Page 10 - Parquet International december 2014

MARKET
TREND
The market outlook
Official data released by the European Federation
of the Parquet Industry (FEP) and testimonials from operators in the marketplace provide an overview of market trends
and tips on what to look out for in 2015
FIAMMETTA REGIS and LUISELLA ACQUATI
2014 has been a year of contrasts: the Italian market has continued to suffer the effects of recession while at the same time there have been some interna- tional opportunities for growth calling out for investment. This has been the basic trend in the wooden flooring sector this year. It is now time to look to the future with re- newed hope and inject some optimism in- to business. After listening to what the op- erators have to say, it is clear that there is a good degree of diversification and several attractive market niches that had been over- looked in the past: new technologies, ser- vices with greater added value, corporate restructuring, attention paid to local mar- kets, partnerships boosted in terms also of design and, of course, more focussing on for- eign trade.
No one has remained idle over the past few months; everyone has striven to find the best way to get through this difficult moment. While some have decided to sit it out, many have taken a more proactive approach, with initiatives aimed at respond-
ing to (and even anticipat- ing/stimulating) demand for parquet flooring in Italy and abroad. Some have even chosen to contact po- tential clients directly. Trade fairs serving this sec- tor – from BAU Munich to
Made Expo – continue to be important for many firms, offering them the chance to come into contact with other professional figures, from designers to installers, archi- tects to resellers. Yet it is also true that many have chosen to become involved in more tar- geted – even itinerant – events. Some have organised road shows the length and breadth of Italy in order to meet potential clients on their home ground.
As always happens during hard times, there is a clear distinction between light and shade; some have risked more than others and have boosted their turnover as a result.
The macro data at end 2013
In view of these extremes, it is always worth- while analysing the data supplied by trade associations such as the European Federa- tion of the Parquet Industry (FEP), which, after publishing the final data for 2013, has also just issued the performance figures for the first 8 months of the current year.
In 2013, total consumption of wooden floor- ing in Europe amounted to 82,681,000 m2, a drop of 2.6% on the previous year, while to- tal output (within the FEP area) came to more than 67 million m2 (-1.8% compared to 2012). Multi-layer laminar products accounted for 78% of total production, followed by solid wood 20% and mosaic flooring 2%. The most popular timber was Oak (almost 71%), but also Ash (5.1%) and Birch (4.6%).