Aluminum gains market share in window sales

Aluminum continues to grow in 2019 in an austere context

In order to better understand the slight increase in the window market of + 1.6% between 2017 and 2019, corresponding to 10.026.000 windows sold in mainland France in 2019, it is important to recall the events that marked this period.

The main explanation comes in particular from the fact that renovation in housing, which represents 60.7% of the market share, saw the Energy Transition Tax Credit (CITE) go from 30% in 2017 to 15% capped at € 100 per equipment. in 2019. In addition, the yellow vests movement, which appeared in October 2018, also played a dissuasive role in the first quarter of 1.

On the other hand, the real estate transactions of old housing recorded by the Notaries of France in the year 2019 grew by 9,4% compared to 2017. These acquisitions, which experienced a record level of volume, are regularly followed by renovation works. renovation and therefore, have supported the window market. As for the new home market, it has not recovered from its sharp fall in 2018 and in 2019 experienced a decrease of -7,3% compared to 2017.

Although the market is evolving timidly, aluminum windows grew by 7,1% in 2019 compared to 2017 and captured a third of the market share in volume. In addition, with growth in value of + 12,8% between 2017 and 2019, aluminum carries the window market in value, which it now dominates with 43,9% of market share.

Without forgetting that this growth is also driven by its production force, which in mainland France has 2 aluminum window manufacturers in its territory.

On the import side, only 7,1% of the 1 chassis imported in 101 are made of aluminum, even though they represented the largest increase with + 000% compared to 2019.

The window market in the first half of 1

After a very positive 1st quarter 2020 (from January 1 to March 16, 2020) with an increase of + 8,5% compared to 2019, 79,5% of installation companies and almost all factories had to close their doors for an indefinite period, on the evening of March 16, 2020, the day before confinement.

The manufacturers, under the impetus of a handful of majors and with the support of their representative professional organizations such as the SNFA, then the installers, have been able to adapt to this new daily life to the many health constraints and organize the recovery. The week of April 6, 2020, the light returned to the first window production plants and the recovery took place in stages. In addition, thanks to good communication from installers on the barrier gestures to be observed with customers, appointments could be scheduled almost normally with individuals from the first day of deconfinement, on May 11, 2020.

On the other hand, the recovery was more complex for the new window market and for construction sites, due to the ambiguity of the State on the responsibility of the project owners in the decisions to stop construction sites. Indeed, even if the sites reopened for 96% of them, only 78% of them were in full activity in order to respect the barrier gestures and health measures, thus causing repercussions on productivity and deadlines.

As a result, in the first half of 2020, the cumulative production of windows fell by -22.9% compared to 2019 in volume, all sites combined and all materials combined.

Aluminum, qualities that are increasingly attractive

With a year 2020 marked by two months of confinement, the aluminum window is equipped with qualities to promote well-being and the improvement of living comfort.

First of all, in terms of robustness, aluminum makes it possible to create large-sized openings and sliding doors offering great daylight. So much so, that thanks to their thin uprights, aluminum windows are the brightest with 15 to 20% more light. These qualities benefit the comfort of the home and the quality of life of the occupants thanks to the contributions of natural light and heat. These free contributions can generate up to 30% heating savings.

On the other hand, aluminum windows offer excellent insulation thanks to the thermal break.

Aesthetically, aluminum joinery adapts to all projects, whether new or renovating, and the possibilities of customization are endless with, for example, two-tone, namely the application of a different color on the interior uprights. and exteriors.

The aluminum joinery industry is also committed to a global quality approach to the manufacture of windows: the fenêtrealu LABEL and the NF Fenêtres Aluminum certification.

Study commissioned by professional organizations representative of the profession - SNFA, UFME and UMB-FFB-Codifab and carried out by the team of the P&P firm which spoke with 147 leaders of industrial majors in the sector and 911 directors of installation companies, between March 2020 and July 2020, in order to have precise figures on the market and the technical characteristics of the windows sold in 2019 and to establish forecasts for 2020 (including the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic).