The local market of ceramic tiles, natural stone and sanitary wares will report in 2013 a slight increase, according to the opinions of the managers of the main competitors in those areas. The development will be influenced by completion of water and sewer projects in villages and by the economic stabilization in Romania, which could mean the resume of private investment in office, commercial and residential buildings. The specialized systems suppliers show more optimistic state at the beginning of 2013, some of them already contracting new projects that could represent the basis for a positive trend of activity in this year. In terms of value, the local market of ceramic tiles is evaluated at 100 million Euros, while for the other two analyzed categories there are not available precise figures, given the variety of types and options. In terms of interior design, the suppliers of ceramic tiles indicate as preferred by customers the shiny or opaque surfaces, which combine various optical effects. A new trend, as indicated by the local producer Cesarom (part of the company Lasselsberger), is that 85% of users buy collections containing tiles and decorative products imitating elements from nature, fashion and painting. "Customers rather prefer ceramic tiles in the pastel range, whose monotony is removed by using complementary decorative elements (belts, medallions, decors) in bright colors and minimalist graphics. Due to the extraordinary evolution of the decoration technologies and materials used for this purpose, scope and type of décor become limitless", said Toni Teau, CEO of Lasselsberger Romania. Also, it is already obvious that customers change their options, preferring larger plates (20/25 cm x 40 cm or 25 cm x 50 cm). Concerning the acquisition criteria, most providers reported last year an almost exclusive orientation toward price, but in the first months of 2013 the occurrence of some other factors like the degree of validity compared to other similar products, the quality/price ratio, design and brand can be observed. The segment of ceramic tiles for floors increased by 2% in 2012 in terms of sales over the previous year. For further information and a detailed analysis of the current Agenda Constructiilor issue, click here!