ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Italian correspondent Anna Garbagna brings news of latest data from the country’s cleaning sector.

The year 2016 for the professional cleaning industry closed with more modest growth than the previous year, but still with encouraging signs for the near future. These data came from the survey by AfidampFAB.

Overall last year, the sector had a turnover of €1,644,458,287, recording a slight increase (+two per cent) compared to 2015.

‘Stability’ is the key word for all cleaning companies  with  slight variation between zero and four per cent. The machine sector, after the previous year when it achieved 11 per cent growth in turnover, presented  2016 under the banner of stability, without fluctuation in the revenues.

After the most severe phase of the crisis, from 2012, the situation for manufacturers slowly returned to normal. In particular, from 2013, all the indexes started to indicate growth which has remained constant ever since.

The breakdown of turnover is as follows: machines represent 33 per cent of total production, with €518,959,201; chemical products 13 per cent with €208,987,992; equipment four per cent (€69,478,006); tissue 33 per cent (€551,906,497); fibres and cloths  two per cent (€28,455,342); accessories and machine spare parts  five per cent (€85,487,832) while all the other products grouped together were 11 per cent with €181,183,416.

As was the case in 2015, exports are essential: the AfidampFAB survey shows  the proportion of exports by turnover was 53 per cent and to be more precise, the total turnover of export markets was €867,686,898.

This is the breakdown: 39 per cent of total turnover from exports was from sale of machines  (- one per cent), followed by paper products with 34 per cent (+one per cent), other products 11 per cent (soap dispensers and air fresheners, warm air hand dryers, batteries and battery chargers, brushes and pads) and equipment with five per cent. Chemical products are historically aimed at the home market and represent only four per cent of total exports.

As in every year, therefore, the machine sector proved itself the sector with greater international orientation. The most relevant markets remain Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

As far as the home market is concerned, the total turnover was €776,771,389, up three per cent, (in 2015 it was +nine) and like the previous year it was driven by paper products with 33 per cent of the turnover’s total, followed by machines with 24 per cent. In third position we find chemicals with 22 per cent, followed by other products with 11 per cent, accessories and machine spare parts four per cent and lastly equipment, fibres and cloths with four per cent.