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AM52042 AMA BUILDERS MERCHANT MARKET WESTERN EUROPE AUGUST 2002

This report covers: France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Builders Merchants,

Companies covered include:

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About AMA Research reports
AMA Research have published a report on the Builders Merchants Market in the key Western European countries:
GERMANY
FRANCE
BELGIUM/NETHERLANDS
Analysis of each market includes:
Market Data - size, trends and forecasts
Product Mix - overview of key product sectors
Supply Structures - major merchants (heavyside and lightside), shares, structures, buying groups.
Country Profile - socio-economic background, construction data.
Information Sources - major merchants, government statistics, websites etc.
The builders merchants industry has consolidated in recent years and there are now an increasing number of international merchant companies, though few have a significant Pan-European presence as yet. As the marketplace for building products becomes more international in nature, opportunities for multi-national merchanting organisations will arise, both in the UK and in other countries around Europe.
AMA are specialist researchers and publishers of market reports in building products and have published a range of reports in these sectors - Kitchens, Heating, Bathrooms, Roofing, Insulation, Landscaping, Bricks & Blocks, Hardware, Tools, Tiles and Security etc.
REPORT CONTENTS
Report for FRANCE, GERMANY & BELGIUM/NETHERLANDS include the following:
COUNTRY PROFILE
Review of key economic data - economic growth, consumer spending, inflation, population size, distribution and age mix, future prospects
Construction market review - housing/non-housing, new build/repairs and maintenance - recent trends and forecasts, influencing factors.
Trading issues - language, EURO introduction, product standards, electrical exhibitions, trade magazines etc.
MARKET SIZE/PRODUCT MIX
Overview of total EU Builders Merchants market - market size, share by country, recent trends, forecasts for 2002/04.
Analysis of Builders Merchants market by country - market size 1998-2004 - factors influencing market growth.
Review of product mix - key product sectors of merchants market - share by major sector, trends.
Future prospects for market - key factors influencing trends.
SUPPLY & DISTRIBUTION
Review of merchants - major suppliers within each country, market shares split by heavyside and lightside, numbers of branches, recent trends, major buying groups, independents.
Review of supply structure - level of fragmentation in market, role of multi-national merchant groups. Future changes in supply - acquisitions, organic expansion.
Growth of e-commerce - influence on supply structure.
Database of information sources - government information, major merchants, buying groups, trade associations, trade journals, exhibition organisers etc.
UK Builders Merchants Market 2002 report also contains a detailed review of building products distributed by major merchants, including individual market sizes, product mix, major product suppliers within key product sectors, forecasts by sector etc.
The Report contains over 200 pages of ORIGINAL research and comment on the Wets European Builders & Plumbers Merchants industry and provides incisive and thought provoking views on its future development

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

MARKET OVERVIEW
Established since 1989, AMA have researched and published a wide range of reports on building products and consumer durables in the UK, including a wide range of distribution reviews including Builders Merchants, Electrical Wholesalers and DIY Multiples Report Other report areas include, Domestic Heating, Electrical Accessories, Kitchens, Bathrooms and Showers, Roofing & Insulation, Bricks, Ironmongery, Doors & Windows, etc.
This new report reviews the builders merchants markets in the following EU countries:
·         France
·         Germany
·         Belgium
·         Netherlands.
It provides a brief overview of the economic conditions in these countries, with particular reference to the construction market. The report presents an overview of the current structure of the builders merchants market in each country and describes the key players in the market. In addition, the report represents a companion to AMA Research's report on the 'UK Builders Merchant and Plumbers Market', the sixth edition of which was published in February 2002.
Information was gathered from a number of sources, including published information, government statistics, trade interviews and company literature. The aim of the report is to provide a broad review of the markets in France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, analysing market structures, product mix, supply and distribution trends. Sources of further information are also included for reference purposes.
