From the UNICMI 2021 report (National Union of Metallic Construction Industries of the Envelope and Windows), here are the trends of the Italian market for doors and windows and curtain walls.
Following the pandemic, 2020 for the construction sector closed with a -6,5%, with a GDP down by 8.9% (a clear improvement compared to the mid-year forecasts which gave a double-digit decrease). For 2021 a rebound of + 3,6% is expected, which will be slightly lower than the GDP recovery (+ 4,1%).
The construction sector (excluding infrastructure) is worth 102,3 billion euros, of which 58,9 in the residential segment, which in turn generate 2,6 billion euros in demand for windows and doors and 43,5 billion euros in the segment of non-residential buildings, which generate a demand of 1,8 billion euros between windows (1.280 million euros) and curtain walls (548 million euros).
A loss of 9% of investments in residential construction is estimated in 2020 with a rebound of + 4,5% in 2021. 77% of the residential market is generated by building recovery, mainly fueled by the purchase and renovation of housing by part of private owners.
Real estate sales collapsed by around 14% in 2020 and investments in renovation by 8.4%.
In terms of volumes sold (window units), PVC is the market leader with 41%, followed by aluminum with 33% and wood with 26%.
Metal frames have been heavily affected not only by the slowdown in the residential renovation market, but also by the setback in new buildings, both residential and non-residential, where aluminum has a strong penetration.
Consider that building permits in the new residential sector fell by more than 2020% in 15 and in the non-residential sector by 34%.
In this scenario, the Italian market for metal frames, which is worth 1.409 million euros, in 2020 lost 9.2% compared to 2019, and in 2021 it will grow by 2.6%.
The Italian curtain wall market remained stable in 2020 by € 548 million, and will record 3.1% growth in 2021 thanks to the resumption of orders that had slowed down in the lockdown and the start of planned and assigned works in 2020.
Tax incentives for the energy redevelopment of buildings also contributed in 2019 to significantly support the demand for windows and doors with a record value of 1.750 million Euros, thanks also to the contribution of the house bonus. For 2020, a significant reduction is estimated to 1.352 million euros.
Incentives have become a structural component of the demand for doors and windows, consider that just under 40% of the turnover of metal door and window manufacturers is generated by incentivized interventions, and their maintenance is essential to accompany the modest recovery of the market.
The market will continue to be mainly driven by the residential recovery sector, where tax incentives will support investment spending. Consumers, due to the situation of general economic uncertainty, despite the presence of tax incentives, will continue to move towards mid-range products with a good relationship between price and insulation performance.
