Synthèse

The global flat glassmarket, estimated at $115.8 billion, has grown significantly due to demand from the construction and automotive sectors. Although growth figures predicted a CAGR of 7.3% between 2020 and 2027, the Covid-19 pandemic has probably altered these forecasts. Asia-Pacific dominates the market, thanks in particular to China's construction industry. The market is characterized by a high level of concentration, with major players such as AGC, NSG, Saint-Gobain and Guardian holding around 47% market share.

The French market is divided into raw and processed flat glass production, with raw flat glass experiencing an increase while processed flat glass saw a slight decline. Photovoltaic applications and thermal renovation projects, supported by public policies in France, are having a positive influence on the market. However, the slowdown in the automotive industry poses challenges for demand.

Regulations such as European standard EN 572 and French targets for reducing energy consumption in buildings are shaping the market, pushing it towards more energy-efficient solutions.

The French flat glass market: Constraining and stimulating factors impacting demand

The French flat glass market, mainly driven by the construction and automotive industries, accounts for the lion's share of flat glass consumption. Around 80% of flat glass is destined for the construction industry, revealing the industry's strong dependence on the health of the building sector. Around 15% is destined for the automotive industry, which has a slightly lesser but nonetheless significant influence on market dynamics. While the French flat glass market experienced steady growth, it was confronted with a slowdown of around 3%. This decline is largely attributable to the slow expansion of the construction sector and the drop in automotive production. Nevertheless, the value of the market hovered around 3 billion euros, indicating the overall strength of the industry during this period.

A closer look at the construction market reveals an optimistic outlook, with a notable increase in housing starts. For example, non-residential buildings saw starts of between 23 and 28 million square meters. Despite this positive trajectory, the rate of growth in the construction sector has shown signs of deceleration, which could influence demand for flat glass.

On the other hand, the automotive industry experienced a downturn for the first time in many years, which had a direct impact on the use of flat glass in vehicle production. French automotive production declined, mainly due to competitive pressures and regulatory challenges such as the introduction of new anti-pollution standards. However, the manufacture of other transport equipment, which also includes flat glass, posted robust growth, helping to balance the market.

French flat glass exports are affected by the global downturn in construction activity, reflecting the interconnectedness of the world market and its influence on domestic production. Nevertheless, positive trends, such as the growth of the photovoltaic sector and government-sponsored thermal renovations, offer a glimmer of hope. Although these sectors represent a smaller fraction of the market, they are powerful levers for growth, given the strong impetus given to sustainable energy solutions and eco-efficient renovations. In response to regulatory changes and evolving market demands, the flat glass industry has seen a number of innovations aimed at improving efficiency and functionality. Products such as low-U insulating glass and other "intelligent" glasses are becoming increasingly relevant, which, combined with regulations promoting energy-efficient buildings, should give continued impetus to the flat glass market in France.

Key market leaders in the flat glass industry

The flat glass market is characterized by the presence of a number of industry leaders whose innovative production techniques and diversified offerings cater for a wide range of applications in the construction and automotive sectors. These companies not only dominate the space thanks to their extensive reach, they also contribute considerably to the sector's growth through cutting-edge research and development activities. Let's take a closer look at the key players who play a vital role in the evolution of the flat glass industry.

