Articles

Consumer sentiment rose 2.2% to 51.1 in early July, according to results from the University of Michigan Survey of Consumers. This represents a 37.1% decline year over year. Read More

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) released its NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) for the second quarter, posting a reading of 77, declining ten points compared to the second quarter of 2021. Read More

As of 2020, Millennials and Generation Z account for more than 42 percent of the U.S. population, with Millennials eking past Baby Boomers for the title of the biggest generation. And with Millennials ranging from their mid-20s to early 40s and Gen Zers entering adulthood, these combined demographics make up a significant, lucrative segment of consumers. Ensuring you have not only the products these consumers are looking for, but the messaging and marketing that they respond to, is critical to your success. Read More

In the month of May, Italy jumped to first place in ceramic tile imports with 3.4 million square meters, followed by Spain 2.9 million square meters, Mexico 2.7 million square meters, India 2.46 million square meters, Turkey 2.4 million square meters and Brazil 1.8 million square meters, reports Grosser Consulting. Total imports for the month were 17.9 million square meters, the highest month so far for this year. Read More

Consumers demand a seamless and simple journey. Once complicated by the stark contrast of what was presented online and what was in store, web-based and brick-and-mortar, when done right, can allow the consumer to research and select the product that fits both their need and personal style in a truly aligned and easy way. Today, that journey is being influenced by opposing forces further complicating the process of engaging and capturing the consumer’s attention and dollars. Read More

Just as the world comes out of the two-year pandemic, record inflation and gas prices have put the brakes on what was a fast-growing economy. With everything from groceries to gas costing more, consumers are reconsidering where to spend their money — and increasingly, that doesn’t seem to be on home projects and flooring products. Read More

In 2021 the worth of Italy’s exports of machines, installations, tools and other equipment to extract and process natural stones rose by 18.5% from the previous year, reaching 1 billion 107.1 million euros. Read More

According to the analysis, in 2019 it took 39 days for a container ship to travel from China to the United States, while in 2020 it took 49 days and in 2021 68. Costs increased as well: in 2019 shipping a container by sea cost an average of US$1,421, rising to US$2,171 in 2020 and to a whopping US$7,556 in 2021. Read More

Final 2021 data processed by the Confindustria Marmomacchine Studies Center confirm the excellent growth in sales to the United States, the top destination market for both finished stone products and complementary stone technologies Made in Italy. Read More

After closing 2020 with a 17.3% drop in sales abroad, the Italian stone industry last year recorded a marked growth in its exports - which affected almost all the main sector reference markets -, linking the economic recovery and the renewed momentum of the construction sector worldwide. Read More