Italy: Dominance of power drills

The Italian market for power tools and accessories achieved a volume of almost 500 mio euro in the year 2000, according to figures from Assutel. Particularly strong development occurred in the professional segment, which accounted for the biggest share of market volume, having remained static in previous years. One of the main reasons for the positive result is the trend in the south of Italy, where power tools are less widely spread than in the north but where they have been catching up for some time now.
The power drill is still the most widely spread type of power tool, both in the domestic context and in workshops. Between 70 and 80 per cent of consumers have a power drill. However, other tools have managed to notch up interesting rates of growth in recent years, with cordless models heading the field. Professionals above all are tending to become more and more convinced of the usefulness of these tools, both in respect of handling comfort and of technical improvements like more powerful batteries and motors.
The professional trade accounts for 80 per cent of volume by value and 60 per cent by quantity. The tools are used principally on construction sites (54 per cent). Purchasers from the professional trade have a tendency to be loyal to one particular brand and seem no longer to be addicted to buying no-name products as they were almost ten years ago. The poor quality of these products and problems getting them repaired meant that tools from the Far East were soon left out in the cold, although many trade sources confirm that products from the region have meanwhile improved and that Taiwan in particular is beginning to offer higher-quality articles. The proportion of tools from the Far East is estimated at ten per cent for the professional trade.
Women are the main protagonists when one looks at the purchase of articles for DIYers over recent years. Their catchword seems to be "renovate", as it is for the firms that sell special-purpose products. A study shows that power drills now cover almost the entire consumer market. Consequently the focus is on other tools when purchases are being made or replacements bought, where consumers are now prepared to invest in a more powerful model.