An innovative HD digital printing system for mineral surface slabs, even in full thickness.
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Building a bright future in the mineral surface industry
Discover key challenges and opportunities for the future of the mineral surface slab business in this insightful analysis by Giancarlo Crestani.
Evidence from data
Calacatta and Marble Look patterns for quartz slabs have experienced remarkable success in the key mineral surface markets such as the United States, Australia, Europe, and Asia over the past decade.
Today, the situation is changing and there are significant downward pressures on prices (see the document).
Emerging countries with low labor costs and access to cheaper local raw materials have made the decision to lower their prices in order to expand their market share.
In response, other countries are also adopting a similar strategy to avoid losing their position in the market.
An increasing competition
The situation described above indicates that mineral surface products have entered the maturity phase and are now moving towards the decline phase.
In this stage, price has become the main factor influencing customer purchasing decisions, given that competitors are offering similar patterns, such as Calacatta or Marble-like designs.
Innovation is key
To prevent entering the decline phase, as suggested by the product life-cycle theory, Breton recommends to innovate the mineral surface slabs through:
- a significant aesthetic renovation through innovative industrial systems
- a transition towards production models that allow for reduced crystalline silica content in slabs