32-37 WORLD RECESSION:SPN Master pages 19/11/08 00:28 Page 3
spnfeature
STYLE AND QUALITY
PAY OFF IN ITALY
The market in Italy still continues to
show growth.
The focus on the more expensive
end of the market with high quality
RIGHT: Forum Piscine – lively debate at the Italian trade show materials, stylish designs and natural
materials has paid dividends.
THIS: An Australian pool at sunset. A relatively poor summer and the credit crunch has seen the
market fall by between 10% and 20%
According to a study conducted by
Assopiscine, about 13,000 new in-the-
ground pools have added to the
increasing the First Home Buyers Grant to inflation is likely to make this worse. 120,000 already built.
$14,000 per family ($21,000 if building a Another concern is the possibility that the The latest Istat data on the Italian
new dwelling). The government also crisis may adversely affect growth in China, social and economic trends reveal that
guaranteed some bank deposits to help which would have a direct impact on among 23m Italian families, 70% own
maintain consumer confidence. Australia’s balance of payments, and could their home, of which 2m own single or
As swimming pools are discretionary scupper the boom in the West and affect duplex villas. These numbers show the
spending, they are vulnerable to the the rest of the country. In fact, recent potential of the pool sector in Italy.
anticipatory belt-tightening being predictions are suggesting the value of Almost 10,000 above-ground pools
experienced around the country. High mineral exports could fall by 20%. are included in the final figure. There
was an 8.3% increase in above-ground
pools; a figure that shows a strong
sector and explains why important
Credit crunch puts New Zealand as high risk
French groups have entered the
Italian market.
Business Week recently named New Zealand among the 13 nations most at risk from The above-ground pool shows the
the global financial crisis. New Zealand is heavily dependent on foreign money to fund highest level of growth: in only two
its current deficit, however local experts are saying that New Zealand will weather the years the number of pools has doubled,
financial storm. The Government has responded to the crisis with a deposit guarantee from 20,000 to 40,000. Easing of
scheme, which will cover all retail deposits of participating New Zealand banks, though bureaucratic procedures and red tape
it will not guarantee the banks’ funding from overseas institutions. This has raised have helped. With the building laws,
concern among financial experts, such as Stephen Toplis, who says: “This will encourage now it’s now enough to present the
an inappropriate use of capital and could lead to fierce competition for retail deposits, Declaration of Initiating Activity, that
as New Zealand banks could be shut out of international money markets.” allows the beginning of work after 20-
Despite the doom and gloom, experts are confident New Zealand is in a strong 30 days if there are no objections.
position, because it has run budget surpluses until recently and is likely to continue A lot of attention is given especially to
doing so despite being in recession. the choice of construction techniques.
The choice of colour and materials is
essential; natural stone, for example, is
a material always used more since it can
line both the inside and border of the
pool. One of the biggest trends, is the
choice to use the same material for
border and pool creating uniformity.
Next to stone, cement mortar and glaze
that can aggregate in the mixture small
granules to simulate the effect of sand.
Natural colours such as beige and
sand are now popular, contrary to the
classic blue.
The pool dimensions most often
chosen are standard (the classic 5 by 10
metres), but now it is fashionable to have
narrow long “lap swimming pools”.
There is also a growing attention to
accessories: hydro-massage, jets of
An idyllic New Zealand infinity pool – the
economy is believed to be in a stronger
water for massage and LEDs that colour
position than most
the water.
Visit our website at www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk DECEMBER 08 swimming pool news 33
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