First decline in slat roofs in Europe following period of impressive growth

02/09/2023 | Print view

The European market for slat roofs suffered a decline of -8.3% in 2022. Especially in the second half of the year, the entire outdoor living market was affected by such, mainly due to the negative impact of the crisis on consumer spending.

"Slatted roofs recorded double-digit growth during the Covid pandemic, a slowdown was expected, albeit a gradual one," explains Dr Armandi, the study's author, adding, "In the medium term, the fundamentals are still good and demand will pick up again."

According to Interconnection, the market will grow at an average annual rate of 2.3% until 2025, with recovery not expected until 2024.

More mature markets underperform

In more mature markets such as France or Italy, demand declined more sharply. Short-term factors played a role here, but the high level that the market for louvre roofs has already reached in these countries points to a longer-term stabilisation.

Contrary to forecasts, the German market did not grow in 2022, although louvre roofs fared better compared to other outdoor solutions that were hit hard by the crisis. The German market is expected to recover faster in the next 3 years as louvre roofs are gaining popularity here as well. The French market accounts for more than a third of all pergolas sold in 2022, followed by Italy and the Benelux countries.

Prices will stabilise somewhat in the next 2 years

The average price increased by +11.1% in 2022. The higher prices have more than compensated for the decline in volume, with sales reaching €420 million. Despite the current slowdown, turnover has doubled in the last 5 years. However, Interconnection expects turnover to fall slightly below €400 million again in the next 2 years as prices stabilise somewhat.

High-value premium solutions now account for 32.1% of the market and have outperformed in recent years. However, there are major country-specific differences: in the Benelux countries, premium solutions account for more than half of the market, while in France only 1 in 10 pergolas belong to the high-end segment.

Pergolas with ZIP screens as side protection are becoming increasingly popular

Free-standing pergolas account for 48.6% of the total market, while slatted roofs with a side protection element continue to expand strongly.

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Among the different types of side protection, ZIP screens are the most popular: two out of three bioclimatic pergolas are sold with at least one ZIP screen, and this share is even higher in the premium segment. According to Interconnection, the three most important competitors in Europe are Brustor, Pratic and Renson.