With the recent introduction of the EURO and abolition of national currencies, there is significant potential for restructuring in the builders merchant sector - both in terms of product supply and distribution. This report assesses current trends in both supply and distribution, reviewing recent trends and potential areas of change in the future, particularly in relation to supply structure.
Throughout the report, figures are given for market size, recent trends/forecasts, product mix and market shares for leading suppliers. It is emphasised that these figures are estimates and should be used as guidelines only. While there are a range of figures available on market sizes and product sales, there are no common methods of analysis or definition, which varies significantly between companies and countries. For example, product definitions will always vary, while some companies will include non-merchanting activities within their sector figures, which can affect market data. Equally, currency conversion rates have also presented a problem, particularly with the switch to the Euro and the relative value of Sterling, which can affect comparisons between countries.
However, the objective of the report is to provide an overview of the builders merchant market in these countries as a basis for general assessment of market trends within the major markets.
Each country report includes a brief review of recent key economic and construction data, highlighting the impact on the building materials sector. Performances between countries have varied significantly in the last 5 years, with The Netherlands experiencing very strong growth, while Germany's growth rate has been relatively low.
In terms of the overall builders merchants market within the European Union countries, there are various estimates of market size. We estimate the market in the EU to be worth around €110 billion (Euros), equivalent to around £70 billion (Sterling).
There can be substantial variations in estimates of market size/mix by country for several key reasons:-
Variation in definitions of 'builders merchants' - In particular, in many EU countries the building materials market is served by two well defined sectors dealing separately with heavyside and lightside materials. However, there is some overlap as some companies which primarily serve one sector, also sell some materials for the other sector.
Some merchant companies include non-merchanting activities within their operations. In particular, builders merchants, whilst used mainly by professional trademen, often make DIY sales to the general public. The level of DIY sales varies considerably from merchant to merchant, and also between branches.
The relative share of Merchants varies, with Direct Supply and other retail channels competing strongly in some countries.
In overall terms, the EU builders merchant market has experienced a period of steady underlying growth in the 1998-2000 period, primarily due to buoyant markets in France, UK, Netherlands, Spain, Ireland and Scandinavia. However, conditions in Germany, in particular, have been more difficult due to slow economic growth and a downturn in construction activity, which has had a negative impact on the overall EU market in general.
2001 has proved to be a difficult year in most European markets, primarily reflecting the fall in Eurozone GDP growth to around 1.5 percent, from a peak of 3.4 percent in 2000. Prospects for 2002 are clearly uncertain with Q1 difficult in all markets, with estimates of GDP growth across the region typically estimated at between 0.5-1.5 percent, with growth forecast to accelerate in the second half of the year.
2003 is anticipated to see a further strengthening of the EU economy with typical forecasts of around 2.5-3.0 percent GDP growth for the region, which is above the long-run average. This should feed through into a buoyant construction sector and a general recovery in the builders merchants market in most EU markets. France, UK, Netherlands and Belgium are all expected to experience recovery in late 2002/2003, though prospects in Germany are more uncertain, particularly in view of the depressed construction sector.
Analysis of the builders merchants markets in Germany, France, Belgium/Netherlands includes a review of the differences in structure of the respective countries, highlighting key market trends, major suppliers and distribution issues.
A key issue to emerge from the analysis is that there is only one major multi-national group with a reasonably strong presence in several markets - St Gobain which is based in France, but which has a strong presence in Germany, Netherlands, UK and several other European countries. A key supplier on the lightside is Wolseley plc, the UK based company which claims to be the world's largest specialist trade distributor of heating and plumbing products. The group has operations in France and the UK and number of other European countries. A smaller international player in the European market is CRH, the Irish building materials group.
In most markets, buying groups have emerged to protect and co-ordinate the interests of independents, but in general there is a trends towards further concentration of supply. The introduction of the Euro and emergence of large customer groups with pan-European operations are just two factors encouraging the formation of international merchants capable of providing the level of pricing, service and support required.
