India is a big retail market with huge network and structure in place, where small items and ingredients too play a vital role for bigger impacts on entire ready product experience for a customer. Like no matter how beautiful a door is, a small handle or a door closure can create a good or bad experience for the entire door. So important is the story of edge band. India now has around 35 plus PVC Edge band producers who have been able to sell their product with a genuine growth by each passing year. The present growth of PVC Edge band has come on the cost of wood beading and molding. Being a maintenance free, easy to install and easy to find matching with the color of décor paper of laminates and prelaminated boards, edge band tape acceptance has grown pan India.
With facility of offering small size rolls e.g up to 25 meters, the retailers have been able to spread this product among carpenters and contractors. Although PVC edge band contributes 2-3 percent input cost for furniture making but it is very important element because it adds beauty in looks of furniture. With time-being it is turning as an important material for furniture that adds to total look, feel, build quality, at final installation.
There could be more than 60 brands including imported where two third of share is occupied by White, Off-white, Frosty White etc. Due to which a large part of suppliers have started a price war thus bringing down quality and thickness that is affecting colour match consistency. Experts says that below 0.8 mm thickness is not advisable for quality and build of entire wood work, because lower thicknesses are weak bonded, fragile, gives ugly finish and does not find right base for color.
Retailers must understand the quality and thickness of PVC edge band because if they offer cheaper quality edge band then customers may opt readymade modular furniture in future, that is look-wise elegant because of edge and corners. Retailers should promote high quality edge band for the growth of this product as well their wood panel retail business. Domestic manufacturers should invest money in quality and innovation if this product need stable growth.
January is the beginning of this year and this issue has been featured ‘7 Predictions of 2020’, which is worth reading for all because you can make your whole year business plan. It will help to make your business to get sustainable move in this tough time. The market news on Plywood, Laminates, Chemicals, MDF, Particle Boards, Timber along with the development and launching of new products, folders etc are published. Industries-Institute Meet organised by IPIRTI, FRI and IWST in Punjab, Dehradun, Kolkata has shown the growing interest of each stake holders. These have been covered in detail. Report on development in Melia-Dubia Plantation, Grand launching of Greenlam New Catalogue in Baku, Azerbaijan and Advance Laminates new 1 mm range is extensively covered in this issue along with many events and happenings.