  • Saint-Gobain With roots dating back more than three centuries, Saint-Gobain is a titan in the world of flat glass production. An industry pioneer, the company has made its mark in a variety of sectors, including construction and automotive. Renowned for its technological sophistication and sustainable development efforts, Saint-Gobain has constantly innovated to produce high-performance, energy-efficient glazing solutions.
  • AGC (Asahi Glass Co.) Originally from Japan, but with a significant presence in Europe, AGC has carved out a substantial market share. Its diversified product range includes raw flat glass as well as processed solutions such as tempered and laminated safety glass. AGC is known for pushing the boundaries of flat glass technology, supplying state-of-the-art products for contemporary architectural projects and automotive applications.
  • Riou Glass A major name in the French market, Riou Glass specializes in the manufacture and processing of flat glass. Its expertise extends to providing customized glass solutions that meet meticulous quality standards, meeting the needs of a wide range of customers, from construction to interior design.
  • DevglassThis player has focused on flat glass processing and has earned a reputation as a specialist in the production of processed flat glassware. Devglass demonstrates expertise in cutting-edge techniques that translate into superior finishes, elegant aesthetics and multifunctional attributes in their glass products.
  • Ficosa Although not exclusively dedicated to flat glass, Ficosa has integrated flat glass production into its broader automotive components portfolio. Its advances in automotive glass technology have played an important role in improving the safety and functionality features of modern vehicles.
  • SMR (Samvardhana Motherson Reflectec) A leader in mirror production, SMR has expertly integrated flat glass processing to manufacture high-quality automotive mirrors. Its innovative approach has positioned it as a key supplier for automakers seeking reliable, state-of-the-art components.
  • Riou Glass and Glas Trösch assume the dual role of manufacturing and processing flat glass. Their presence testifies to the strategic importance of the flat glass industry to the European economy.
Obtenez toutes informations essentielles
à la compréhension de ce marché

Détail du contenu

Informations

  • Nombre de pages : 30 pages
  • Format : Version digitale et PDF
  • Dernière mise à jour : 21/10/2022
Détail des mises à jour

Sommaire et extraits

1 Market overview

1.1 Definition and scope of the study

Flat glass refers to glass in sheet form, which is mainly used for the production of glazing and mirrors. The flat glass market is part of the overall glass market and is one of the main glass groups together with hollow glass, cellular glass and glass fibers.

The flat glass market includes the production, shaping and processing of flat glass into various processed products, such as window glazing, shower enclosures, refrigerator shelves, glass ceramic panels, windscreens and mirrors. These processed products are mainly destined for the construction industry, which represents 80% of the end markets, and for the automotive industry (15%).

The main players in the flat glass market are the suppliers of raw materials (minerals or recycled glass), the manufacturers of raw flat glass, the manufacturers of processed flat glass, the distributors of flat glass (commercial subsidiaries of manufacturers, traders) and the customer markets (building joinery manufacturers, car manufacturers, furniture manufacturers etc.).

Flat glass production is growing steadily worldwide in terms of both volume and value, and this trend is expected to remain stable in the coming years, driven by the automotive and construction markets in emerging countries. In Europe, Germany, France and Poland are the three leading flat glass producers.

The French market declined by 3.2% in 2019, after uninterrupted growth since 2015. Slower growth in the construction market combined with lower automotive production have indeed pulled down demand for flat glass. The Covid-19-related epidemic also penalized the flat glass industry, particularly through the negative effect it had on its customer markets. On the other hand, thermal and energy renovation projects, encouraged by the public authorities, as well as the development of the photovoltaic sector, are growing and having a positive impact on the flat glass market. Innovation is also a significant growth driver in this market.

In France, the main players in the sector are Saint-Gobain, AGC, Riou Glass, Devglass, Ficosa and SMR. While most of them manufacture only processed flat glass (Devglass, Ficosa, SMR, Calorivier or VIT), some players also manufacture raw flat glass (Saint-Gobain, AGC, Riou Glass or Glas Trösch).

The manufacture of raw flat glass is thus more concentrated than glass processing, since in 2018, 12 companies manufactured raw flat glass in France, while 357 companies had as their main activity the shaping and processing of flat glass

1.2 The global market: growth driven by construction and Asia as the largest market

The global flat glass market was estimated to be worth $***.* billion in **** and, prior to the Covid-** epidemic, was forecast to grow at a CAGR (***) of *.*% from **** to **** to reach $***.* billion by ****. While these figures are now overestimated, they are indicative of the positive market direction that is expected to continue ...

1.3 The French market: growth interrupted in 2019

The flat glass industry is registered under the following two NAF codes: **.**Z: Manufacture of flat glass **.**Z: Shaping and processing of flat glass The figures below were obtained from these codes in several steps. Insee provides the pre-tax sales figures for each of the segments for the years **** to ****. [***] Insee ...

