Parquet flooring sales in Europe dropped by 3-4% during 2002 mainly due to a weak construction sector in central European countries.
The European Federation of the Parquet Industry (FEP), which met in Hannover on January 10, says sales have come to a “temporary standstill”, with total sales last year ending slightly below the €79m recorded in 2001.
However, this did not stop the industry from expanding its market share in 2002. Certain parquet markets, mainly in central and northern Europe, have made headway due to increasing use of glue-free installation systems.
FEP also says there is confidence among consumers and investors in the natural product and a lasting trend for parquet and wood flooring. But promotion is still an important tool in raising market share, with FEP helping PR campaigns of individual producers in key parquet markets such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
The American market has been undermined by US customs reclassifying mutlilayer parquet as plywood, leading to an 8% import duty.
