“In its attempt to address the rising customer demand for higher convenience and comfort, the construction PPE market is likely to become more consolidated,” said Frost & Sullivan Mobility Research Analyst Siddharth Anand Sainath. “Greater adoption of sophisticated products, especially for eye, face and fall protection, is likely to reduce the impact of private labels on product prices , as well as drive industry-specific innovation.”

Analysis of the Western European Construction PPE Market, from Frost & Sullivan’s Future of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Growth Partnership Subscription, explores opportunities for head, eye, face, hearing, respiratory, and hand protection; high-visibility clothing; protective footwear; and fall protection equipment across Germany, France, Italy, the UK and Ireland, Scandinavia, Iberia, Benelux and Alpine.

Western European markets are currently in a state of flux following Britain's exit from the European Union, and this, along with the volatility of raw materials costs and availability, is expected to dampen the market. Furthermore, as the majority of the construction workforce in the UK comprises of immigrants, therefore Brexit is expected to result in increased labour costs and thereby lower construction output.

One way to deal with the current market uncertainty is to offer a comprehensive product portfolio with the right mix of novel product features and attractive price points, as demonstrated by Honeywell. Similarly, 3M has responded to the intensifying demand for fall protection PPE by strategically acquiring Capital Safety.

“Overall, in spite of all the internal and external challenges, the residential sector is proving a lucrative investment area in the wake of the refugee crisis and the numerous home loan incentives offered by various governments,” noted Sainath. “Infrastructure and civil engineering sectors are also likely to stoke demand for construction PPE due to the focus on improving and modernizing transportation and manufacturing infrastructure across Western Europe.”