A Glasgow-based shed manufacturer has revealed that demand for sheds has significantly increased since the start of the lockdown period in March.
Shedman revealed that the 32-year-old company is having to build a massive new shed for itself in order to keep turning out sheds, workshops and play huts, with sales almost tripling in the month of June.
To maintain output at its new levels, Shedman is investing £450,000 to increase the size of its production shed from 7,000 sq ft to 12,000 sq ft, as well as installing new saws, extractors and health and safety equipment. The expansion will create eight new full time and two part-time jobs, taking Shedman’s workforce to 25.
Bill Roddie, director of family-owned Spectrum Properties, which bought Shedman in 2019, said, “This new investment, which is bringing more high-quality employment to the east end, will allow us to increase capacity at the factory by 100%. While we have also invested heavily in marketing and smart use of social media, the increase in demand has been quite dramatic and it is hard not to believe that it is directly related to the pandemic quarantine.
“For the past three months, people have been using their unexpected free time to do jobs around the house and garden and a shed is a great boon for securely storing all kinds of DIY equipment. Many furloughed workers have also found themselves with extra money since their daily expenses were reduced, and we have seen a big increase in sales of dog kennels for people who have bought a new pet. Play hut sales are also up as parents try to keep their children occupied while they are off school.”
Shedman has an indoor showroom at Dalmarnock and an outdoor showroom in Glasgow City centre. During the lockdown, the business distributed more than 100 ‘shopping boxes’ to vulnerable people so that neighbours could leave groceries sheltered from the elements for shielding individuals who could not get out of the house.
