Sales of screw and dowel manufacturers continue to fall

In Austria, the market for screws and dowels declined for the second year in a row in 2024, according to data from a study by the market research institute Branchenradar. According to the study, manufacturer revenues fell by 8.5 per cent year-on-year to a total of EUR 135.4 mio. A weak order situation in the skilled trades and sluggish DIY activity caused headaches for manufacturers of fastening technology in the previous year, according to market observers.

"The downturn affected both product groups to roughly the same extent and impacted both the professional segment and the DIY market," says study author Aferdita Bogdanovic. Year-on-year, manufacturers' sales to wholesalers and in commercial direct business fell by around 9 per cent, and to building material retailers and DIY stores by 3 per cent. There was a moderate price increase in DIY retail, while the average selling price eroded by around three per cent in the other two distribution channels.