Demand for colored coatings is increasing, thanks to TV series

Prague - The demand for colored paints is rising, among other reasons due to new Czech television series featuring modernly decorated rooms. However, the sale of white paint is not declining either, as the entire market for painting colors is growing due to a construction boom. This follows from the responses of paint manufacturers for ČTK.
"In recent years, the whole nation is returning to colorfulness when painting homes and workplaces. This has been significantly aided by television series with nicely coordinated colorful interiors," said Dariusz Jakubowicz, General Director of Barvy a laky Hostivař. He added that in three years, sales of tinting pastes have increased more than threefold. Last year, more than 30 million crowns worth of tinting colors were sold for painting.
According to Tomáš Jelínek, General Director of Barvy Tebas, the demand for colored paints is also rising rapidly. At the same time, however, the sale of white is not declining because the market for painting colors is growing due to the construction boom. Luboš Henžlík from the company Primalex also confirmed the growing interest in colored paints.
Professional mixing of colors using a special machine, where people choose the color and shade according to a color chart, is increasingly coming to the forefront. "In 2005, we produced paints for 6.4 million square meters this way, compared to only 4.6 million square meters the year before," noted Henžlík.
Increased interest, according to the experience of Balakom, is in paints that are odorless during application. "They do not release harmful emissions into the air. They are safe for both human health and the environment," said Barbora Malátková, head of marketing at Balakom. The company has had these paints on the market for four years, and the demand for them continues to grow.
Compared to the Western European market, the Czech paint market is comparable in terms of color offerings, according to Malátková. "However, people abroad more often utilize the services of painting companies," she pointed out. The Western European market also differs from the Czech one in that it is already fully consolidated. "The three largest players usually dominate three-quarters of the market or more in their respective countries; in the Czech Republic, it is around 35 percent," stated Henžlík.
Currently, there are about 100 manufacturers in the Czech paint market, but according to the General Director of Barvy Tebas, it is expected that this number will decrease over time. "Domestic brands have a strong position, and the establishment of new foreign brands and manufacturers has proven to be very difficult and expensive," Jelínek stated. He believes that the Czech market is more likely to see the acquisition of domestic brands by a few strong European manufacturers.
Some corporate mergers have already taken place. "For example, in the last three years, the Dutch company SigmaKalon has entered Primalex, the Swedish company Akzo Nobel has entered Balakom, and the Czech manufacturer Barvy a Laky Hostivař has entered Teluria," said Jakubowicz, the Director of Barvy a laky.
According to Henžlík, domestic manufacturers will gradually merge more and fade away rather than establish new companies from scratch. He believes that manufacturing capacities in the Czech market are currently sufficient. According to Malátková, brands in the paint market are still increasing. Retail chains also launch them under their brands.
Czech manufacturers also export paints abroad, but they have different standings in each country. "For example, in Switzerland, our paints are perceived as cheap paint from Eastern Europe, while in Bulgaria, Balakryl is popular with architects in the luxury segment," Jelínek noted. Export markets for Czech paint manufacturers also include Austria, Germany, Latvia, Ukraine, and Vietnam.
Approximately 30 percent of paint market consumption comes from individuals, amateur painters, or small repairers. The rest of the consumption is accounted for by industrial sectors, particularly the automotive industry, furniture production, or metal surface treatment.
The companies surveyed are among the largest in the market. Together, they produce enough materials annually to paint approximately 370 million square meters of surface area. The largest manufacturer is Primalex, which sold 37,000 tons of paint last year, covering over 330 million square meters. Conversely, around 68,000 tons of paint are imported into the republic each year from 46 countries.