1.4 International trade: a trade deficit

The data of this part are obtained on the site of the French Customs from the following codes:

**** : Flat glass **** : Flat glass, worked

The coverage rate measures the economic independence of a country for a given product and is calculated by the formula: value of exports / value of imports x ...

1.5 The effect of Covid-19: drop in revenues and reorientation of activity

At the peak of the crisis, the drop in sales in April **** compared to April **** was - **.*% for flat glass manufacturers. The decline was even greater for the flat glass shaping and processing activity, which reached - **.*% in April **** compared to April ****. However, it appears that the turnover generated by the ...

2 Analysis of the demand

2.1 Demand mainly from the construction and automotive industries

Flat glass can be used to make many different products. Once manufactured, the raw plate glass leaving the plants is shaped and processed to make a variety of products, such as windows, railings, vehicle windshields, mirrors, verandas, vehicle roofs, display cases, and even glass-ceramic plates.

The graph below describes the distribution ...

2.2 A favorable but worsening construction market

The construction market is relatively well oriented in Europe and in France. The year **** marked an economic recovery that has been confirmed in recent years. Production growth is particularly driven by non-residential building construction and maintenance-renovation activity, which are the most dynamic segments.

The chart below highlights the upward trend in ...

2.3 Customer markets: the decline in automobile production and the positive effect of the energy transition

The automotive industry is not doing well

The automotive industry is the second-largest market for flat glass. This is because transport equipment manufacturers and car manufacturers use flat glass in particular to produce windshield and side window glazing, as well as mirrors.

In ****, automotive industry production declined in Europe and France ...

2.4 Google Trends : Une saisonnalité de la demande ?

Une saisonnalité de la demande

Note : Le graphique ci-dessus représente la proportion de recherches portant sur un mot clé donné dans un pays donné et pour une période spécifique, par rapport au moment où le taux d’utilisation de ce mot clé a été le plus élevé (***). Ainsi, une ...

3 Market structure

3.1 Value chain of the industry: between suppliers, manufacturers and distributors

As illustrated below, the flat glass industry is divided into three stages before distribution of the finished product:

Suppliers of industrial sand as well as suppliers of recycled glass (***) supply raw materials to manufacturers of raw flat glass, who may also be involved in manufacturing processed glass. The raw flat glass, ...

3.2 French flat glass production: raw flat glass up, processed flat glass down in 2019

Flat glass is mainly produced by float glass, which is the modern flat glass manufacturing process and represents the main part of flat glass production. However, two other manufacturing processes exist, namely drawing and laminating. Float glass, the main production process for flat glass, is explained by Saint-Gobain as follows Currently, ...

3.3 The raw flat glass market is more concentrated than the processed flat glass market

While the raw flat glass manufacturing market is highly concentrated in France, with only ** establishments in ****, the flat glass forming and processing market is more atomized, with *** players in ****. Furthermore, both segments of the flat glass market have experienced a concentration of activity that has manifested itself in a reduction in ...

3.4 Flat glass valorisation: still limited, the recycling sector is developing

Flat glass waste from the construction industry is recycled. The main method of recovery of flat glass is recycling. After being recycled, flat glass waste can be found in partitions, joinery, sanitary equipment, mirrors and curtain walls. Flat glass waste is listed under waste code ******.

On November *, ****, the Ministries of Ecology ...

4 Analysis of the offer

4.1 Type of products

The glass used today as a construction material is called soda-lime glass because of its composition. In addition to the production of raw flat glass reserved for a small category of players (***), the shaping and transformation of glass allows the production of a multitude of different products for all types of ...

4.2 Flat glass prices

The production prices of raw flat glass and processed flat glass have followed a similar pattern in recent years, with an upward trend interrupted by the Covid-** epidemic. The Covid-** epidemic led to a decrease in raw flat glass prices and a stagnation in processed flat glass prices.

