Attention Retailers! Discover Valuable Customers with TwentyCi’s Planning Application Data

At the core of the TwentyCi offering is our homeowner and homemover data. Many of our clients know that this is the most valuable target audience for sectors such as retail, utilities, insurance and more. Homemovers and homemakers not only typically spend more, but they also tend to buy more frequently than an everyday consumer. Have you ever considered targeting people who apply for house alteration applications? Now you can with our data.

A profitable source of revenue for retailers

There are circa 500,000 planning applications submitted per annum. With knowledge of planning permission applications, retailers can tailor their marketing campaigns to target these individuals. This retail marketing strategy is a potential gold mine for retailers selling home improvement goods, furniture, flooring, windows, bathrooms, kitchens, appliances, electronics, lighting and more. From a service offering perspective, these consumers may be in the market for electrical work, plumbing, painting, landscaping and roofing.

Why should retailers target consumers that have applied for planning permission?

Targeting people who have planning applications can be a strong strategic approach for retailers for several reasons. Consumers who have submitted planning applications are likely to be involved in property-related projects, such as renovations and expansions. This indicates a heightened need for various products and services. Their intent is going to be extremely high because they will have an empty space that needs to be filled! They can’t complete their extension without windows and flooring for instance. There’s little point in them going to the cost and effort of constructing a new bedroom without furnishing it with a new bed and bedroom cabinetry! These customers are primed and ready for your goods and services!

Whilst the majority of consumers can stall their purchases due to inflationary pressures, homemovers and homeowners, especially those altering their dwellings have an imperative to invest in their homes which usually involves more substantial spending. They are more likely to invest in higher-value items, thus focusing on this group could yield more significant returns compared to other customer segments.

Consumers with planning applications will have specific needs. When applying for planning permission, they will be required to provide details about the nature of the proposed extension on their application form. Thus, if they’re extending their kitchen, this information becomes pertinent to a kitchen retailer. Similarly, if the extension involves a new home office, a tech company would find this detail valuable. Retailers can tailor their marketing to precisely meet the needs of these potential customers.

The applicant must also include the size of the extension and any specific features or design elements. Recognising the scope and scale of the project holds significance for retailers. It allows you to customise your communication with the consumer. You have the opportunity to suggest products tailored to the project’s size. For instance, if the extension is significant, you can propose furniture sets that seamlessly fit within a larger area. Conversely, for smaller extensions, space-efficient furniture recommendations could be made. Moreover, the extension’s size can offer insights into the homeowner’s budget, enabling you to suggest more cost-effective options for those with smaller extensions.

With the details TwentyCi can offer, we can personalise your marketing efforts. You can reach more of them and increase the chances of conversions. It also gives you a competitive advantage – this is a niche audience to target so you can create a unique selling proposition to differentiate yourself from your competitors.

Why is timing crucial?

Just as with our homemover marketing, with planning permission data, timing is everything. By targeting at just the right point in the project, you can achieve more sales. We can help you to tailor your marketing and send it at the right time. Promote windows and flooring at the construction phase or décor as the project nears completion. You can engage with these consumers at the fundamental point in their decision-making process.  

It can also pay to get your brand in front of these consumers when they are in the initial planning phase to help you to secure them as a customer when they’re ready to buy. You can then follow up at the point at which they’ll most likely need to make a purchase, to reinforce your brand. 

We can refine the data selection to the type of application, with the most relevant one being a property extension and its status. We can identify if it is a single or multiple-story extension, what the application is for and if it is approved. We then further overlay the TwentyCi data magic on top of that to ensure that we only target the consumer who is most likely to transact with your brand.  

With approximately 500K planning applications per year, this is a reasonable size audience to include within your marketing plans. The data can be targeted via all the usual channels – direct mail, email, mobile display and social.

Final thoughts

By targeting consumers with planning applications, retailers can tap into a niche market segment that demonstrates clear intent and immediate needs. It makes for an interesting new retail marketing strategy.

To find out more, contact us today. 

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