“2021 was a very positive year for laminate flooring manufacturers“. For the second year in a row, members of Eplf, the association European producers of laminate flooring, reported positive numbers. In 2021, in fact, sales increased by 5.3 percent compared to 2020, bringing the total square meters of laminate flooring sold to 483.4 million square meters.
Positive numbers that – despite the difficulties in the supply of raw materials and disruptions in the supply chains – are a direct result of the increased attention of consumers to their homes, after the months of “forced confinement” in 2020. An interest in DIY and interior design also recorded in 2020, when – thanks also to a sharp recovery in the second half of the year -–sales were up 2.7 percent compared to 2019.
EUROPEAN MARKETS
Sales in Western Europe reached 231.5 million square meters in 2021, an increase of 2.59 percent over 2020. Consistent with previous years, Germany remains the most stable market, with 49.4 million square feet sold in 2021, despite a 6.12 percent decline from 2020. It is followed by France (plus 13.30 percent from 2020, with more than 42 million square meters sold) and Great Britain, although the latter showed a 5.72 percent decline from 2020, with 34.6 million square meters sold in 2021.
As for Eastern Europe, Russia remained the most important market, marking a plus 16.24 percent from 2021 and a total of 53.6 million square meters of flooring sold. In second place was Poland with 30 million square meters sold (plus 3.64 percent over 2020). This is followed by Romania (plus 3.14 percent over 2020 and 9.8 million square feet of flooring sold) and Ukraine (down 18.63 percent with 8.4 million square feet sold). The largest growth in Europe was in Georgia (plus 37.74 percent over 2020).
NON-EUROPEAN MARKETS
Looking at global markets, the greatest growth was in Latin America, with a plus 61.5 percent over 2020 and a total of approximately 22.8 million square feet of flooring sold.
North America saw a decline in sales in 2021, with the United States posting a minus 21.46 percent over 2020. Canada, on the other hand, continued its growth, with plus 16.80 percent sales and 12.8 million square feet of flooring sold.
In contrast to 2020, when there was a minus sign, sales in Latin America, Asia and Oceania grew 61.58 percent, 30.45 percent and 12.78 percent, respectively. Finally, all other countries, on the other hand, saw a 22.59 percent decline in sales compared to 2020 (1.81 million square feet of flooring sold).