Production price index France, ...

5 Regulation

5. Regulation

European standard EN ***

The standards and rules governing the use of flat glass in the building sector are detailed here.

In particular, as indicated by the Afnor, the European standard EN ***, dated February *, ****, establishes dimensional and qualitative requirements (***) that apply to float glass as defined in EN ***-*:****, for use in ...

Liste des graphiques

  • Taille du marché mondial du verre plat
  • Répartition de la production européenne de verre plat par pays
  • Taille du marché français de la fabrication de verre plat
  • Répartition de l'utilisation du verre plat par débouché
  • Variation annuelle de la production dans le secteur du bâtiment (en volume)
Afficher Plus Masquer

Toutes nos études sont disponible en ligne et en PDF

Nous vous proposons de consulter un exemple de notre travail d'étude sur un autre marché !

Une question sur cette étude ?   (+33) 9 70 46 55 00

Dernières actualités

Saint-Gobain rachète Kaycan pour s'implanter aux USA - 08/06/2022
  • Saint-Gobain vient acquérir Kaycan pour 860 millions d’euros 1 milliard de dollars
  • Kaycan : le spécialiste nord-américain de la rénovation
  • En 2022, Saint-Gobain prévoit de dépasser 10 milliards de dollars de chiffre d'affaires aux États-Unis
  • Troisième acquisition stratégique en moins de deux ans et demi
Saint-Gobain en pleine ruée vers l’or dans la construction légère en Amérique du Nord - 08/06/2022
  • Saint-Gobain est leader mondial de la construction légère et durable
  • L'Amérique du Nord passe de 15% à 20% en trois ans dans les ventes de Saint-Gobain
Saint-Gobain avance vers le verre plat zéro carbone - 17/05/2022
  • Le groupe français vient de réaliser la première production zéro carbone de verre plat au monde dans son usine nordiste d'Aniche
  • C'est le fruit de trois ans de recherche qui a permis d'économiser 2,460 tonnes de matières premières vierges
  • Saint-Gobain estime crucial le recyclage du verre utilisé dans le bâtiment 

Entreprises citées dans cette étude

Cette étude contient un panorama complet des entreprises du marché avec les derniers chiffres et actualités de chaque entreprise :

Saint-Gobain Groupe
AGC
Riou Glass Groupe
Devglass
Focomirrors (Ficosa Group)
SMR Automotive
Glas Trösch
Caloriver
Vitage Isolant Technique VIT
Verrissima Group
SunPartner Technologies
PPG Industries

Choisir cette étude c'est :

Accéder à plus de 35 heures de travail

Nos études sont le résultat de plus de 35 heures de recherches et d'analyses. Utiliser nos études vous permet de consacrer plus de temps et de valeur ajoutée à vos projets.

Profiter de 6 années d'expérience et de plus de 1500 études sectorielles déjà produites

Notre expertise nous permet de produire des études complètes dans tous les secteurs, y compris des marchés de niche ou naissants.

Notre savoir-faire et notre méthodologie nous permet de produire des études avec un rapport qualité-prix unique

Accéder à plusieurs milliers d'articles et données payantes

Businesscoot a accès à l'ensemble de la presse économique payante ainsi qu'à des bases de données exclusives pour réaliser ses études de marché (+ 30 000 articles et sources privées).

Afin d'enrichir nos études, nos analystes utilisent également des indicateurs web (semrush, trends…) pour identifier les tendances sur un marché et les stratégies des entreprises. (Consulter nos sources payantes)

Un accompagnement garanti après votre achat

Une équipe dédiée au service après-vente, pour vous garantir un niveau de satisfaction élevé. (+33) 9 70 46 55 00

Un format digital pensé pour nos utilisateurs

Vous accédez à un PDF mais aussi à une version digitale pensée pour nos clients. Cette version vous permet d’accéder aux sources, aux données au format Excel et aux graphiques. Le contenu de l'étude peut ainsi être facilement récupéré et adapté pour vos supports.

