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AM17018

AMA FLOOR COVERINGS MARKET APRIL 1998

Overview

This report covers:

Companies covered include:

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION 7

2. SUMMARY 8

2.1 GENERAL 8

2.2 CARPETS 9

2.3 VINYLS 11

2.4 OTHERS 11

2.5 DISTRIBUTION 12

3. ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT 13

3.1 INTRODUCTION 13

3.2 GROWTH AND INTEREST RATES 14

3.3 BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION 14

3.4 CONCLUSION 14

4. CARPETS 15

4.1 DEFINITION 15

4.2 MARKET SIZE 16

4.3 IMPORTS & EXPORTS 23

4.4 CARPET PRODUCT MIX 27

4.5 TUFTED CARPETS 31

4.6 WOVEN CARPETS 38

4.7 NEEDLEPUNCH - FIBRE BONDED 45

4.8 CARPET TILES 46

4.9 OTHERS (INCLUDING NON WOVEN CARPETING) 48

4.10 RUGS 49

4.11 CARPET SUPPLIERS 50

5. VINYL FLOORCOVERINGS 62

5.1 INTRODUCTION 62

5.2 MARKET SIZE 62

5.3 CONTRACT SECTOR 65

5.4 DOMESTIC SECTOR 69

5.5 PRODUCT FEATURES 72

5.6 IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF VINYLS 72

5.7 SUPPLIERS 73

6. OTHER FLOORCOVERINGS 80

6.1 CERAMIC TILES 80

6.2. WOODEN/LAMINATE FLOORCOVERINGS 89

6.3 CORK 96

7. DOMESTIC DISTRIBUTION 97

7.1 INTRODUCTION 97

7.2 DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL SHARES 98

7.3 FURNITURE INDEPENDENTS 99

7.4 MULTIPLES 100

7.5 DIY MULTIPLES 106

7.6 MAIL ORDER 110

7.7 DEPARTMENT STORES, VARIETY STORES & CO-OPERATIVES 112

7.8 WHOLESALERS 115

8. CONTRACT APPLICATIONS 117

9. KEY MARKET INFLUENCES 120

9.1 THE HOUSING MARKET 120

9.2 COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION 124

9.3 POPULATION PROFILE 126

9.4 EMPLOYMENT/UNEMPLOYMENT 128

9.5 INTEREST RATES 129

10. FUTURE PROSPECTS 132

10.1 OVERALL MARKET 132

10.2 FLOORCOVERINGS 133

10.3 CARPETS 133

10.4 VINYLS 135

10.5 OTHERS 136

10.6 SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION 136

TABLES AND CHARTS

TABLE 1: THE UK MARKET FOR FLOORCOVERINGS VALUE £M MSP

TABLE 2: UK MARKET FOR FLOORCOVERINGS - 1997 MIX BY TYPE percent BY VALUE

TABLE 3: UK MARKET FOR CARPETING 1990-1997 - AT BOTH CURRENT AND CONSTANT PRICES £M MSP

CHART 4: UK MARKET FOR CARPETING (VOLUME M SQ. M)

TABLE 5: THE UK MARKET FOR CARPETS 1996-2002 £M MSP CURRENT PRICES

TABLE 6: MIX OF IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF CARPETS - 1993-1997 BY VALUE

CHART 7: IMPORTS OF CARPETS BY TYPE - 1997 BY VALUE

CHART 8: UK IMPORTS OF TUFTED CARPETS BY COUNTRY 1997 VALUE percent

CHART 9: UK EXPORTS OF CARPETS BY TYPE 1997 VALUE percent

CHART 10: DESTINATIONS OF UK EXPORTS 1997 percent BY VALUE

CHART 11: SALES OF CARPETING BY TYPE - 1997 percent BY VALUE

CHART 12: SALES OF CARPETING BY TYPE 1997 percent BY VOLUME

TABLE 13: ANNUAL SALES OF CARPETING BY TYPE - 1990-97 BY VALUE (£M MSP)

