EU wood flooring consumption down 5% in 2013

Fuente:
ITTO
Vistas:
1996
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After a year in which overall European wood flooring consumption fell by 5.9%, first estimates suggest the market contracted another 5% in 2013. This is based on comments received from member country representatives at the FEP (European Federation of the Parquet Industry) meeting held at the DOMOTEX fair in Hannover in January 2014.

As in previous years, the results show some variation between European countries and from quarter to quarter. However, the overall picture is not as diverse as it once was. Indeed, countries which were performing rather well and driving the markets upwards also lost momentum in 2013. Markets in the south of the EU (e.g. Spain, Italy, and France) still face serious difficulties and probably experienced double digit decline in 2013.

The situation is better in northern Europe, but developments are still slightly negative or, in the best case, stable (e.g. in Sweden). Central Europe remains the best performing region, particularly Switzerland with expected growth of 6% in 2013. Consumption in Austria and Germany is estimated to have remained stable between 2012 and 2013.

According to FEP, these figures “have to be seen in the light of the major challenges faced by the sector in 2013 and still faced today, notably the continuously stiff competition, extremely high unemployment rates in some important EU regions and ever uncertain exchange rates, especially the EUR/USD rate”.

However FEP also note that the latest economic forecasts provide some grounds for optimism. FEP stress the conclusions of recent FEP consumer perception studies “which confirm that parquet is a great natural product, very much valued and desired by consumers, who see real wood parquet as an indispensable element of interior decoration of the future.”

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