Global Flooring Alliance Reports on LVT and Awareness

 

It's now been a few years since the successful introduction of Luxury Vinyl Tiles on the market. At first, the product was embraced as a ‘savior’ of the flooring sector which, severely hit by the economic crisis, had eagerly been waiting for a product with which it could make a decent margin again. Nowadays, it is accepted as a full-fledged product. Beyond the market growth of LVT, the Global Flooring Alliance (GFA) foresees the growing importance of awareness within the trade. GFA will take the responsibility and the necessary steps.
 
The success story of LVT floors, also known as PVC flooring or design flooring, is experiencing a continuing annual growth in square footage and sales, at the expense of mainly the laminate flooring industry. While the laminate industry frantically tries to maintain turnover, the LVT sector knows how to distinguish itself each year by bringing new designs and applications.

Nevertheless, this success story can be compared to what happened with laminate. No one had thought it possible that this product would have to struggle against a vinyl competitor. The current development of laminate flooring is a knowledge advantage for the makers of PVC flooring. Namely, the same dangers lie in wait in this segment, like differences in quality, the wrong distribution channels, an unprecedented overproduction with downward pressure on prices, and so on.

In Germany, a remarkable shift is taking place from laminate to LVT products, and to traditional parquet floors. The consumer who wants ‘wood’, no longer opts for laminate as a cheap counterpart. An indirect result of innovations in the LVT sector, that seems to have more impact than the long-running campaign 'Real Wood' by the FEP, the European association of parquet manufacturers, to promote real wood flooring. PVC flooring appears to be the fastest growing type of flooring at the moment and the years ahead.
 
Global Flooring Alliance is aware of the differences in quality, prices and production forms of LVT products and hopes that LVT will not make the same mistakes as laminate did. LVT is still a very profitable and trendy product. Further growth will probably continue, through various distribution channels.

GFA sees a trend towards a natural look, awareness and quality. In addition, suppliers can distinguish themselves with commitment to the indoor environment and the conscious choices that are related to this. Engagement with the floor covering, the space and the people who live there. GFA predicts that awareness and quality will be the key factors to future success. GFA has for over two decades been the voice of the flooring trade and has been serving the Global Community since 1994.

Carlo Cavinato, GFA President states “Awareness was unanimously accepted as one of the key topics for the coming years by our members at the last GFA meeting. Awareness regarding sustainability, health, and environment. GFA will take the responsibility and the necessary steps. Not just to the benefit of the trade, but especially the people to whom we sell the products.”
 
Last year marked the organization's 25th anniversary. Global Flooring Alliance was founded in 1989 under the name Euparal and had as its first president Robbert Otto from the Dutch company Woodpecker. In January 2010, after twenty years, Euparal decided to change its name to Global Flooring Alliance.
 
Most important reason behind the name change was to emphasize that the association considers itself as a global organization that welcomes new members from all over the world. GFA membership is open to one parquet importer/distributor per country to avoid conflicting national interests. Global Flooring Alliance organizes two meetings per year. One at the Domotex trade fair in Hannover and one in the country of one of the members. The aims of the association are to promote hard surface flooring products in general and to exchange product, market and technical information in the broadest sense. The members also give each other mutual assistance with strategic purchasing opportunities.
 
At the moment the association has 13 members worldwide from an equal number of countries: Torlys (Canada), AB Küpfer (Chile), Lincona (Estonia), Trio Floor (Finland), Chetham Timber (Ireland), Egill Árnason (Iceland), Cavinato (Italy), Woodpecker (Netherlands), Listor (Portugal), Polimpex (Russia), Alpod (Slovenia), BoDeWo (Switzerland) and Hanna Home (Turkey).
 
The next GFA meeting will be in Hannover (at the Domotex fair), January 2016.
 
More information can be acquired via the website www.globalflooringalliance.com