CHART 14: UK MARKET FOR TUFTED CARPETS 1990-97 BY VALUE AND VOLUME

TABLE 15: OVERSEAS TRADE IN TUFTED CARPETS - 1996 AND 1997

CHART 16: PRODUCTION OF TUFTED CARPETS BY FIBRE TYPE - 1997 MIX BY VOLUME

CHART 17: MARKET VALUE FOR WOVEN CARPET (£M MSP) 1990-1997

CHART 18: UK WOVEN CARPET MARKET BY TYPE - 1997 BY VALUE £M MSP

TABLE 19: UK MARKET FOR NEEDLEPUNCH CARPETS - 1990-1997 BY VALUE (£M MSP) AND VOLUME (M SQ. M)

TABLE 20: MARKET SHARES FOR CARPET MANUFACTURERS percent BY VALUE 1997

TABLE 21: UK CARPET MANUFACTURERS - NUMBER BY SIZE

TABLE 22: UK MARKET FOR VINYLS AT BOTH CURRENT AND CONSTANT PRICES 1990-2000 (£M MSP)

CHART 23: UK VINYL FLOORCOVERINGS MARKET - CONTRACT/DOMESTIC - 1997 percent MIX BY VALUE

CHART 24: UK MARKET FOR CONTRACT VINYL - 1997 percent MIX BY VALUE

TABLE 25: UK FOREIGN TRADE IN LINOLEUM BY VALUE £M MSP 1993-1997

CHART 26: UK MARKET FOR DOMESTIC VINYL percent VALUE MIX BY TYPE 1997 (£M MSP)

TABLE 27: IMPORT AND EXPORT OF VINYL FLOORCOVERINGS 1995-1997 percent BY VALUE

TABLE 28: UK SUPPLIERS OF VINYL FLOORCOVERINGS percent SHARE BY VALUE 1997

CHART 29: UK MARKET FOR CERAMIC TILES - 1997 percent MIX OF WALL & FLOOR APPLICATIONS

TABLE 30: UK MARKET FOR CERAMIC FLOOR TILES VALUE £M MSP 1990-1997

TABLE 31: UK OVERSEAS TRADE IN GLAZED/UNGLAZED CERAMIC FLAGS & PAVING, HEARTH OR WALL TILES & GLAZED/UNGLAZED MOSAIC CUBES

CHART 32: SOURCES OF TILE IMPORTS 1997

CHART 33: DESTINATIONS OF UK EXPORTS OF CERAMIC TILES 1997

TABLE 34: UK MARKET FOR WOODEN & LAMINATE FLOORCOVERINGS 1990-1997 £M MSP

CHART 35: MIX BETWEEN WOOD AND LAMINATE MARKETS 1997 percent MIX BY VALUE

TABLE 36: MARKET SHARES OF THE MAJOR SUPPLIERS TO THE UK WOOD & LAMINATE FLOORCOVERINGS MARKET 1997

TABLE 37: DISTRIBUTION OF DOMESTIC FLOORCOVERINGS - 1997 percent SHARE BY VALUE

TABLE 38: MIX OF FURNITURE, LIGHTING COMPONENT & HOUSEHOLD ARTICLE RETAILERS BY SIZE 1996

CHART 39: DIY WINDOW/FLOORCOVERINGS SHARE BY MULTIPLE - 1997

TABLE 40: UK SALES OF FLOORCOVERINGS BY TYPE OF CONTRACT APPLICATION - 1997 percent SHARE BY VOLUME

TABLE 41: HOUSING COMPLETIONS 1990-1997 GREAT BRITAIN ('000)

TABLE 42: HOUSING STARTS 1993-1997 GREAT BRITAIN ('000)

TABLE 43: VALUE OF NEW UK HOUSING OUTPUT AND RMI OUTPUT (£M)

TABLE 44: NUMBER OF PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS IN ENGLAND AND WALES 1990-1996

TABLE 45: CONTRACTORS OUTPUT - NEW WORK AND RMI NON HOUSING - CURRENT PRICES (£M)

TABLE 46: NEW ORDERS OBTAINED BY CONTRACTORS 1990-1997 CURRENT PRICES

CHART 47: AGE DISTRIBUTION OF THE RESIDENT UK POPULATION 1996 ('000)

CHART 48: NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN EMPLOYMENT GB - JUNE 1981-96 (MILLIONS)

CHART 49: INTEREST RATES AND INFLATION (RPI) FROM 1990-2000

CHART 50: PDI & SAVINGS RATIO

TABLE 51: STOCK OF DWELLINGS GREAT BRITAIN - 1983-1996

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In 1997 the floorcoverings market was worth over £1.6 billion at manufacturers prices. This market experienced significant decline during the recession, limited growth in the mid-1990s followed by higher levels of growth in 1997.

