, with over £4m business approved in the first week of the sale period!
Andy Wallace, Managing Partner of CCS, says the figures reflect the importance of low rate ‘soft sell’ credit finance to the home improvement industry. “Offering credit finance is becoming more and more important for our clients,” says Andy. “The message we are hearing from retailer installers is that offering credit is a genuine boost to sales. Our trading partners are finding there is plenty of interest in their products – whether it’s windows, conservatories, kitchens, bedrooms, or bathrooms – but the issue is whether the homeowner is actually able to buy. We have established 18 new trading partnerships in the last few months and seen existing customers selling more too, with 4 of our top 5 trading partners showing year on year growth with CCS. Even when overall sales are flat finance sales are up proportionately, showing how the funding of home improvements are changing. Of our top 20 window clients, 18 wrote more credit volume in 2012 than they had in 2011, and companies in the KBB market have described CCS credit finance as a major factor in maintaining and increasing sales.”
At a time when the home improvement market has been suffering from the effects of a double-dip recession, CCS is still growing. Helping consumers buy what they want, when they want it by providing soft sell, no-hassle credit finance which has led to the record year in 2012.