Laminate flooring strong in Eastern Europe

Despite the overall increase in flooring market sales in the US, laminate flooring has lagged behind other types of flooring. According to Catalina Research, top performers in 2014 are vinyl sheets, floor and ceramic tiles, and hardwood flooring — all of which rose by at least 19 percent. Laminate flooring was last in its research, growing only by 3 percent in 2014.

Nevertheless, in some markets, growth of laminate flooring has been on the upswing in the past few years and is expected to continue in the years ahead. According to the Association of European Producers of Laminate Flooring (EPLF), a European trade association, overall sales of laminate flooring worldwide by its members hit 467 million sqm in 2014 — a 2 million increase from earlier figures. Interestingly, growth figures in Russia, Poland, Romania and other Eastern European markets rose significantly faster than Western Europe counterparts over the course of the year. Eastern Europe markets for laminate flooring grew by an average of 6.8 percent versus a relatively flat Western Europe.