Flooring Industry News January 2022
Welcome to our UK flooring news round-up for January 2022 – a great way to keep up to date with all the latest news, views and commentary for the flooring industry and business owners. To keep on top of all the latest industry news why not follow our LinkedIn page – we always post interesting news stories and article links on our page.
Flooring and furnishing traders stronger than in 2019 despite Q4 insolvencies jump
Company insolvencies in the flooring and furnishing traders jumped in the final quarter last year but the sector is still stronger than in 2019.
Data compiled by The Furnishing Report shows 88 companies across the industry filed for either liquidation or administration in the last three months of 2021, up from 58 in the third quarter of last year, and 60 in the final period of 2020.
Full article by The Stocklists.
Furniture retailers had a happy Christmas
Major UK furniture retailers have reported a strong run into Christmas, and sustained high levels of trading into the new year.
Reviewing the second half of 2021, sofa specialists DFS said orders were £200m higher than pre-pandemic levels. ‘Current order intake performance remains strong, with the important post-Christmas trading period starting well. This sustained performance reflects a positive customer response to our initiatives to drive higher average order values that help mitigate the inflationary trends that we continue to experience,’ it said.
Full article by The Stocklists.
Retail flooring price inflation eases to 7.8%
Consumer price inflation for flooring eased back in December but is still running hot at 7.8%.
Latest data shows that inflation in retail flooring has backed off 1% since November but the 7.8% result compares to general consumer price inflation in December of 5.4% according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Full article by The Stocklists.
December flooring sales just below 2019 level
December’s retail sales in flooring were strong at just 1% below pre-pandemic trading levels and were significantly ahead of the furnishing sector performance as a whole.
The latest retail figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) puts the total value of flooring retail sales at £137m for December which is just 0.8% lower than the data for 2019 but double the poor sales for 2020 when consumers were prevented from visiting stores throughout the November lockdown that year.
Full article by The Stocklists.
Construction migrant workforce numbers fall while demand, costs, and wages surge
CITB’s annual migration report has revealed the number of migrant workers in construction continues to fall significantly. This is at a time when the industry is experiencing a sharp rise in the cost of materials, wages, and an increase in demand for workers, Migration in UK Construction 2021 found.
Full article by the Contract Flooring Journal.
New research reveals third of construction workers now suffer with anxiety
High levels of mental distress and a reluctance to seek professional help among UK construction workers is leading to increased alcohol consumption, non-prescription drug use and even self-harm according to a new major study.
Early findings from a major new study of the mental health of self-employed construction workers and those working in small firms show that intense workloads, financial problems, poor work-life balance, and Covid-19 pressures on the supply of materials are combining to significantly raise stress and anxiety levels.
Full article by the Contract Flooring Journal.
FURTHER READING
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