Industrial News

This market report covers all types of sanitaryware (toilets, urinals, cisterns, washbasins, pedestals and bidets of vitreous china/ceramic, plastic or metallic materials) and baths (of acrylic, metal and other materials). The total baths and sanitaryware market was worth an estimated £421.2m at manufacturers' selling prices (msp) in 2004, reflecting strong growth on the previous two years.

With over 25 million homes in the UK, the private housing market is traditionally the driver of growth, providing strong opportunities for replacement sales as householders invest in property. However, substantial government investment in the social housing sector, with a mandate to bring homes up to a `decent standard' by 2010, has also created replacement opportunities within the public housing sector.

Leading UK manufacturers are Ideal Standard (which owns the Armitage Shanks brand), Twyford Bathrooms, Jacuzzi UK and Qualceram Shires. All of these companies are now under foreign ownership, with products being transferred across borders between plants. At the same time, an ever-increasing volume of imported material is providing greater competition, both in the low-cost DIY sector and among higher-value bathroom specialists. Today's consumer demands contemporary design often at an affordable price, but opportunities also exists to sell higher-value products to a more aspiring market.

Competition throughout Europe is fierce, with manufacturers attempting to reduce production costs and to build strong brands in the face of cheaper Eastern imports. However, at the same time, emerging markets also create export opportunities for European and US manufacturers. It is likely that there will be further mergers and acquisitions on a global scale over the next few years, to take advantage of these markets and to stave off competition.

As the UK private housing market cools down, overall market growth for baths and sanitaryware is expected to slow down in 2005 and 2006, recovering, along with the private housing market, from 2007 onwards. Market growth will also reflect rising demand for affordable homes for key workers and first-time buyers, which will result in some new-build activity, although this might be slow to filter through. Additionally, non-housing construction activity is expected to be buoyant, especially in education and health, which require sanitaryware in volume.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c27550

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
Fax: +353 1 4100 980