Page 11 - Parquet International december 2014

After analysis of the trends in each country we find that Germany is the number one producer (with 23.91% of all European par- quet) followed by France (14%) and, in third position, Italy (9.39%).
Nevertheless, the numbers them-
selves show that, in Italy, there is a downwards trend, with output falling
by 10.5% and consumption by 4.9%. Output in 2013 fell to 155.000 m2 (solid wooden flooring) and 2,795,000 m2 (laminate flooring), making a total of 2,950,000 m2. The market was thus worth 7,214,000 m2 (some 6,012,000 of which were imported and 1,202,000 exported). The num- ber of square metres actually installed amounted to 7,760,000 at the end of 2013.
How the first 8 months of 2014 evolved
If we look at the data for the 12 nations pro- vided by the FEP for the first eight months of this year, there are no signs of a reversal of the slump seen in 2013.
Taking into consideration the differing char- acteristics of each area, we can see that Eu- rope is clearly split into two groups: 6 na- tions are enjoying stability and even growth, while the other 6 are clearly in decline. The only nation where the market is actual- ly growing is Sweden, with a 3% rise due mainly to increasing demand for detached houses with wooden flooring. Four nations are experiencing ‘flat’ trends: Spain, Nor- way, Belgium and Denmark. Surprisingly, for the first time in a decade, Switzerland has not seen any growth, with mosaic par- quet and 3-strip sales actually falling and LVT flooring rising.
The market in Spain is holding its breath, waiting for the tax reforms promised by the Government; sales remain stable, but at the lower end of the price range. The parquet market in Norway is also stable. The same goes for sales in Belgium, where the trend is very similar to that during the same pe- riod in 2013, as is also the case in Denmark.
A push towards change
Unfortunately, the other six nations in the FEP parquet market have produced nega- tive results, even reaching double figures in some cases. Austria, Finland and Germany are experiencing falls of between 1% and 7%. The German market fell by between -1% and -2% in the first 4-5 months of 2014; sales then picked up briefly in May only to become negative again in June, July and August.
Sales fell by -3% in Austria, while Finland saw its figures drop by between -5 and -7%, due partly to a fall in demand from Russia, a major importer.
The situation in Holland is completely dif- ferent: the data show that the Dutch indus- try is suffering from over-production as a re- sult of a fall in demand in recent years. De- spite the slow economic recovery in this country, sales of parquet flooring are still falling. Dutch producers have no option but to concentrate on exports.
France and Italy have been particularly af- fected by the negative trends in the parquet sector. According to FEP data, the fall in sales has now reached double figures. In fact, there was a fall of between 10% and 12% in France during the first eight months of the year. It is expected that the final fig- ures for 2014 will be negative.
Italy has fared even worse, with a fall of - 20%. The forecast for the last four months of the year is very depressing, unrelieved by the fact that there has also been a 15% fall in sales of ceramic tiles to September.
In view of this analysis of the situation in Europe, there is now a real need for some real incentives and support at a govern- mental level – perhaps in the shape of an in- vestment programme and tax cuts – in or- der to turn the tide in the building indus- try and the parquet sector. R
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