Shopping Online for Retractable Awnings

It’s hard to believe, but online shopping has only been around since the mid-1990s. Originally limited to books and music, online stores have expanded to encompass everything from classic car parts to haute couture sunglasses – including retractable awnings and sun protection systems.

However, web stores aren’t one great big monolith with the same options and the same prices. There is even bigger variety online than in stores, both in products and in companies, and that’s as true for retractable awnings as it is for books and DVDs.

What’s the Difference between a Manufacturer, Assembler, and Store

For sun protection systems, there are three different “levels” of stores:

· Manufacturer, the company who actually produces the goods from raw materials.

· Assembler or fabricator, a company which combines different components from one or several different manufacturers and combines them into the final product.

· Retail store, which is very much comparable to a physical store; they simply buy a completed product from an assembler (fabricator) or other “middle man.”

For retractable awnings, each component (the frame, the fabric, the motor) almost always has a different, specialized manufacturer. This means buying a complete retractable awning from a manufacturer is unlikely. In addition, manufacturers only sell to other trade companies, not directly to the public.

Assemblers are a kind of intermediary manufacturer. As the name implies, an assembler or fabricator doesn’t manufacture the core parts; they select the retractable awning elements and then assemble the final retractable awning at a warehouse or manufacturing center. Assemblers have significant direct influence over the design, quality, and accessories with the final retractable awnings because they interact with manufacturers and can select from a variety of different dealers to mix and match the best components.

Online retailers are frequently simply extensions of brick and mortar stores, usually with the same prices and selection. In some instances, they may have better selection and pricing, but it’s inconsistent.

Compare the Shopping Experience for Online or at Stores

The most obvious advantage of assemblers over retailers is the initial cost. Assemblers don’t have intermediate markups from middlemen the way that retailers do. Additionally, the average minimum retail markup is anywhere from 40% to 60%, partly for profit and partly to cover the overhead of large stores, staff, and other expenses.

The price is impacted in other ways, as well. Online assemblers charge shipping costs, but this is more than offset by the fact they don’t charge sales tax (except for orders within the state where the company is located). Sales taxes alone can be up to 10% of the cost of a retractable awning. All told, online retractable awning assemblers cost about 35% less than a store.

Part of the price markup is the visual and tactile experience of shopping in person. Especially with large items, it can be hard to cross the threshold to buy something sight-unseen, and seeing a floor model takes some of the worry off. However, some online assemblers offer 3D rendering or artist’s drafts of retractable awnings based on real pictures of your home with the retractable awning style, scaled to your specifications, to give a relevant and exact image of what your new retractable awning will look like. That’s a service that almost no retailer can provide and goes far beyond a display model in helping make your selection. In addition, a good online retailer will send frame samples (for quality and color) and fabric samples.

Assemblers, because of the direct contact they have with the product, are also experts about retractable awnings and other sun, wind, and rain protection systems. If there are ever any questions about the retractable awning or if there’s a need for a replacement part, the assembler’s support system is able to assist immediately. Retail stores, on the other hand, change suppliers frequently, so finding someone familiar with your retractable awning or being able to track down a replacement part or new accessory is nearly impossible.

And then there are the advantages of shopping online in general: the ability to browse; easy comparison shopping; coming back as often as you need, without pressure from salespeople. It’s all part of the experience.

What to Look for Online

A good online retractable awning assembler is an expert on retractable awningss, and they will make as much information available about their product as possible. When deciding what retractable awnings to purchase, first look for quality:

· Kevlar® straps in the arms instead of steel cables, which will rust.

· Minimum of a 25-year warranty on retractable awning frames, which is the expected lifetime of electrostatically powder-coated aluminum frames.

· Certifications, especially from Eurolab and TÜV; the highest quality manufacturers are in Europe, and the European testing labs have the most stringent standards.

· Solution-dyed acrylic fabrics, which have a lifetime of 10-15 years, up to 500% longer than other retractable awning fabrics and vinyl.

· Tenara® UV resistant sewing thread, which has a lifetime warranty against seam separation.

And if you have any questions, call the assembler and ask in person. Good retractable awning assemblers, even if they’re online stores, will have some kind of live support available.

Taking advantage of online assemblers won’t only save you 35% on your retractable awning. Shopping online will get you a better quality and a more beautiful retractable awning, which happens to also be 35% less costly than retail stores.