The European Federation of Parquet Industry said there was some positive news in economic sentiment, but demand remained poor. Germany and the Netherlands reported flat markets. noting that older floors were being refurbished rather than replaced.
Norway and Switzerland said their markets were stable, moving toward a 2-3% improvement, although Switzerland said the market was being flooded with substandard products that hampered the image of real wood parquet.
Other countries reported single-digit decreases of 2-5%, with France, Spain and Italy reporting around a 10% drop in sales.
