Laminate flooring market growth

19.01.2005

Despite a difficult business environment, the laminate flooring market continued to develop posi-tively overall in the year 2003, according to investigations made by the industry’s association

Companies that are members of the Bielefeld-based EPLF association (European Producers of Laminate Flooring) are very satisfied with progress made in the recently completed financial year. An extrapolation of the association’s internal sales figures based on the first three quarters suggests that 2003 saw a definite increase in the sales of laminate flooring in Europe.
EPFL’s 21 member companies sold 391 mio m² of laminate flooring “made in Europe” throughout the world in 2003 (compared with the previous year’s 334 mio m²). This means that the volume of laminate produced in Europe by EPFL member companies and sold on the world market rose by 57 mio m². Western Europe, which is traditionally the strongest core marketplace for the members, recorded growth of 25 mio m² to 227 mio m² (previous year: 202 mio m²). Consequently this market secures a 58 per cent share of overall sales.
ELPF members’ sales by region 2003 (European production)(download .pdf file)
As in 2002, the top positions are occupied by Germany (63 mio m²), the United Kingdom (49 mio m²), France (37 mio m²) and the Netherlands (16 mio m²). These markets account for a 73 per cent share of the volume sold in Europe overall. The pan-European laminate flooring market saw dynamic growth amounting to 42 mio m² in 2003.
ELPF members’ sales on the world market (European production)(download .pdf file)
Sales in the Asia-Pacific region were slightly down overall at 18 mio m² (previous year: 20 mio m²). By contrast, the markets in Israel, South Korea and Turkey saw positive development. In China, on the other hand, sales figures for European products continued on their downward trend in 2003. This can be traced to EPLF members establishing a growing number of production facilities or joint ventures on the spot, the output of which is not included in the sales statistics.
ELPF members’ sales within Western Europe 2003(download .pdf file)
The North American market showed strong growth in 2003, notching up total sales of 71 mio m² (previous year: 58 mio m²). This indicates that North America has an 18 per cent share of EPLF members’ world market sales. Progress in eastern Europe was also very positive, with member companies’ sales rising from 46 mio m² in 2002 to 63 mio m² in 2003. Especially high rates of growth were achieved in some of the smaller markets like the Baltic states, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Croatia. These are markets that quite clearly still offer good sales potential. In the large regions covering Africa, Australasia and South America, which are combined in the statistics under the heading of “Other”, the volume of sales rose from 8 mio m² in 2002 to 12 mio m² in 2003.
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