1997 showed a high level of growth due to a mini boom as a result of rising incomes in real terms and building society windfalls, which have resulted in high levels of consumer spending.

Carpets are the largest sector accounting for over 80 percent of the overall floorcoverings market, followed by vinyls with nearly 12 percent. Wood and laminates, ceramic tiles and cork account for the remaining share. Carpets have again lost share of the market, with wood/laminate products gaining some momentum over the last 2/3 years.

Carpets can be divided into two sectors - contract and domestic - with a mix of around 40 percent/60 percent respectively, with little change in share over recent years.

Tufted is the largest sector in terms of both volume and value, accounting for 70 percent of the market in volume terms and a little less in value, due to their slightly lower than average price. This market has experienced some decline, particularly in value terms, since the beginning of the 1990's, only experiencing real growth in price per square metre terms in 1997. Imports represent a substantial proportion of this market at over 40 percent, with Belgium/Luxembourg and the Netherlands the leading suppliers of low cost carpets.

Woven carpets are higher value, low volume carpets, accounting for around 20 percent of the market in value terms. In volume terms, Axminster and Wiltons account for a roughly equal share, however in value terms Axminsters take over 65 percent of the market.

Needlepunch carpets are generally low value, high volume carpets taking less than 10 percent share of the market in value terms, but 18 percent of the market by volume. A large proportion of this carpeting is used in the contract market, mainly in the automotive sector, but also in offices.

Carpet tiles are performing relatively well, mainly due to the high growth levels experienced by office construction, which is a major end-use sector. Tufted tiles are the main type of tile which are taking share in volume terms and subsequently boosting the carpet tile market in terms of value.

The supply structure for carpets remains highly fragmented, with the market in 1997 headed by Shaw Industries of the USA, Beaulieu Group of Belgium, Readicut, Brintons, Interface Europe and AW Europe.

Vinyls account for nearly 12 percent of the floorcoverings market in value terms. Contract applications account for the dominant share by value, with sheeting products widely specified. Linoleum and vinyl tiles account for the remainder, with sheeting continuing to take share, particularly in areas where seamless floorcoverings are required. The domestic sector is primarily comprised of cushioned vinyl sheet with over 75 percent share.

In terms of suppliers, the vinyls market is very concentrated and is led by Forbo-Nairn, Marley Floors, James Halstead and Armstrong.

The ceramic tiles market continues to be dominated by imports, which account for around 66 percent of the UK market and come from mainly European markets, including Spain and Italy. Production of tiles in the UK is dominated by H&R Johnson and Pilkington Tiles.

Wood and laminate floorcoverings are growing rapidly and were worth around £45m in 1997, with wood products dominant in value terms. However, laminate is substantially less expensive than wood and therefore accounts for a greater percentage by volume. Both products are viewed to have their benefits, with their market performance enhanced by the popularity of the appearance of wood and natural products.

Major suppliers in this sector include Tarkett, Junkers, Kährs and Perstorp (a laminate supplier). An increasing number of laminate suppliers have been established in the UK, many of these subsidiaries of foreign suppliers.

Major channels for the distribution of domestic floorcoverings are the Furnishing Independents and Multiples, DIY stores, Department/Variety stores and Mail Order. Leading contract applications for floorcoverings are offices, leisure and retail outlets.

This comprehensive report represents a detailed assessment of the market, reviewing major trends, key factors influencing developments and future prospects for the sector. Analysis is both quantitative and qualitative, based on our substantial experience of the building and home improvement markets.

Text © 1998 AMA Research

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