Outdoor venetian blinds hope for a rebound after COVID

After years of sustained growth, the market for outdoor venetian blinds for the 7 major European markets (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy and Poland) will suffer a setback in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 crisis. The market will fall by -3,7%. In new study, Interconnection predicts that quantity sold will experience a gradual rebound in the next years, while the volume in 2025 will raise above the 2019-level in all markets analyzed.

DACH-Region Overrepresented

The popularity of outdoor venetian blinds as exterior sun protection element in the DACH-Region is well-known and strongly defines volume and trend for the whole European market. The German market is by far the biggest market with 49,6% shares,  followed by Switzerland and Austria. Still, it will take some years before Germany will reach the pre-crisis level. Rebound will be faster in some of the less mature and, at the same time, fastest-growing countries, as France and Spain. In 2019, the Spanish market grew by +5.3%. In Southern Europe venetian blinds have been struggling to take shares away from other, more traditional, sun protection elements, as wood and roller shutters. For example, the Italian market is less than 1/10^th of the German one.

Fall in aluminium price could make blinds more competitive

A positive feedback on total volume sold could be lower prices for raw material, as ca. 90% of all venetian blinds are made of aluminium and price of aluminium had been growing stronger before the crisis. This could help producers to take advantage of the situation and help venetian blinds to become more competitive relative to alternative solutions. One of the reasons why average prices of blinds is relatively high is the motorization level which is dominant reaching 93% in France. Only in Poland only 64% of venetian blinds are sold with a motorization system.

More players, concentration declines

In the last 5 years more sun protection players have started to produce their own venetina blinds and, since 2017, Interconnection recorded a trend towards lower concentration among the top producers. Still, the Top 10 companies covered in 2019 59,8% of the total volume. Some of the Top 5 have lost shares in part because present only in the more mature markets. Roma and Hunter Douglas gained shares in 2019.

10/06/2020

Copyright: Interconnection, Publication free of charge for coverage regarding the study and InterConnection Consulting.