Despite the presence of the large groups mentioned above, the builders merchants market remains highly fragmented across Europe and there is scope for rationalisation. As product specifications, standards and applications become more harmonised and as the CE marking programme expands, the opportunities for pan-European expansion will grow.
This report reviews the supply trends in each of the markets, illustrating the current position of the leading merchants and identifying areas of potential change in the future, while also reviewing key factors influencing product trends

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION AND MARKET OVERVIEW IX
FRANCE 1
F2. SUMMARY 2
F3. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BACKGROUND 5
F3.1 GENERAL 5
F3.2 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE 6
F3.3 ECONOMIC BACKGROUND 7
F3.4 CONSTRUCTION 11
F3.5 THE HOUSING MARKET 16
F4. TRADING WITH FRANCE 18
F4.1 THE EURO 18
F4.2 INVOICING AND PAYMENT 18
F4.3 EU EXPORT DOCUMENTATION 18
F4.4 VAT 19
F4.5 LANGUAGE 19
F4.6 AGENTS OR LOCAL REPRESENTATION 20
F4.7 PRODUCT STANDARDS 20
F4.8 TRADE EXHIBITIONS 20
F4.9 TRADE MAGAZINES AND ASSOCIATION 21
F5. BUILDERS MERCHANTS MARKET IN FRANCE 22
F5.1 MARKET SIZE 22
F5.3 BUILDERS MERCHANT MARKET STRUCTURE 27
F5.4 KEY COMPANIES 28
F5.4.1 Heavyside 28
F5.4.2 Lightside 41
F5.5 KEY ISSUES 44
F6. FUTURE PROSPECTS 46
GERMANY 1
G2. SUMMARY 2
G3. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BACKGROUND 4
G3.1 GENERAL 4
G3.2 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE 6
G3.3 ECONOMIC BACKGROUND 7
G3.4 CONSTRUCTION 13
G3.6 THE HOUSING MARKET 19
G4. TRADING WITH GERMANY 21
G4.2 THE EURO 21
G4.2 INVOICING AND PAYMENT 21
G4.3 EU EXPORT DOCUMENTATION 21
G4.4 PACKAGING 22
G4.5 VAT 22
G4.6 LANGUAGE 22
G4.7 AGENTS OR LOCAL REPRESENTATION 23
G4.8 TRADE EXHIBITIONS 23
G4.9 TRADE MAGAZINES AND ASSOCIATION 24
G5. BUILDERS MERCHANT MARKET IN GERMANY 26
G5.1 MARKET SIZE 26
G5.2 WHOLESALE BUILDING MATERIALS MARKET STRUCTURE 30
G5.3 KEY COMPANIES 32
G5.5 KEY ISSUES 49
G6. FUTURE PROSPECTS 51
G7. SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION 53
BELGIUM 1
B2. SUMMARY 2
B3. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BACKGROUND 4
B3.1 GENERAL 4
B3.2 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE 6
B3.3 ECONOMIC BACKGROUND 6
B3.4 CONSTRUCTION 10
B3.5 THE HOUSING MARKET 14
B4. TRADING WITH BELGIUM 15
B4.1 THE EURO 15
B4.2 INVOICING AND PAYMENT 15
