Europe’s parquet flooring sector entered the second half of 2026 on a cautious footing after an encouraging start to the year, the European Parquet Federation (FEP) reported following a board meeting held in Paris on 20 October.
Trading conditions during the opening six months of 2026 were positive in a number of member countries, with renovation work and the project segment providing particular support. That trajectory reversed during the third quarter, however, as consumer caution deepened and household budgets increasingly favoured leisure and entertainment over home improvement.
FEP defines parquet wood flooring as either engineered/multi-layer flooring with a top wood layer of thickness greater than 2.5mm (rest of the panel being either a composite wood panel or plywood) or a solid wood flooring board.
Several overlapping headwinds continue to bear down on the sector. Geopolitical instability, shrinking consumer confidence, a growing propensity to save, elevated interest rates and persistent increases in both labour and energy expenses are all restraining construction activity and investment across the continent.
Manufacturers are also contending with rising input costs for raw materials that remain difficult to pass on to buyers, a situation the federation said is aggravated by competition from imported Chinese products and by rapidly expanding volumes from newer exporting countries.
Hardwood procurement has grown more difficult in parts of Europe.
Performance varied considerably at national level. Germany’s parquet market showed early promise in building activity, yet third-quarter volumes were an estimated 10-15% below those recorded in 2025, leaving the market broadly flat overall.
In France, multilayer flooring grew by 2-3% in the first half while solid wood products continued to struggle; an approaching presidential election was expected to reinforce a wait-and-see stance among consumers and investors.
Italian volumes edged up by roughly 3-4%, though producers reported mounting cost pressure on higher-grade timber suitable for parquet manufacturing.
The Dutch market proved more difficult, with volumes coming in 5-7% short of expectations, although rising consumer dissatisfaction with PVC flooring was creating fresh openings for wood products.
Across the Nordic countries, first-half growth of 1-2% gave way to weaker sentiment over the summer amid higher energy costs, inflation and interest rate concerns.
Sweden remained the most buoyant Scandinavian market, underpinned by renovation demand, while Finland faced tougher conditions.
Switzerland posted moderate gains of around 1-2%, led by contract and project work, and Spain held largely steady despite an uptick in imports from Eastern European suppliers.
The federation’s 71st General Assembly and 51st Parquet Congress is scheduled for 10-11 June 2027 in Split, Croatia.
