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80 FRENCH CONNECTION:SPN Master pages 13/9/08 01:36 Page 2
spnfeature
Europe’sfiguresontheslide!
The latest pool building statistics from France
and Spain for the first half of 2008 have shown
what most would have guessed – pool growth
has slowed down for the first time in a decade.
But as in the UK it’s not all bad news for the
top three European markets
W
hen the European statistics
for pool construction in
France, Spain and Germany
were collated ahead of
presentations to be made at the Piscine
show in Lyon later this year the results
hardly came as a surprise.
There was little growth in the number of
new pools being built in France.
In Spain, the second largest country in
terms of the pool market, the recession bit
with few pools built that at any time in the
last decade and in Germany statistics show
a standstill.
But while new pools have slowed down
there is still some good news for the
European markets. One piece pools have TRENDS IN EUROPE ’BIG THREE’
been selling in record numbers – a clear • Little or no growth in the number of
sign that while the average cost of a pool new pools being built
installation has dropped there is still a • Dramatic drop in property valuations
market for cheaper, high quality easy to Paul Margene from the French pool mean less pools being built in new homes
build pools. builder’s federation said: ”For 30 years, the • Growth of “energy-saving” products.
Throughout Europe the need to conserve French swimming pool market has grown In Spain pool covers have reached
energy and water have become key themes steadily, particularly for in-ground pools. record levels
for the industry – one of the factors in sales But things have got a lot tougher in 2008 • One piece pools are increasing popular
of pool covers and solar energy systems. and the industry has to change and adapt. • Pool trade prices up 8% year on year
In 2006, 48,000 in-ground swimming It may not be all bad news. Other products • Average costs of new pool
pools were constructed, while 25,000 and other aspects of the industry will come constructions down 20%
above-ground pools (without filtration) were to the fore. Just because we cannot build
installed. Today, market specialists estimate record numbers of new pools each year
that there are about one and a quarter doesn’t mean the industry cannot flourish. impressive with 22,000 new units built in
million swimming pools in France. The market is changing and we have to 2007. Do it yourself shops supplying pool
It was only 18 months ago that the French change and adapt with it. supplies and equipment have grown
market was being seen as a phenomenon on “The market is far from saturated. So we dramatically. New products, such as
the back of the French economic need some patience. American companies swimming pool covers for year round
development, consumers’ increasing buying have a strong and positive reputation in swimming, are growing in demand.
power, and a strong concentration of single- this industry, and US technology is viewed But the August 2008 report advised that
family detached homes. highly by consumers with a large number of property values throughout Spain had
But this year property values in France US brands already distributed in France. dropped by over 20% and the new
have dropped by 13% and the slow down The Spanish swimming pool annual rate buildings market slump has hit the industry
has had an effect on the industry. of growth of pool construction has been badly. One report from a major
manufacturer says the market is down 7%
“JUST BECAUSE WE CANNOT BUILD
year on year. Growth over the past few
years had been around 3.5%. Of the pools
RECORD NUMBERS OF NEW POOLS
being built there are less top of the range
luxury products and more standard one
EACH YEAR DOESN’T MEAN THE
piece pools.
Money the specialist company says is
INDUSTRY CANNOT FLOURISH”
tighter throughout Spain but the desire to
have a pool has not gone away. spn
80 swimming pool news OCTOBER 08 Digital edition available at www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk
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