The half-yearly survey from the Shop and Display Equipment Association reveals there is tangible evidence of a positive upwards climb within the retail display industry.

The survey found that 57% of respondents benefited from an increase in sales during the second half of 2013 compared with the first half of the year, while a further 24% registered similar results.

Many shopfitting and display companies expect to do more business in the second half of the year, so the survey also compared sales with the same period the previous year. These figures too were encouraging with 43% of respondents reporting increased sales year on year and a further 33% indicating no change. The average increase reported was 18.6%.

The future too looks promising. Over 50% of respondents expect sales to increase during the next six months and the figure rises to 76% for the long range, 12-month forecast.

Other indicators, such as employment, also suggest high levels of confidence.  19% of respondents had taken on additional employees during the last six months and some 52% said they expected to take on more staff over the next six months.

“There has been a real turn around with genuine growth of 26 per cent compared with our last six monthly survey and 18% growth year on year," said SDEA Director Lawrence Cutler.

“Overall, these figures reveal a degree of business confidence not witnessed in the UK shopfittings and display industry for several years."