|
AMA Research has published a new report covering the general
industrial products distribution market. Available for purchase at
£625 from www.amaresearch.co.uk, the report provides a
comprehensive analysis of the structure of the market and provides
details of the key players within the market. The main product
sectors are analysed including the product market sizes, trends and
the distributors’ share of product distribution. The report also
provides forecasts of the markets prospects to 2013.
The general industrial products distribution
market is a highly fragmented market with some distributors
operating in all product sectors defined in the report, whilst
others focus on a more limited number of product sectors.
Competitive channels to the industrial products distributors are
the direct and specialists channels.
The market is very complex serving the
manufacturing and engineering industries, thus the health of the
distribution market is highly dependent on the performance of these
industries (with levels of maintenance and repair operations of
particular significance) as well as the prevailing economic
conditions. It is a large, mature market that tends to experience
only low level growth rates with the various product sectors within
the market faring differently, reflecting the performance of the
industrial sector demanding the different products. The market
experienced low level growth to 2007, supported by the performance
of the manufacturing and engineering industries as well as public
spending projects such as those in the infrastructure sector. The
health and safety sector is important to this market and has shown
good growth over the period, primarily due to the impact of
legislation in the sector.
The general industrial products distribution
market grew to a market size of £1.78 billion in 2007. The very
difficult trading conditions in 2008 severely impacted on the
market resulting in a decline of -2% to a value of £1.75 billion
with prospects deteriorating for 2009/10. However, the market is
anticipated to begin recovery in 2011 and reach an estimated market
size of £1.7 billion by 2013. Forecasting at this time is extremely
difficult and should the recession be longer and deeper than
expected, this forecast could prove to be optimistic.
The product range carried by the distributors is
large and varied. This report covers the following product sectors:
abrasives, janitorial products, fasteners, fluid and air control,
health & safety, power tools, hand tools, engineering &
metalworking, workshop & maintenance, packaging & stationery and
storage, security, access, site equipment & handling products.
Different products favour different distribution channels; for
instance engineering & metal working is primarily via the
industrial distributors, whilst abrasives are mainly via the
builders’ merchants. |
