The growth in the UK wood flooring market looks set to continue, spearheaded by the residential sector and an increasingly discerning public.
This was the message from Junckers managing director John Woolmore, speaking at last week’s trade floors seals seminar.
Held at the Atherstone headquarters of timber merchant George Sykes, the seminar was a launch pad for TRADA’s Best Practice Guide on floor seals, which aims to give
consumers practical advice on the best seal for a particular wood floor.
The guide is the result of a joint research project with the Department of Trade and Industry and uses comparative studies in a variety of tests of some of the most popular seals on the UK market.
Mr Woolmore expects a further 10-15% growth in the UK timber floor market this year and 2002, before a slowdown to 5% in 2003. While the volume growth will come from the commercial and sports and leisure market, the residential sector looks set to deliver both profit and volume.
‘Consumers are becoming more demanding and more selective,’ said Mr Woolmore. ‘Good quality wood is an expensive investment. It needs to look good and be easy to live with. Consumers want technically superior products that are compatible with modern advances like underfloor heating.’
Mr Woolmore believes the industry as a whole needs to target new sectors. ‘We must communicate the benefits of our products,’ he said.
‘We have to give increased access to our information. This accessibility will be a powerful tool in widening our customer base.’
