The window market is doing well, but until when?

A situation that has improved, even if the landing is announced

The window market, all segments and materials combined, is a market that has done much better since 2017 and is on the rise again with 10.9 million units sold ¹ , i.e. + 6.8% compared to 2016. However, it was at a much higher level in 2008, before the crisis, with 12.15 million units sold. This market was particularly sluggish between 2013 and 2016.

For the year 2018, the TBC Innovation study of February 2019 ² reports an increase of 3% in volume. This is certainly less important than in 2017 and the back and forth on the maintenance of the CITE are undoubtedly one of the main causes of this relative slowdown in the market.

The year 2019 is not yet over, but it also looks promising.

The return of the CITE limited the damage to the renovation market and the new home market hesitated but did not collapse. The market players we interviewed are reasonably optimistic and the Xerfi ³ study of July 2019 expects an increase of 1.5%. All of this gives hope for a year that will probably show even weaker growth than 2018, but which will remain positive.

In conclusion, the slowdown in growth is clear. And as the market is largely driven by renovation, the transformation of the CITE from the tax credit into a bonus, the sharp reduction in its base and the overall budget that will be devoted to it should mechanically have an impact on the level of sales. We must now wait for the details of the measures that will be adopted.

It remains to be hoped that market players will show great commercial dynamism and will rely on the market segments that will still be affected by the new premium.

The materials

The distribution between the materials is as follows, for joinery manufactured in France and which represented almost 90% of sales at the time of the study:

Note, however, that the share of imports in which PVC is strongly represented has steadily increased in 15 years, from 2.6% of sales in 2002 to more than 10% today. Let us quote the Xerfiqui study which shows that there is “increasing competition from foreign players, particularly from Eastern Europe, such as Oknoplast and Drutex . »

Value and price

It is still interesting to note that an analysis in value compared to sales volume narrows the gap between aluminum and PVC. The strong growth of aluminum allows companies that push this material to realize greater value. However, the markets for these two materials are not exactly the same.

The study notes a strong increase in aluminum (+21%) and mixed joinery (+20%) between 2015 and 2017. PVC lost nearly 7% of market share between 2006 and 2017, to the benefit of mainly aluminum.

Source: BatiStudy 2017

And the color

If the color of the windows was for a long time that advocated by the painter Kasimir Malevitch (White square on a white background), things have evolved since then. The TBC Innovation study points out that color today represents “40% of aluminum and PVC windows installed, whereas this rate was only 23% in 2012.”

© Images The French Window

Insulation and energy performance

The Axiome Media BatiEtude study is categorical. The insulation of windows is progressing inexorably, which may have justified industrial lobbying efforts to keep windows in the aid schemes for building renovation. “The market is rapidly moving towards windows with a higher Uw coefficient. Windows with a Uw coefficient greater than 2 are almost non-existent. Windows with a Uw coefficient < 1.4 are progressing again and represent half of the windows and are now ahead of windows whose Uw coefficient is between 1.4 and 2 (47%). »

We will soon come back to the approach of the various manufacturers and their sectors who, beyond the thermal performance of the windows which are improving, want to be part of the RE 2020 and reduce the carbon impact. Let's just cite the example of the SNFA (windows and other aluminum products) which has embarked on a process parallel to E+C-, with the Alu+C- project. Given the low share of wood in this market, it is important that these industries (aluminium, PVC) make significant efforts to reduce their carbon footprint, which is not known to be the lowest.

Typology of construction sites

The window market remains first and foremost a renovation market.

The figures provided by the study cited above are telling.

In 2006 new construction accounted for 30% of the market and renovation 70%. Today, almost one out of five windows, or nearly 80%, goes to the renovation market. The reason is simple "... there is a stock of nearly 200 million windows in housing built before 1980," says BatiEtude-Axiome Media.

We look forward to the next studies, probably in 2020 before the Equip'Baie show, to find out how the market is developing in this very changing period.

Regis Bourdot

ImageREHAU - window detail

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¹ Source: Study of the window market in France in 2017 - BatiEtude Axiome Media, carried out on behalf of the professional organizations SNFA, UFME, FFB, CODIFAB

² Source: TBC Innovation study of February 2019, conducted among 400 players in the sector in January 2016

³ Source: The window market by 2021 – Xerfi 05/28/2019

Images: © The French Window © REHAU