It seems like young Chinese consumers prefer imported laminated flooring over Chinese-made products, according to a recent market survey. In particular, consumers found the diverse choice of colours appealing, especially if available in ‘pavement’ styles, even at the expense of foot comfort.
Other reasons cited for this preference include convenient installation, durability and better anti-slip features.
Prices for imported laminated flooring are also considered reasonable for many middle-class Chinese. Current retail prices for imported laminated flooring are around RMB 300-700 per panel, well down from RMB 800-1,000 per panel in 2012.
Consumers also rated the environmental performance of imported flooring higher than domestic products. The Standard E0 for European flooring is less than 0.9mg/L formaldehyde emission while the Standard for domestic flooring (E1) is “not exceeding 1.5mg/L formaldehyde emissions”.
While the market share for imported laminated flooring is less than 20% in Guangzhou, expected sales could account for nearly half of the market share within the next five years.
