For years we have supplied carpets, LVT and outdoor products like composite decking and artificial grass, and fencing simply was not part of that mix. That changed due to the positive feedback we received from the retailers and fitters buying our composite decking.
The UK fencing market is worth close to USD 0.96 billion in 2026, and the plastic and composite segment is one of its fastest growing elements, according to Research and Markets. Timber fencing still dominates by volume, but more homeowners are asking for something that does not need sanding, staining or replacing every few years. Our customers were already fielding those questions. They just did not have a composite option to sell.
A gap our own customers pointed out
We are a wholesale distributor, not a retailer, so we hear about gaps in our range secondhand, through the retailers, trade counters and fitters who buy from us directly. That feedback loop is sometimes slower than a retail conversation, but it tends to surface real patterns rather than one-off requests.
Fencing requests kept coming up in exactly that way. Not as a single customer’s opinion, but as a repeated theme across several conversations with different retailers over the same few months.
Where the idea actually came from
The decision started at ground level, on our own trade counter. Fitters collecting composite decking boards kept asking whether we did anything similar for fencing. Retailers told us the same thing during stock reviews. Their customers were replacing tired timber fence panels at the same time as decking or patio work, and buying the fence elsewhere meant a second supplier, a second delivery and a second invoice.
That is a pattern we see across our whole outdoor range. A spring garden project rarely involves just one product. Decking, fencing, artificial grass and hedging tend to get specified together, and a wholesaler who only stocks part of that list is asking retailers to shop around for the rest.
What we looked for in a fencing range
We were not interested in adding a fencing line just to fill a gap in the catalogue. It needed to solve a real fitting problem, and installation was the obvious one. Traditional fence replacement usually means digging out old concrete posts, which is slow, messy and adds significant labour cost to every job.
Our composite fencing has the option to use a retro-fit sleeve system instead. It slides into existing concrete posts, so fitters can strip old timber panels and rebuild with composite boards in an afternoon, with no fixings and no post removal. That single detail changed how our sales team talks about the product. It is no longer just a maintenance story about staining and rot. It is a labour story, and labour cost is what most fitters actually quote against.
Why the retro-fit detail matters more than it sounds
It is easy to skip past a fixing detail like this, but it changes who ends up doing the job. Traditional post-and-panel fencing usually needs a landscaper or fencing contractor comfortable with concrete and digging. A retro-fit system that slides into an existing post opens the job up to a wider range of fitters, including general handymen and smaller garden companies who would not normally quote fencing at all.
For a retailer, that widens the pool of trade customers who might buy the product in the first place. You are no longer selling fencing only to specialist fencing contractors.
What this means for trade buyers
Stocking composite fencing alongside composite decking gives retailers a genuine cross-sell on every garden enquiry. A customer replacing a deck can be shown matching fence boards in the same colour run, in the same visit, without a second supplier in the mix.
For fitters, the retro-fit system means a fencing job that used to take a full day of digging and concreting can now be quoted and completed in a fraction of the time. That changes the economics of small garden jobs that were previously barely worth the diary slot.
Sourcing and stocking it properly
Adding a product line is not just a listing decision. It has to work in the warehouse too. Our composite fencing sits in the same 100,000+ sq ft Accrington facility as the rest of the outdoor range, stocked and picked alongside decking, cladding and balustrades so a retailer can order a full garden project on one delivery note.
The boards themselves are made from a blend of reclaimed wood fibres and recycled plastic, the same material approach as our decking range. That matters to some of our trade buyers directly, since more of their own customers are asking about the environmental credentials of garden materials, not just the price and the finish.
A recurring pattern in our range decisions
Every product we have added to the outdoor range in recent years has followed the same pattern. We do not launch a product because a supplier pitches it well. We launch it because our own trade counter and our retail customers ask for the same product over a period of time, until it becomes an obvious requirement.
That is how our story as a family business has worked from the start. The Lockwood family built the company on relationships with customers and suppliers, and product decisions still come from those conversations rather than just boardroom trend reports.
Stocking composite fencing at Witch Group
| Fencing feature | Detail |
| Fixing method | Retro-fit sleeve, no fixings, fits existing concrete posts |
| Panel size | 1.83m (L) x 151mm (H) x 19.5mm (D) |
| Fence build | 6ft fence: 12 boards, 2 packs. 3ft fence: 6 boards, 1 pack |
| Colours | Linen, Seal Grey, Ash |
| Maintenance | No staining or painting, occasional wash only |
Installers can build a fence height display in minutes using the same boards customers will buy, since the stacking system is identical on the shop floor and on site. Retailers can also sell the fencing as a DIY installation offering to their customers.
FAQs
Why did Witch Group start stocking composite fencing?
Retailers and fitters buying our composite decking kept asking for a matching fencing option, since garden projects often involve both products at once. Adding fencing meant they no longer needed a second supplier for one job.
Does composite fencing work with existing concrete fence posts?
Yes. Our retro-fit sleeve system is designed to slide into standard UK concrete posts, so fitters can remove old timber panels and rebuild in composite without digging out or replacing the posts.
Is composite fencing more expensive than timber?
The upfront cost is higher than basic timber panels. Over a 7 to 10 year period, though, the saving on repeated sanding, staining and repair labour on timber usually closes that gap for the customer.
What colours does the Witch Group composite fencing range come in?
The range is available in Linen, Seal Grey and Ash, matching the colour options across our composite decking and cladding ranges, so retailers can offer a consistent finish across a full garden project.