B4.3 EU EXPORT DOCUMENTATION 16
B4.4 PACKAGING/RECYCLING 16
B4.5 VAT 16
B4.6 LANGUAGE 16
B4.7 AGENTS OR LOCAL REPRESENTATION 17
B4.8 TRADE EXHIBITIONS 17
B4.9 TRADE MAGAZINES AND ASSOCIATION 17
B5. THE BUILDERS MERCHANTS MARKET IN BELGIUM 19
B5.1 BUILDERS MERCHANT MARKET SIZE 19
B5.2 MARKET STRUCTURE 22
B5.3 KEY COMPANIES 23
B5.5 KEY ISSUES 28
B6. FUTURE PROSPECTS 31
THE NETHERLANDS 1
N2. SUMMARY 2
N3. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BACKGROUND 4
N3.1 GENERAL 4
N3.2 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE 6
N3.3 ECONOMIC BACKGROUND 7
N3.4 CONSTRUCTION 11
N3.6 THE HOUSING MARKET 14
N4. TRADING WITH NETHERLANDS 16
N4.1 THE EURO 16
N4.2 EU EXPORT DOCUMENTATION 16
N4.3 VAT 16
N4.4 LANGUAGE 17
N4.5 AGENTS OR LOCAL REPRESENTATION 17
N4.6 TRADE EXHIBITIONS 17
N4.7 TRADE MAGAZINES AND ASSOCIATION 18
N5. THE BUILDERS MERCHANTS MARKET IN THE NETHERLANDS 19
N5.1 MARKET SIZE 19
N5.2 BUILDERS MERCHANTS MARKET STRUCTURE 23
N5.3 KEY COMPANIES 24
N5.5 KEY ISSUES 33
N6. FUTURE PROSPECTS 35
N7. SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION 36
Tables And Charts
TABLE I COMPARISON OF KEY ECONOMIC INDICATORS - FRANCE, GERMANY & UK - 2000 X
CHART II EUROPEAN UNION - BUILDERS MERCHANT MARKET - BY MAJOR COUNTRY 2001 XI
CHART III INDEX OF BUILDERS MERCHANTS SALES 1998-2003 (1998=100) - FRANCE, GERMANY, UK, BELGIUM AND NETHERLANDS XIII
TABLE F1 EXCHANGE RATE CONVERSIONS 1997-2000 4
TABLE F2 MAJOR CENTRES IN FRANCE 5
TABLE F3 POPULATION OF FRANCE BY AGE 6
TABLE F4 GDP AT MARKET PRICES - 1995-2001 8
TABLE F5 GDP (AT REAL PRICES) 2001-2003 9
TABLE F6 CONSUMER PRICE INDEX 1995-2001 10
TABLE F7 CONSUMER SPENDING 1995-2001 11
TABLE F8 CONSTRUCTION MARKET VALUE - 1995-2001 AT CURRENT PRICES 12
CHART F9 VALUE OF CONSTRUCTION IN FRANCE 1995-2001 13
TABLE F10 CONSTRUCTION MARKET IN FRANCE - BREAKDOWN BY PRIVATE AND PUBLIC WORK 2000 14
CHART F11 PRIVATE BUILDING IN FRANCE IN 2000 SHARE BY NEW AND RMI OUTPUT BY VALUE 15
CHART F12 PRIVATE BUILDING IN FRANCE IN 2000 SHARE BY HOUSING AND NON-HOUSING OUTPUT BY VALUE 15
TABLE F13 DWELLINGS - CONSTRUCTION COMPLETED 1980-2001 16
TABLE F14 FRANCE - BUILDERS MERCHANT MARKET SIZE 1998-2003 23
CHART F15 FRANCE - BUILDERS MERCHANTS MARKET 1998-2003 (€M) 23
CHART F16 FRANCE - THE BUILDERS MERCHANTS MARKET BY HEAVYSIDE AND LIGHTSIDE SALES - 2001 BY VALUE 25
CHART F17 AVERAGE MARKET MIX OF PRODUCT SALES - 2001 BY VALUE 26
TABLE F18 FRANCE - MARKET SHARE OF MAJOR SUPPLIERS - 2001 HEAVYSIDE BUILDERS MERCHANTS 29