Nos offres :

the flat glass market | France

89 € HT
  • Quels sont les chiffres sur la taille et la croissance du marché ?
  • Quels leviers tirent la croissance du marché et leur évolution ?
  • Quel est le positionnement des entreprises sur la chaine de valeur ?
  • Comment se différencient les entreprises du marché ?
  • Données issues de plusieurs dizaines de bases de données

Pack 5 études (-15%) France

75.6 € HT / étude
378 € au lieu de 445 € HT -15%
  • 5 études au prix de 75,6€HT par étude à choisir parmi nos 800 titres sur le catalogue France pendant 12 mois
  • Conservez -15% sur les études supplémentaires achetées
  • Choisissez le remboursement des crédits non consommés au terme des 12 mois (durée du pack)

Consultez les conditions du pack et de remboursement des crédits non consommés.

Ajouts et mises à jour

  • 01/03/2024 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Verrissima Group
  • 01/03/2024 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Saint-Gobain Groupe
  • 02/01/2024 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise SunPartner Technologies
  • 02/01/2024 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Vitage Isolant Technique VIT
  • 02/01/2024 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Caloriver
  • 02/01/2024 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Focomirrors (Ficosa Group)
  • 02/01/2024 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Devglass
  • 02/01/2024 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Riou Glass Groupe
  • 02/01/2024 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise AGC
  • 04/11/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Verrissima Group
  • 04/11/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Saint-Gobain Groupe
  • 01/10/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise SunPartner Technologies
  • 01/10/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Vitage Isolant Technique VIT
  • 01/10/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Caloriver
  • 01/10/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Focomirrors (Ficosa Group)
  • 01/10/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Devglass
  • 01/10/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Riou Glass Groupe
  • 01/10/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise AGC
  • 31/07/2023 - Ajout des informations de l'entreprise Coprover
  • 25/07/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Saint-Gobain Groupe
  • 25/06/2023 - Ajout des informations de l'entreprise Guardian Industries
  • 04/06/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise SunPartner Technologies
  • 04/06/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Vitage Isolant Technique VIT
  • 04/06/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Caloriver
  • 04/06/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Focomirrors (Ficosa Group)
  • 04/06/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Devglass
  • 04/06/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Riou Glass Groupe
  • 04/06/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise AGC
  • 30/05/2023 - Ajout des informations de l'entreprise PPG Industries
  • 21/05/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Saint-Gobain Groupe
  • 26/02/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise SunPartner Technologies
  • 26/02/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Vitage Isolant Technique VIT
  • 26/02/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Caloriver
  • 26/02/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Focomirrors (Ficosa Group)
  • 26/02/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Devglass
  • 26/02/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Riou Glass Groupe
  • 26/02/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise AGC
  • 20/02/2023 - Mise à jour des données financières de l'entreprise Saint Gobain Groupe

Nos références clients

Ils ont consulté nos études Découvrir les avis (+500)

Malcolm Vincent
Linkedin logo

Malcolm Vincent

Astoria Finance

Gregoire de Castelnau
Linkedin logo

Gregoire de Castelnau

Stags Participations

Timothé Huignard
Linkedin logo

Timothé Huignard

PWC

Paul-Alexis Kebabtchieff
Linkedin logo

Paul-Alexis Kebabtchieff

BCG

Aymeric Granet
Linkedin logo

Aymeric Granet

Publicis Consultant

interviews & Cas clients Toutes les interviews et cas clients (45)

La pépite Interview

BFM Business

Paul-Alexis Kebabtchieff

Boston Consulting Group

Marie Guibart

Kea Partners

Elaine, Durand

Crédit Agricole, Information & Veille

Philippe Dilasser

Initiative & Finance

Anne Baudry

Metro

Amaury Wernert

Kroll (Duff & Phelps)

Smart Leaders Interview

B-Smart

Une question ?
Notre équipe est à votre écoute au   (+33) 9 70 46 55 00