After nine months, the German timber trade sector increase its sales across all assortments by 2.5%, according to the German Timber Trade Federation (GD Holz).
Cumulatively, sales of planed wood were up by 7%, building components (interior doors) by 5.5% and garden wood by 3.5%. Wood-based panels sales achieved an increase of 0.6%, while sawn timber sales were down by 1%.
Overall, wholesale sales grew 3%, better than retail sales, which declined by 1%.
For the last quarter of 2019, the companies in the German timber trade expect predominantly steady or even increasing sales. Only 15% expect sales to decline in the last quarter.
The mood in the German timber trade is still positive, and sales of the most important product ranges are doing well in the autumn business. Nevertheless, the companies’ estimates are somewhat more restrained, especially on the procurement side, where there are considerable uncertainties due to beetle wood infestation and calamities.
For the full year, according to the figures provided by the GD Holz once again expects asales growth of about 2% over the previous years. For the sixth year in a row, this means sales growth – sales in the timber trade have risen by between 2% and 5.5% in the last five years.