Date: 21 March 2012
Market for Glass in Interior Construction Stabilizes
After years of constant decline the market for glass in interior construction in Europe's core markets has finally stabilized. While the industry witnessed a dramatic slump of 20.8% in terms of quantity in the five surveyed markets, ie (GER, UK, FRA, ITA, ESP). This is tantamount to an output volume of 19.039.000 m with even an increase in terms of value due to a slight increase in sales prices. For 2012 Interconnection Consulting expects a further market consolidation, although the market is expected to decline by another 0.4% in terms of quantity.
Regional disparities define the overall picture
A closer look reveals that the markets developed very differently. While the German market grew by 5.2% in terms of quantity, the markets in France and UK grew by 2.8% and 1.4% respectively. In Italy the sales volume decreased by 2.7% whereas the Spanish market continued to slump by 16.1%.
Tracking down the reasons
The reasons for the regional disparities are a direct result of the work load prevailing in the construction industry and thus are closely correlated with the respective national economies. German GDP developed in the last year with outstanding pace which had a direct impact on the mood of consumers and investors. As a result, the number of private and public construction projects grew significantly, with 16.6% more building completions in the residential sector compared to 2010. No wonder the German market for sanitary facilities develops in line with this trend, said Dennis Rauen, author of study.
On the other side Spain is extremely lagging behind. Since the outbreak of the financial crisis Spain's real estate market is in the doldrums. Double-digit declines in the residential sector are a corollary of the fact that the Spanish market for glass in interior construction slumped year by year over the period of the last four years by -17.4%. While the Spanish market had a market share of 16.5% in the year 2007, in 2011 it was only 9.4%. This development is not likely to change within the next years. The unemployment rate is high and public funding to boost the construction market is likely to be pruned substantially, due to imposed budget slashing.
Countries Covered - France - Germany - Spain - Italy - UK
Contacts Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager. press@researchandmarkets.com U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): 353-1-481-1716
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