CHART F19 SALES BY GEOGRAPHICAL REGION 2000 31
TABLE F20 SAINT GOBAIN TURNOVER BY DIVISION 1998- 2000 32
CHART F21 SALES BY DIVISION 2000 32
TABLE F22 SAINT GOBAIN TURNOVER BY HOUSING PRODUCTS DIVISION 1998- 2000 33
CHART F23 SALES FOR THE HOUSING PRODUCTS DIVISION 2000 33
CHART F24 PINAULT-PRINTEMPS- REDOUTE SALES BY GEOGRAPHICAL REGION 2000 34
TABLE F25 PINAULT-PRINTEMPS-REDOUTE NET SALES BY DIVISION 1999- 2000 35
CHART F26 PINAULT-PRINTEMPS- REDOUTE SALES OF THE BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS DIVISION 2000 36
CHART F27 PINAULT BOIS ET MATÉRIAUX DISTRIBUTION OF PRODUCT SALES BY PRODUCT CATEGORY - 2000 37
TABLE F28 FRANCE - MARKET SHARE OF MAJOR SUPPLIERS - 2001 LIGHTSIDE BUILDERS MERCHANTS 41
TABLE G1 EXCHANGE RATE CONVERSIONS 1997-2000 3
TABLE G2 THE GERMAN FEDERAL STATES - BY POPULATION 5
TABLE G3 MAJOR CENTRES IN GERMANY 6
TABLE G4 POPULATION OF GERMANY BY AGE 7
TABLE G5 GERMANY - GDP AT MARKET PRICES 1995-2000 9
TABLE G6 REAL GDP FORECASTS 2000-2003 11
TABLE G7 CONSUMER PRICE INDEX 1995-2001 12
TABLE G8 CONSUMER SPENDING 1995-2000 (AT 1995 PRICES) 13
TABLE G9 CONSTRUCTION MARKET VALUE 1995-2000 AT CURRENT PRICES 14
CHART G10 VALUE OF CONSTRUCTION IN GERMANY 1995-2001 15
TABLE G11 NEW BUILD CONSTRUCTION MARKET IN GERMANY 1995-2001 16
CHART G12 NEW BUILD CONSTRUCTION IN GERMANY IN 2001 BREAKDOWN BY VALUE OF BUILDING COMPLETIONS 17
CHART G13 NEW BUILD NON-HOUSING CONSTRUCTION IN GERMANY IN 2000 BREAKDOWN BY VALUE 17
TABLE G14 RMI CONSTRUCTION MARKET IN GERMANY 1995-2001 18
CHART G15 RMI CONSTRUCTION IN GERMANY IN 2001 BREAKDOWN BY VALUE 19
TABLE G16 NUMBER OF DWELLINGS - COMPLETED 1980-2001 20
TABLE G17 GERMANY- BUILDERS MERCHANT MARKET SIZE 1998-2003 27
CHART G18 GERMANY - BUILDERS MERCHANT MARKET 1998-2003 (€M) (HEAVY AND LIGHTSIDE SALES) 27
CHART G20 AVERAGE MARKET MIX OF PRODUCT SALES - 2001 BY VALUE 30
TABLE G21 GERMANY - MARKET SHARE OF MAJOR HEAVYSIDE SUPPLIERS - 2001 33
TABLE G22 BAYWA GROUP TURNOVER 2000 34
TABLE G23 BAYWA GROUP TURNOVER 2000 35
CHART G24 SALES BY GEOGRAPHICAL REGION 2000 36
TABLE G25 SAINT GOBAIN TURNOVER BY DIVISION 1998- 2000 37
CHART G26 SALES BY DIVISION 2000 37
TABLE G27 SAINT GOBAIN TURNOVER BY HOUSING PRODUCTS DIVISION 1998- 2000 38
CHART G28 SALES FOR THE HOUSING PRODUCTS DIVISION 2000 39
TABLE G29 GERMANY - MARKET SHARE OF MAJOR SUPPLIERS - 2001 46
TABLE G30 NORDWEST HANDEL AG TURNOVER 2000 47
TABLE B1 EXCHANGE RATE CONVERSIONS 1997-2000 3
TABLE B2 POPULATION SIZE - THE BELGIAN REGIONS 5
TABLE B3 POPULATION OF BELGIUM BY AGE 6
TABLE B4 BELGIUM - GDP AT MARKET AND CONSTANT PRICES 1996-2001 7
TABLE B5 BELGIUM - GDP GROWTH - 2000-03 8
TABLE B6 CONSUMER PRICE INDEX 1995-2002 9
TABLE B7 CONSUMER SPENDING 1996-2002 10
TABLE B8 CONSTRUCTION MARKET VALUE 1996-2001 AT CURRENT PRICES 11
TABLE B9 HOUSING/NON-HOUSING CONSTRUCTION 1996-2000 12
CHART B10 HOUSING SECTOR CONSTRUCTION IN BELGIUM IN 2001 BREAKDOWN BY VOLUME (NO. OF DWELLINGS) 13
CHART B11 NON-HOUSING SECTOR CONSTRUCTION IN BELGIUM IN 2000 BREAKDOWN BY VOLUME (NO. OF BUILDINGS) 13
TABLE B12 DWELLING STARTS - 1980-2000 BY VOLUME 14
TABLE B13 BELGIUM - BUILDERS MERCHANT MARKET SIZE 1998-2003 19
CHART B15 BELGIUM - MIX OF PRODUCT SALES 22
TABLE B16 BELGIUM - MARKET SHARE OF MAJOR HEAVYSIDE SUPPLIERS /BUYING GROUPS- 2001 24
TABLE B17 BELGIUM - MARKET SHARE OF MAJOR LIGHTSIDE SUPPLIERS /BUYING GROUPS- 2001 27
TABLE N1 EXCHANGE RATE CONVERSIONS 1997-2000 3
TABLE N2 THE DUTCH PROVINCES - POPULATION MIX 5
TABLE N3 MAJOR CENTRES IN THE NETHERLANDS 6
TABLE N4 POPULATION OF THE NETHERLANDS BY AGE GROUPS 7
TABLE N5 GDP AT MARKET AND CONSTANT PRICES 1995-2001 8
TABLE N6 GDP GROWTH - 2000-2003 9
TABLE N7 CONSUMER PRICE INDEX - 1999-2002 10
TABLE N8 CONSUMER SPENDING - 1999-2002 11
TABLE N9 CONSTRUCTION MARKET VALUE 1996-2000 AT CURRENT PRICES 12
TABLE N10 NEW BUILD CONSTRUCTION MARKET IN THE NETHERLANDS - BUILDING COMPLETIONS 1995-2000 13
CHART N11 NON-RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS IN THE NETHERLANDS IN 2000 percent BY VALUE 14
TABLE N12 DWELLINGS - CONSTRUCTION COMPLETED 1980-2000 15
TABLE N13 NETHERLANDS - BUILDERS MERCHANT MARKET 1998-2003 (€ MILLIONS) 20
CHART N14 THE NETHERLANDS - THE BUILDERS MERCHANTS MARKET - HEAVYSIDE AND LIGHTSIDE SALES - 2001 BY VALUE 21
CHART N15 NETHERLANDS - PRODUCT MIX BY VALUE - 2001 22
TABLE N16 NETHERLANDS - MARKET SHARE OF MAJOR HEAVYSIDE BUILDERS MERCHANTS - 2001 24
CHART N17 SALES BY GEOGRAPHICAL REGION 2000 26
TABLE N18 SAINT GOBAIN TURNOVER BY DIVISION 1998- 2000 26
CHART N19 SALES BY DIVISION 2000 27
TABLE N20 SAINT GOBAIN TURNOVER BY HOUSING PRODUCTS DIVISION 1998- 2000 28
CHART N21 SALES FOR THE HOUSING PRODUCTS DIVISION 2000 28
TABLE N22 NETHERLANDS - MARKET SHARE OF MAJOR LIGHTSIDE BUILDERS MERCHANTS - 2001 31

Text © 2002AMA Research

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Last updated by Jacob van Eldik 6th October 2002